The Washington times., 1920-03-28

Tipping the water from his hat
and, with a bound of interest, de
cided that no one like him had
ever crossed the tiles.
Pardon me-" he said, with de
corous humor, as he walked to the
exchange counter. MAY a descen
dant of Noah come In out OF the
deluge?"
THE library Is open to every
body" she responded, rising. IL
would not dare keep Noah himself
out"
Il was afraid I might have to be
one of a favored few" he said, his
eyes twinkling with appreciation
of her reply. 1--WE been in libra
ries, great ard humble, all ar the
world, and some of them rave
rules like the chains on ancient
Bibles. / haunt Libraries wherever
| go, and | suspect I've been a
loafer and a nuisance in many "A
one"
His delicately chiseled face
glowed with such an affection for
his book-loving memories, and un.
der his sprightliness lurked such a
suggestion of deep seriousness,
that Barbara awoke with a start to
the embarrassing discovery that
she had been staring at him ever
since he had given her courtly
bow
I'm sure you never could have
been either" she caught herself
saying, and blushed helplsssly.
She was now thrillingly certain
that, during all her years OF SER
vice there, no such man had come
to the counter.
"Have patience and you'll see,"
he laughed. How can get the
right to take out books?"
present an application signed
by two responsible citizens"
"Bless me, l don't know a soul
here, responsible or irresponsible.
Perhaps | may come and read"
ooh, yes" she replied; then.
frightened by the enthusiasm of
her assurance, she added: Every
body is welcome who is respectable
and knows how to handle books"
Il have only my word for the
first" he chuckled, "but can prove
the second. With my eyes closed
I'll tell you whether the book in
your hand was made in England or
America"
She gave him the volume, and
he continued:
See. my eyes are closed. !
press the book opened in the mid
die, against my forehead. So Per-
haps l ought to- :tter talismanic
words in a satanic voice, but I'm
no strolling magician. In plain.
everyday Anglo-Saxon, then, | pro-
nounce this an English book"
With a facetious imitation of a
prestidigitating flourish he re.
turned the volume to her as she
said, with frank wonderment, that
it was an old copy of Addison.
"What a necromancer I'd make"
he joked. But it's simple-as all
good tricks are. English glue has
a stronger odor than ours, that's
all. Get an American book and
note the difference
"Why, it is very different" she
said, after testing the two volumes.
"What an odd point to know"
THAT odOr is fragrance to us
booklovers," he said, more seri-
ously. And it never leaves a
book. The Altar of Roses, as you
know. is a lasting perfume. and l
like to think Of this fragrance Of
books as the altar of old romance.
Ridiculously sentimental for this
prosaic age, isn't it,"
mot at ALL" she differed. en-.
Enthusiastically. Nine out of ten
marked passages in books here are
the sentimental digressions."
"Oh, we're all sentimentalsts II
we'd Tess up" he declared. Then
the sparkle vanished from his face
and he added IF only all mys.
teries could be as easily explained.
I'd like to solve the mystery of this
night-to know that it will not
leave he any Of its shadows. I
pardon my bad habit of thinking
aloud. May know your name?"
She pointed TO a card bearing
the library rules, and he said, with
a flicker of his humor:
mine is Alfred Yeargood. That
might signify that some one year
of my life has been good or some
one Is going to be. The one to be
must improve nightly, then, over
the has beens. But | see 1t Is time
for you to close. SO I'll bid-listen
how 1t rains. Have you an UNI.
brella?"
mo. came before the shower"
"You couldn't walk block with.
out being drenched. Wait"
He was gone before she could
stop him. She went back to her
desk with the book, but saw no
word on its yellow pages. This
strangers fancies were like meas
ures from a beloved melody not
heard for years. She had learned
to smile at the egotistical days
when Shn had hppn slrp of n rO-