The Idaho recorder., 1920-09-10
STUFF O. DREAMS
By CRAWFORD LUTTRELL.


She unfolded the scrap Of yellOwed
paper. punctured with pin holes. and
read again. after lapse of eighteen
years. the words that had accompanied
d fraternity emblem sent her In the
faraway days Of youth. "As. this Star
and Crescent binds thousands Of
hearts together In the United States,
so may it bind our eternal friendship.
M. NJ" He had underscOred the
words hearts" and "Our."
She had gone back home on visit
and, following the proverbial rule Of
rummaging the attic on rainy day
in search Of entertainment, had found
by chance a packet Of old letters that
she thought had been burned before
she married and went away. The lit
tie fraternity pin that had graced her
schoolgirl blOuses had been fastened
through that scrap of paper.
At the thought. memory turned the
tide Of time backward and she saw her
self. long-legged. big-eyed girl stand
ing timidly at window In the post
q
Glare looked through the little
dormer window at the gentle. soaking
summer rain. Mechanically she opened
one Of the old letters, still brnvely
Haunting the crimson and black Of his
college colOrs. He had written with
the ardent assistance Of twenty-0ne
that he could never love anybody else
and that her influence would mold his
life. She could make Of him what she
willed. Age had its compensation, she
reflected. She could never biindly trust
again, never be hurt with the sharp
blade Of disillusiOnment whose keen
edge only time could wholly dull. She
looked at life through the fading eyes
Of thirty-five. They were too worldly
wise to glimpse visions Of such stuff
as dreams are made of!
II was when she was passing
through the hall below on her way to
her room to freshen up bit before
dinner that she heard a deep. musical
voice inquiring for her at the front
door. Thinking that 1t was an old
time neighbOr. she went quickly down.
stairs.
She recognized him Immediately. al
though the slimness Of youth had given
place to the rotundlty Of middle age
His black hair was thinning. Only his
eyes and his voice We're the same.
"How very much like a fairy story
this is" she laughed when they were
seated in the candle-lighteh old parlor.
81 have been in the attic all the, after
noon. found some Of your old letters
there and little yellowed slip Of pa
per which still hears the pin holes OF
the fraternity emblem you sent me
long ago"
~ still have that pin." he said and
looked mt her without smiling. ut is
locked in little black box In my
desk"
She laughed although her lips were
not quite steady in her mirth. ut
has been so long since those far days
when we flirted and pretended to know
all about love. Oh. well. I rode for a
hard fall and the tumble was suffi-
cientiy painful to guard against anoth-
er one"
You aren't hitter?" He leaned for
ward. his disconcerting brown eyes
never wavering from her face. "You
wonldn't he YOU. II you were!"
"fou don't believe. surely. that this
aging shell covers the girl YOU used
TO know. Milton? She died. ever so
long ago"
"She couldn't die" he corrected her.
and his eyes smiled as they had
smiled. warming and waking her heart
years before. Tell me about yourself.
everything" he urged.
She twisted the narrow gold hand
on her finger. "There is really moth
Ing 10 tell. I've had quite an average
life"
You married-let me see-how long
ago?" he questioned.
Fifteen years"
she was wholly unprepared for
what followed. Glare. | am sure that
YOU aud your husband, too. will un-
derstand what am about to saw TO
!ou. II would be foolish not to refer
10 my love for you-it has played TOO
Shmr'ah part upon my life. Your
abiding faith made me what nm. and
today ! stopped of here. In your little
nome town. TO try to get your present
ADDRESS In order to write to you and
era'efn'iy acknowledge all that l have
heen privileged to tell you"
Your wife"
I told her. before she died tust
what ] am telling you"
hadnt heard. Milton. I'm sorry
you must know"