The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-08
THIRTEEN

too. some influence OF the movies might
be traced In her new mood.
IT guess it's PETTY lucky you happen
ed to be hangin around out mere she
said. and, as tho recent Iacts Dscane
ranidly obscured by, the view Of them
which she found It pleasant to take, she
continued: Il guess that's about the
luckiest thing ever happened to mo. The
way It looks to me. ! guess you saved
nv life. II you hadn't chased EN- away.
7 wouldn't been a bit surprised IL that
gang would have killed mel
"Oh, MOI" said Noble. smiling. They
wouldn't"
you don't know 'em like I do the
romantic child assured him. II know
that gang pretty we'll. and I wouldn't
been a bit surprised. I wouldn't one
Bit" !
But"
She tossed her head. signtfytng reck-
lessness Guess; 'twouidn't make much
difference to anybody particular whether
they did or not" said this strange Flor
ence.
Noble regarded. her. with astonish-
ment: they had reached tho front yard,
and paused under the trees where the
darkness was mitigated by the light
from. the shining windows. why, you
oughynt to talk that way, Florence" he
said. Think of your mamma and papa
and-and your Aunt Julia"
She tossed her head again. Pooh!
They'd all Of 'em just say: Good rib
bons to bad rubbish I guess" How
ever, she seemed far from Respondent
about this; in fact she was pleased not
only with her position as a young girih
saved from the power. OF ruffians by
rescuer in genuine evening dress. but
. also with the ability she was showing
to conouct a conversation with an act
ual adult growh:up young man whose
a; voice had quit changing years and years
ago-and he, moreover. Noble Dill! For
/ Florence had long known intervals when
she thought Of NobleiDill with strange
fondness; she was as peculiar In mel,
own way as her grandfather was IN hifI
! II bet If died. they wouldn't even havei
a funeral. she said. They'd probaIy,
just leave me lay"
Tho curiosities Of the human mind ara
found not in high adventure; they arc
everywhere. Never for a moment do
| it strike Noble Dill that Florences turn
! to tho morbid bore strong resemblance
to his own recent visions Of gloom. He
failed to perceive that tho two phenom-
! ena were produced out Of the same lad
oratory jar-and were probably largely
J chemical, at that
! why, Florence"' he exclaimed;
That's dreadful way to feel, I'm surS
your-your aunt Julia loves you"
"Oh, WELL" Florence returned lightly
! z"maybe she does. don't care whether
She does or not" And now she made
deduction, the profundtty OF which his
condition made him utterly unable to
perceive. 1T makes less difference 20
ANYBODY whether their aunts love 'em
! or not whether pretty near anybody else
at all does"
! But not your Aunt julia" he urged,
, Your aunt Julia
| ST don't care whether she does than
any other aunt got said F1orepce. AN
, Of ems Just aunts, and that's all there Is
to it. -.
| but. Florence, your aunt Julia -
shes nothin' in the world but my
aunt" Florence insisted, and her empha-
: sis showed that she was trying hard 70
make him understand. She's just the
same as all Of 'em. I don't get any
, thing more from her than 10 from
any the rest of EN-"
: not by Florence's morals. The cold
! blooded calculation upon which her fanl-
ily affections seemed to be founded.
this aboriginal straightforwardness OF
hers, passed over him. What shocked
him was her appearing to see Julia as
all Of a piece with general lot OF ordi-
nary aunts. Even trying to compre-
bend so impossible point Of view gave
him a muffled feeling about the oraiu.
, Helplessly he muttered again:
but your aunt Julia"
There she is now" said Florence.
I pointing at the window nearest them.
They've stopped dancing for whns
SOS that ole Mister Clairdyce can ger
chance to sing somep'm. Mamma
told me he was goin' to-" g.
Dashing chords sounded from .
! piano invisible to Noble and his cont
panion; the windows exhibited groups
Of deferentially expectant young pee
ple: and then a powerful barytone be-
Fan n love song. From the yard the
{ SINGER could not be seen, but julia
could be; she stood in the demurest At
titude. No one needed to behold the
vocalist to know that the scoundrel was
! looking pointedly and Economically at
| her.
Occur ra face that holds sosTee tas-
mile fer me,
VAR yew nah tmine how dark the
worrrl dwooed be!
To Noble. suffering at every pore.
this was less a song than a hatefut
bellowing; and in truth tho conhdeAt
Mr.. Clairdyce did "let his voice Out.
and never felt more exhiliarated than
when he shook the ceiling. The vol
ume OF sound he released upon nls
clinaxes was impressive, and the way
he slid I'D to Thorn had a great effect.
not indoors alone. but upon Florenoei
enrapturcd out under the trees.
"Oh. amt it be-you-toful' she muir!
INJURED.
Her humid eyes were fixed upon Noble
who was unconscious Of the honor.
Florence was SUSCEPTIBLE to anything
purporting to be music, and this sonB
moved her. Throughout its dehveIv
from Mr.. Clairdyces unseen chest, nsf
large eyes dwelt upon Noble, ana IL -
not at all impossible that she was APt
plying the tender words to him.. Jus1
as the vehement Clairdyce was patenf
ly addressing them to Julia. ON iie
sang, while Noble. staring CLASSIFY y
the demure lady. made picture Oh W
self leaping, unexpectedly, through the
window. stamping on him several timea.
explaining: There! That's for. your
Insolsnce to our hostess. Miss At
watcrw But he did not actually per-
nit himself these solaces; he only
clenched and unclenchcd his hngere
several times, and went on listening:
Geev aimee yewr ra-smile, -
The lug va-ligh TIN yew rise'
Life cooed not hold fairrerr paradise
Gecv aimee the righ to luv va-yeW An
the while.
NV worrrlda for ,AIv-voT.
The sunshigh NUN vyewr ra-smile!.
The conclusion was thunderous' ana
stances Is An automatic stimulant OF
cnthstas. the applause was thunderons
too, Several girls were unable to sud