The Washington herald., 1921-05-01
By Elizabeth Jordan

sort OF kinoergarten training In the
summer game? Is that the idea7"
That's it.exactly, promised the patient
with robust certainty. And under our
expert teaching xeIl expect some start
Ling progress"
Great" echoed Mr.. Smith with
sudden tubilation. That will be simply
greatT
The kindergarten course began
that day. Miss Lester having been ban
ished to- her room. Mr.. Smith escorted
Miss Selden and Miss Madden along the
Indian trail, uncomplainingly carrying .
heavy luncheon basket. He also showed
. gratifying knowledge OF how 70 make
a camp .hre and bake potatoes without
destroying them. He seemed less expert
IN the natter of small courtesies. but
after some prompting he accompanied
Miss Madden on an .exhausting climb up
the ladder natural but extremely dif-
hcuit ascent to the top of bfuff from
which there was a superb view. The
view. however. left Mr. Smith cold.
He talked about national defenses"
admitted Anne resentfully when. . little
later. she described the episode to her
friends. Before we came down he
showed me five different ways In which
the enemy could have approached and
shel1ed the Maine coast during the war,
II her feet hadn't been bottled up
That evening. for the first time. Mr.
Smith graced the ballroom. dutifully es-
corting Miss Selden and Miss Madden.
He danced with them both many times.
and then made himself popular with sew
eral of the married women by dancing
with them we'll. During an intermis-
sion he escorted Miss selden. at her fer
vid suggestion. to a point on the shore
them. A wonderful harvest moon was
in the sky. and a great golden path lay
across the water. but these beauties
aroused no soft emotions in Mr. Smiths
matter of fact soul.
What this country needs" he began.
is some way of utilizing the waste en-
ergy in mechanics Do you realize that
30 per cent"
Heavens" groaned Miss selden. Let's
90 back-and dance"
To Miss Lester she made. later, . bed
time confidence. He's hopeless, that
young man." she declared positively.
Simply hopeless-slow. practical. utterly
matter of fact. and deadly uninteresting"
The next morning. it being Sunday. he
dutifully escorted Miss Madden to church.
An hour later Elsie Lester was brought
again to the veranda. where. for seven
days following. she made an effective
picture OF patient and cheerful helpless
ness. The steamer chair on which she
lay. with its gay afghan. its charming
occupant, its surroundings Of books and
flowers. soon became the spot where the
social life Of the hotel centered.
The men who came down from the city
on the late evening trains brought her
books and candy. The women took turns
her. But it was Mr.. Herbert Alton Smith
who came most frequently and remained
when others left. II was he who played
the best games OF desperation" he who
read the new books TO her, he who in
vented the cleverest devices for her
comfort.
It's UP to you. Elsie" remarked Miss
Selden in the privacy of another bedtime
chat in Miss Testers room. I've prom
ised that we'll cure that dreadful social
lack of his. and. while were all helping,
you must do most of it And. for heavens
sake. while you are about 1t. make him
realize that when a good looking young
man is with a pretty girl in the moon
light she doesn't want him TO discuss
mathematics. She wants human interest
She wants to feel that he knows she's on
earth"
That Miss Lester was making progress
in these lessons seemed evident from the
fact that night after night, during the
rest of the week. while the others danced
in the big ball room. she and Mr.. Smith
sat together on the veranda, gazing pen
sively upon the moon. There, little b!
little. Elsie drew the gentleman's Interest
toward the softer phases Of life.
The third evening they were discuss
ing character; by the NTH they hsC
reached the absorbing topic of human
emotions.
Apparently Mr.. Smith had none, but h
showed an awed interest in hearing
about love and platonic friendship.
Don't you see how much more inter
esting 1t is when you meet others hal
way?" asked Miss Lester on the sixtl
evening. "Why. II we had left you alon
you wouldn't have looked at one of us
And nice time you'd have had hockinj
by yourself for two weeks"
Il know-but-" Mr.. Smith SCENE,
struggling to say something. Elsie help
ed him out.
You didn't know how to 90 about 1t,
she said kindly. Some men are lik
that, but not many. You really are diff
ferent from any man / ever knew. Al
most any other man on earth would hav
been flirting by this time" she added e1
pansively. But of course, you DON
know how"
Mr.. Smith gszed at her and his lips SCI
DO you think it's been easy for me {
act like an unresponsive chump all thi
timer" he suddenly demanded. under hi
breath. DO you think I've enjoyed sit
ting here in the moonlight holding myscl
in, while-while-every one else va
dancing and making lover"
"Why-Mr. Smith"
He bent closer.
You think I'm not human, and that a
! care for is work or public questions
Do you know that my minds been full
Of you ever since the day ] found yo