The Washington times., 1920-07-12

period OF her career being "won-
derful" or topping"
Jim. as always. was "wonderful;"
and the attitude OF his friends al
ternstely delighted and awed her.
so gayly devoted they instantly be-
came to Jim's little sister"
But what now secretly thrilled
the girl was that Jimg for the nrst
time. seemed to be proud OF her,
not tolerating her as an immature
member OF the family, but welcom-
ing her as an equal. on an equal
footing. And. with inexpressible
delight, she remembered her deter
mination, long ago. to overtake
him; and realized that she was do
ing it very rapidly. \...
SO she went to a football game at
the stadium; she took tea in the
quarters OF these god-like young
men; she motored about Cambridge
and Boston; she saw all that a girl
OF fifteen ought to see, heard all
that she ought to hear. and went
back to New York with John Gle
land in the seventh paradise of hap
piness fuIfilled. madly enamoured OF
Jim and every youthful superman
he had introduced to her.
Every year while Jim was at COL
lege there was a repetition of this
program, and she and John Cleland
departed regularly for Cambridge
amid excitement indescribable-
And when, in due time. Jim pre-
pared to emerge from that great
university. swaddled in sheepskin,
and teeking with Cambridge cul-
ture. Stephanie went again to Cam
bridge with her adopted father--a
girl, then, of seventeen. still grow
ing. still in the wondering maze of
her own adolescence, exquisitely in
volved in it's magic. conscious al
. ready of it's spell, OF its witchcraft.
which lore she was shyly venturing
to investigate.
She had wonderful" week in
Cambridge--more and more excited
by the discovery that young men
found her as agreeable a. she found
them, and that they sought her. now
on perfectly even terms OF years
and experience; regarded her as Of
them, not merely with them. And
this enchanted her.
Two of her school friends, the
Hildreth girls, were there with
their mother. and the latter very
gladly extended her wing to cover
Stephanie for the dance. John Gle
land not feeling very well and re-
naming in Boston.
And it chanced that Stephanie
met there Oswald Grismer; and
knew him instantly when he was
presented to her. Even after all
those years, the girl clearly recol-
lected seeing him in the railroad
station, and remembered the odd
emotions of curiosity and disap-
proval she experienced when he
stared at her so persistently-dis-
approval slightly mitigated by con-
sciousness of the boyish flattery his
manner toward her implied.
He said. in his easy, half-mis-
ch.evous way:
you don't remember me, OF
course. Miss Quest, but when you
were a very little girl l once saw
you at the Grand Central Station in
New York"
Stephanie, as yet too inexperi-
enced a diplomat to forget such
things. replied frankly that she re-
membered him perfectly. When it
was too late, she blushed at her ad-
mission.
That's unusually nice Of you," he
said. Maybe it was my bad man
ners that impressed you, Miss Quest.
l remember that l had never seen
such a pretty little girl in my life.
and I'm very sure l stared at you,
and that you were properly an
noyed."
He was laughing easily, as he
spoke. and she laughed, too, still. a
trifle confused.
81 did think you rather. rude" she
admitted. "But what long time
ago that was! Isn't 1t strange that
/ should remember it? I can even
Iot nd
had had a fight in school and that
Dad made you both shake hands
there in the station, before you
went aboard the train. Naturally,
I didn't feel kindly toward you"
she added, laughingly.
Jim and ] are now on most
amiable terms" he assured her,
$50 please feel kindly toward me
now-kindly enough to give me one
unimportant dance. Will you Miss
Quest?"
Later. when he presented himself
to claim the dance, her reception OF
him was Enthusiastically friendly.
He had grown up into a spare,
loosely coupled, yet rather grace
full young fellow, with hair and
eyes that matched, both OF a deep
amber shade.
But there was in his bearing, in
his carlessly attractive manner, in
his gaze, a lurking hint Of ire
sponsiblity, perhaps mischief. which
did not, however, impress her dis
agreeahly.
On the contrary, she felt oddly
at ease with him, as though she had
known him for some time.
Have you forgiven ME for star
ing at you so many years ago?" he
inquired, smilingly.
She thought she had.
But his next words startled her
a little; he said, still smiling in his
carless and attractive way:
81 have a queer idea that we're
beginning in the middle OF every
thing-that we've already known
each other long enough to waive
preliminaries and begin our ac-
quaintance as old friends"
He was saying almost exactly
what she had not put into words
He was still looking at her intently,
curiously. with the same slightly
deferentiai smile which she now
vividly remembered in the boy.
"Do you by any chance, feel the
came about our encounterw he