Middletown transcript., 1920-10-09

BY LOUISE M. ADDISON.

o. 1920. BY Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.s
Elinor Worth, rushing downstairs in
answer to the furiously ringing door
bell, found her chum and next-door
neighbor, Alice Gloring, in wild stats
Of excitement.
Hes comingl" painted Alice, thrust
ing slip Of yellow paper into Elinor's
hands.
''ByronT breathed Elinor, quite
awed.
"Byronl Isn't it wonderful Elinor,
you'll just adore him. II were not
engaged myself rd-he's such dear !"
Elinor did not doubt it. For two
years she had heard praises Of Alice's
wonderful cousin. For two years she
had listened to the recital Of his many
projections, the tales Of his heroic
deeds: Of his kindness, his generosity.
his good looks, until in her youthful
Imagination he had become a god.
Even his name appealed to her roman
tic fancy. A man named Byron, she
felt, could never be commonplace.
"We1l introduce you tomorrow after
church." promised Alice.
And, as her friend had predicted, the
following day being Sunday, Elinor
was introduced after church. Mrs.
Gloring performed the ceremony with
little futter Of pleasure. She was
fond Of Elinor, and matchmaking was
her hobby.
my nephew, Byron, dear Elinor, just
returned from service. Byron, darling.
Alice's best friend, Miss Worth"
Elinor lifted her eyes. She tried to
say something pleasing and polite, but
her tongue refused to obey her. Some
thing was wrong with the world. The
sunshine became hateful, the songs of
the birds a hooking chorus. For By
ron, the Byron Of her imagination, the
poetic creature Of her maiden fan
cies, had taken unto himself wings and
fled; and in his place stood an odious,
long-limbed, quite un-Byronic creature
with sandy hair, light blue eyes, wide
mouth and a nondescript nose.
isn't he just too SWEET" murmured
Alice in Elinor's ear.
Elinor flushed, not so much at Alices
words as at the sudden twinkle in By
ron's eyes.
The days wore on. Elinor survived
the shock she had received. She met
Byron frequently and even learned to
like him. That gay twinkle In his eyes
seemed to relieve his plainness. But
she felt that Fate had played cruel
joke on her, nevertheless, and that she
would not be the same again. The real
Byron could never attain truly By
ronic place in her imagination. But he
had been In. service and it was her
duty to be kind to him, so she helped
Alice entertain him. She walked with
him, talked with him, drove with him
and felt herself very magnanimous In
doing it.
A few weeks after his arrival q
French army officer came to see Byron.
The girls were curious as to the object
Of his visit, for Byron foretold nothing.
merely smiling with that exasperating
twinkle in his eyes. And the surprise
Of the ladies was great when the young
Frenchman pinned a medal on Byron's
chest as mark Of favor from the
French government for unparalleled
bravery and fortitude on the field Of
battle and for chivalry and kindness to
French widows and orphans.
That night, when Byron invited FL
inor out for walk, she was strangely
shy. It had come over her suddenly
that Byron was parsonage.
"Elinor," said he, after they had
walked few minutes in silence, don't
you think you could like me a little,
though am not all that you had
hoped for?"
All I-hoped fort" stammered Ell
nor.
Eyes. You see, know my aunt and
Alice have a way Of raving over peo-
pie, and I could tell they'd given you
a wrong impression Of me. Also, my
name has been q stumbling block all
my life. l don't know what my parents
had against me when they named me
Byron. It isn't so bad with men, but
girls have had q habit Of judging you
by name. Confess, now, didn't you
rather expect to meet a shaggy-haired
poet instead of plain John JonesT'
"Who has been decorated by the
French government" said Elinor, soft
~, "and who never said word about
1t, though he knew the decoration was
coming"
"Oh, as for that"
AS for that" said Elinor, Il realize
that poets could never have won the
war for us, and that I'm a very foolish
person."
If you'll forgive my being un-By-
ronic," said Byron, with his humorous
twinkle, It'll forgive your being foolish.
In fact, I'm pretty well pleased with
you as you are"
Elinor stopped and made him an old
fashioned curtsy.
1.-The sentiments mutual" she said.
said"
Which pleased the un-Byronic Byron
very much.
Land Clearing Shown In Pictures.
Movies Of the first land clearing
school ever held in the United States,
that conducted by the Marinette