Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-03-31
CHAPTER VHI.-Continued.

Even then, when she took her be-
lated way to a little gathering III
honor of one Of her girl friends who
was going to be married the, next
week to a young aviator, she kept
the smile on her lips and the dreamy
look in her eyes. and flow and then
brought herself back from the chat
ter around her to remember that
something pleasant had happened.
Eer thoughts. There was too much,
dignity and simplicity about the girls
young. as she was, to allow her to
deal even with her own thougHtsSsdn
any but a maidenly way, and At was
not in the ordinary way of q maid
with a man that she thought of this
young soldier. He was SO far re-
moved from her life in every way,
and all the well-drilled formalities.
that 1t never occurred to her to think
of him in the same way she thought
Of her other men friends.
A friend who understood her, and
whom she could understand. That
was what she had always wanted
with any of her young associates.
One or two had approached to that,
but always there had been a point. at
which they had fallen short. That
she should make this mar her friend
whose letter cracked in her pocket,
in that intimate sense Of the word,
did not to her even now He
was somehow set apart for service in
her mind: and as such she had
chosen him to be her special knight,
she to be the lady to whom he might
look for encouragement-whose hon
or he was going forth to defend. 1t
waR q mistp 0reanv ideal nf a
thought. Somehow h wouldS not
have picked out m other Of her boy
friends to be d knight for her. They
were too fippant. too careless and
light hearted. The very way II which
they lighted their m~ultitudinous
cigarettes and tipped the match
away gave impression that they were
going to have the time of their lives
in this war. They might have
patriotism down at the bottom Of all
this froth and boasting, doubtless
they had; but there was so little seri-
business about them that one would
never think of them as knights, de-
tenders of some great cause of
Righteousness. Perhaps she was all
wrong. Perhaps it was only her old
baby fancy for the little boy who
could always click" the other boys
and save the girls from trouble that
prejudiced, her in his favor. but at
least it was pleasant and a great re-
lief to know that her impulsive let
ter had not been misunderstood.
The girls prattled of this one and
that who were ''going. over" soon,
told of engagements aid marriages
soon to occur: criticized the brides
! and grooms to be; declared their I'M
dying opinions about what was fitting
fora war bride to wear; and whether
they would like to marry a, man who
had to go right into war and might
return minus an arm OF an eye. They
discoursed about the U-boats with a
hrothy c~hferfulness that made Ruth
shudder: and in the same breath told
what nice eyes a young captain1 had
who had recently visited the town,
and what perfectly lovely uniforms
he wore. They argued with serious
zeal whether q. girl should wesx an
o~live-drab suit this year II she. want
ed to- look really smart.
They were the girls among whom
she mad been brought. up, and Ruth
was used to their froth, but some
how today 1t bored her beyond ex-
preston. She was glad to make an
excuse to get awaE and she drove
her little a. around by the way OF
John Cameron's home. hoping per.
haps to getf Q glimpse OF his mother
again. But the house had a shut I'm
look behind the vine that he hnd
trained, as IL it were lonely and il.
ing back in . long wait till he should
eome-or not come! pang went
through her heart. Fof the frststime
she thought whatsit meant for q
young life like that to be silepced by
cold steel. The home empty! The
mother alone. His ambitions and
hopes unfulflled! 1t came to her,
too, that ~ he were her kni9ht he
might have 10 die for her-for nd
causef She shuddered and swept tire
Unpleasant thought away, but ii had
slsat g marx iand would t'l return
On fheSsWay hack she passed a mum
her Of voting soldiers home on twe1I-
ty-four hour leaye from TIE nearby
tfsanipaL they salrtsd most eagerly.