New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05

too much, and he had said it didn't
matter; nobody would care much if
he died-and Julia said gently that
his mother would, and other people,
too; he mustn't talk so recklessly.
Out of this the old eavesdropper had
viciously represented him to be a
poser, not really reckless at all, and
had insulted his cigarettes and his
salary. Well, Noble would show
him! Noble had doubts about being
able to show Mr.. Atwater anything
important connected with the ciga-
rettes or the salary, but he could
prove how reckless he was. With
that vision formed before him: he
saw Julia and her father standing
spellbound at crossing while
smiling youth stood directly between
the rails in the middle of the street
and let charging trolley car de-
stroy him--not instantly, for he
would live long enough to whisper
as the stricken pair bent over him:
"Now, Julia, which do you believe,
your father or me?" And then with
slight, dying sneer: swell, Mr..
Atwater, is this reckless enough to
suit your"
| Il
TOWN squirrels fitted along
| IL their high paths in the shade
tree branches above the embit-
tered young lover, and he noticed
them not at all, which was but little
less than he noticed the elderly hu-
man couple who observed him from a
side yard as he passed by. Mr.. and
Mrs. Burgess had been happily mar
ried for fifty-three years and four
months. Mr.. Burgess lay in a ham,
mock between two maple trees and
was soothingly swung by means of
string connecting the hammock and
the rockingham in which sat Mrs.
Burgess, acting as a mild motor for
both the chair and the hammock
device that had made many win
ter tolerable for them through their
antlclpations of it's happy employ
ment when summer should come
again. "That's Noble Dill walking
along the sidewalk" Mrs. Burgess
said, interpreting for her husbands
failing eyes. II bowed to him, but
ne hardly seemed to see US and Just
barely lifted his hat. He needn't
be cross to US, just because some
other young mans probably taking
Julia Atwater out driving!'
eyes, he need!" Mr.. Burgess de-
clared. "A boy in his condition
needs to be cross with everything.
Sometimes they get so cross they
go and drink liquor. Don't you re-
member?"
She laughed. ~ remember once!"
she assented, and laughed again.
"Why, it's a terrible time Of
life" her husband went on. "Poets
and suchlike always take on about
young love as if it were a charm
ing and romantic experience, but
really it's just series of mortifica-
tons"
eyes, it is" she assented placid
ly. Pm glad we don't have to go
through it again, Freddie; though
you're only eighty-two, and with a
girl like Julia Atwater around no.
body ought to be sure"
a THOUGH Noble had saluted
N the old couple so Grossly, thus
unconsciously making them,
as he made the sidewalk, proxy for
MIR. Atwater, so to speak, yet the
sight of them penetrated his outer
layers of preoccupation and had an
effect upon him. In the midst Of his
suffering his imagination paused for
a shudder: What miserable old
gray lives those two were Thank
Heaven, he and Julia could never be
like that! And in the haze that rose
before his minds eye he saw himself !
leading Julia through years of ad-
venture in far parts Of the world:
there were glimpses of himself fight
ing shadowy figures on the edge of
Hlmalayan pcecipices at dawn, while
Julia knelt by the tent on the glacier
and prayed for him. He saw head
walters bowling him and Julia to
tables in Strange foreign cafes"
and when they were seated, and he |
had ordered dishes that amazed her.
he would say in low voice: Don't
look now, but do you see that heavy
shouldered man with the insignia,
sitting with that adventures and |
those eight officers who are really
his guards? Don't be alarmed,