The Washington herald., 1921-07-10


IN AFTER years, when Holcomb had lost
i his waist and had found a half page In
Who's Who" be was accustomed to look
back to his summer at Loon Lake as the
apogee Of his career. -
He was twenty one, handsome, strong
q q panther, and had just been elected
captain Of his college football team. He
belonged to 80 many frats that, had he worn
their emblematic pins at one time. be would
have made field marshal look like Q SER
geant.
BE could sing pleasantly, dance skill
fully, and play rastime on several instru-
nents; be held the boxing championshi, ct
bis college, and had been so fortunate a
never to have Lost BY death or estransement
Q single near relative or friend
He knew, In q vague, theoretical way,
chaf some time he must surrender his mag
nihesnt vitality b the old man with the
scyths; but ft seemed Incredible to him then
that he could ever come TO need spectacles
o. the services Of . dentist-much less Q
pallbearr.
Bis team v.s Known IN Inter years ~ the
Q plugging fulIback Of An-America calibcr,
- AS nBnanx captain.
In al his giittering horizon there hoated
but q solitary mote of discontent-the fact
big enough It loomed at the time-that he
2 had bot one good right guard. II he wer.
to be put on the hospital list the smooth
harmony Of their wonderful machine would
Be seriously endangered, for the substitutes
sn the scrub team were far below par.
Holeolm swan into the youthful congress
OF Loon Lake Inn as a young god deigning
to slip away from Olympus for a season
to taste mortal adulation. His "a was the
oroadest, his pumps the narrowest, bis
shoulders the widest, and his purse the long
est at that resort of superlative youthful
aristocracy. Had 1t been Utah instead OF
New Hampshire, he could have acquired q
brilliant hsrem Of palpitating heiresses-
VEs. pudEy Senator Hclcomb, unable Of
i hand to enumerate all his directorates
and clubs, many times looked back with
nigh from the tangled perplexities of sue
eessful maturity to that one golden summer.
On q certain sultry August night HoI-
colin was ahoat in a canoe with the pretty
dryad upon whom he lad deigned for the
moment to cast the light of his countenance.
He was clad in gray Scottish coat and
creamy flannel trousers, such being the fav-
ortte combination of that season, with the
accessories of patent Leather pumps, white
MIX hose, and silk sport shirt of q faint pink
pencil stripe, with flowing tie.
His Panama, crushed fat back in front,
lay at his feet as he padded lazily, cuffs
turned back Just enough to reveal the bronzed
muscles Of his forearms, his fine eyes feastinx
upon the little arrangement Of organdie, rib
bons, eyebrows, French heels, fluffy hair,
rose and cream that nature and art col
laborats in designing for the confusion Of
man
81 say, SaIlie, how about padding over
b the grove to see the festive yokels dis
port themselves! Beastly dull at the inn
tonight-what? Let's watch Laura and
Prudence and Luke and Obed hoe it down J!
Holcomb referred to little rural pleas
ure ground on the wrong side Of Loon
Lake, q place Of tall, clean pines and paper
lanterns and rowboats for hire, with
dancing pavilion under the watchful eyes
Of the Village Improvement Association.
Here, twice q week during the summer, un-
happily mated cornets, trombones and clari-
nets were forced BY main strength to bleat
out the popular waltzes and two-steps Of