The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-01-15
The TWICE AMERICAN
By ELEANoR NJ. R

father"
Mr.. Noel is welcome" said
Arloff. He looked steadily at the
guest, then smiled abruptly and
eharmingly. But we are not
strangers! That l cannot rise is
my regret, yet l can offer my hand
and a friend will come to me-
Noel came forward to take his
host hand, with more diffidence
than he felt since his boyhood.
"You are very good" he began,
and broke off the sentence. He
could not brutally tell this man
that they were strangers, and that
the recognition was a delusion.
Mr.. Noel has called to see the
new doll, papa" the girl con-
tinued, a trifle ~hurriedly.
"Ahl" Arloff smiled again.
Pray be seated, Mr.. Noel. Yes,
we are keeping festival. My
daughters 18th birthday! Rosa
lind, ring for our coffee, my child.
Our friend will share it with us,
| trust"
In the interval while Noel had
stood dreaming in the hall below,
the table had been cleared. Rosa
lind did not ring. She left the
room and herself brought in a
quaint, fragile after dinner coffee
service for two. Noel watched her
at the dainty business of serving !;
watched her hands, like little
white birds fluttering above the
dull blue and gold china watched
the obstinacy with which her gaze
remained fixed upon her task, SO
that her lowered lashes seemed to
cling to her round young cheek
like a curtain, never to be lifted
for him.
She did not drink of the coffee.
At a playful gesture from her
father, she took the French doll
and set it on her knee. Like the
child he fancied her, she remained
silent and demure.
But Vasili Arloff talked. He
talked as he once had moved
among heavier, duller men-mar-
v%ellously, with a grace never at
fault. His conversation was to that
of every day people like a keen
bladed eastern dagger, hilted with
strange, vivid gems, found lying
amid a chest Of workmen's tools.
There was no flaw in that fine
mind, except the marred memory.
If he had been glamoured the
night before, Noel was fairly
shared by sorcery tonight. The
light in the room faded to a rosy
dusk. He listened to the man and
watched the girl, himself speaking
as little as might be. In all his
wild, adventurous, strangely sue
eessful years, he never had passed
an hour like this.
And never would again! That
was the thought which struck him
sharply in the face when Arloff at
last fell silent. Never, if he mar
lried the girl on Long Island
Never, a voice cried within him,
if he left. here tonight and Knocked
opportunity the second time!
"Rosalind, your hand" Arloff
said dreamily. Glove, Mr.. Noel,
is the reverse of that legend Of St.
Elizabeth, whose basket Of food
for the hungry became a basket Of
roses when her angry husband
challenged her deed of charity.
When we r young, we gather
love as bright flowers, but in our
old age it becomes our bread Of
life. My. wife,"
The dusk was silver grey now
The noise Of the city roared less
heavily across the open windows,
Presently the young girl spoke,
her voice soft and cool.
.He is asleep. Perhaps you will
go nowl"
Noel leaned forward toward the
1.-TWO who formed so gracious a pic.
ture.
"Go? Mol You have the right
to be angry with me. i come to
ask your pardon
"You though bad things of me
because / spoke to you" she
flashed out at him 81 knowE -
knew was afraid, when you
came after me on the street that
morning but you seemed so good,
so kind!'' He heard her catch he1
breath in q stifled sob. aAnd
did want the doll-for him.
please he implored her.
mo, you must hear now. III
was dreadfully hurt on my 18th
birthday. He was on his way to
buy a doll for me. He was riding
. new helsae, and i. be BE: