Gilpin observer., 1920-01-22
THE TIDAL
WAVE
By A. HOWARD

Archibald Christopher Van Dyne
sat in church, pious calm on his
countenance and the tail of his eye
directed toward his fiancee. Miss Ara
bella Whitney, who sat beside him.
He was trying to remember If there
had ever been a time when he had
not been engaged to Arabella. he was
wondering why they were engaged,
and he was predicting savagely that
they should never marry.
| Just because their fathers had been
partners and lifelong friends, Arabella.
when spotted red infant, had been
jestingly betrothed to the five-year-old
Archibald, and as the children grew
older the jest had gradually become
serious and the two families had al
ways assumed that the marriage would
take place as soon as Arabella was old
enough and Archie was through SOW
Ing his wild oats.
| Archie's wild oats were of the mild.
est kind. He neither smoked nor
drank, he worked faithfully at his job,
and was in the house every night at
tenthrty.
That Sunday Archibald wore fam
ing tie which indicated accurately the
chaotic state of his moral being. for
he felt within himself the Towering
of mighty love, and Bella was not
the object of this overwhelming pas
sion.
SO, for the first time In his life, Ar
| chia rapor1ot tho hIop6a NIicc Whit
ney with aversion, and when the SER
mon began his thoughts drifted away,
not to Arabella, but to Leona Lepage.
Leona. the star of the Dixie Stock
company, had floated. vision in pink
tarlatan. onto the stage of Morgan's
Lyric theater, one night of the previ-
GUS week, and standing there on one
toe, with the other pointed graceful
ly skyward, she had kicked herself
into the heart of the callow Archibald
Hence the resplendent tie and the
depressed countenance beside Ara
bella.
After church Archie strayed down
to the Travellers house, where Leona
was staying, and settled himself in the
corridor, hoping to catch glimpse Of
his adored. Nor was he disappointed.
for soon there was swish of skirts
on the stair, the tap Of heels on the
stone floor. and I.eona, decked for con-
quest, swept into the room.
Perhaps she had noticed the mild
eyed youth who attended every per-
formance at Morgan's, or perhaps the
| nf
toward her moved her easy heart, for
after passing Archibald she paused,
turned, and came toward him.
Pardon me-" she murmured, fixing
her large eyes on Archibald from be-
meath the shades of her enormous hat,
"but have you seen Gyp, my dog? He
ran away. and am sure he came this
way"
Leona looked up and down the corr
ridOr, but Archie looked only at Leopn.
YES" he answered, with the bold
ness born of love, II am sure he went
this way. Suppose we go and look
for him."
Marveling at his own temerity, he
set forth from the hotel with Miss
Lepage on his arm. and with shaking
legs started down the street in nerv-
GUS pursuit of the lost dog.
where shall we go?" cried LeOna
In maidenly helplessness. (which way
did you see him GOT"
Archie reddened; he was very
truthful youth. and mendacity did not
come easy to him.
He tried frantically to think Of
some place where runaway dog
would be likely to so.
Leona, however, saved him further
embarrassment by pausing in front of
one of the larger restaurants, and re-
marking, as she eyed the viands in the
window:
Don't you think he went in here?"
NO" answered Archie emphatical-
ly. Still. Leona held her ground.
"Pm sure he did" she said.
Then Archie perceived the drift of
her remark.
"Of course he did" he cried. with
enthusiasm. and blushng beauti-
full pink at his stupidity. he led Leona
proudly In. even gaining the courage
to order "hot dog" from the astonished
waiter.
From that day on Archibald lived
| as one In dream.
| Though he paid an occasional per-
functory visit to Arabela to keep the
peace with his family. his real life
passed In a roseate world inhabited
only by himself and Leona Lepage.
In the daytime he haunted her hotel.
and night found him an enthralled spec
tator In the front row Of the Lyric.
His mother. finding the florists bill In
his room, and marveling at its size. re-
marked that Arabella had better be-
gin her trousseau; but she suspected
nothing, though Archie nearly gave
himsalf nway at timas