Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-05-16
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IL Masquerade
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A Turning Point
BY Tdah McGlone Gibson

I
There was brief silence aftel
DR.. Millions dissertation on love
and then Jim Clavering said mus
ingly: Perhaps you speak the
truth, Milt. A definition of love
Is something you can't put into
words. 1t means different things
to different people. You can how
ever. always tell when you are
in love. And you can tell when
you are out OF love. but 1 do not
believe you can ever fully describe
your emotions In either case"
Every well said for bache-
lor," remarked Davis with a grin.
but I'd like to hear more of
Harry's story"
"All right, here goes" agreed
Clavering.
For a long time, jim, my
childish heart was filled with hap
piness. did not mind at all the
jeers of the boys and the little
furtive smiles OF the girls. I did
not even care enoungh to try to
find out who had written on the
fences, Alice is Harry's GIRL and
all the other foolish little things
that children say and do. when
they find that boy and girl have
become pals In fact / was very
proud to acknowledge that Alice
was my girl.
Perhaps I have dwelt too long
on this incident of my life, but
1T seems to me that that childish
love affair was real turning
point.
Il met Alice just a short time
ago, for the first time in years.
She has become a novelist of ma
tional reputation and she told me
laughingly that our romance had
been described in her best seller.
There was in her eyes, how
ever, the same trust, the Usame
beautiful outlook en- life which
she had in childhood, and I won
dered what would have happened
had l married her instead of Dor
is.
"All through high school Alice
was my girl.
My boyhood was a constant
fight to get what education
could. I watched my dear mother
bending low over the hardest task
and, while felt very sorry for her
realize now my selfishness in
not helping her to weed the gar
lon about the house. | saw my ia
her grow more and more silent.
There seemed to be no Joy, no
pleasure, no future anywhere ex-
'ept when Alice was with me and
We were looking in childish fash
on into the future as far as hu
nan eyes could see.
Il believe that even tnen I real
zed that there is nothing in all
his world so sweet as the flattery
hat can be poured out at the feet
u man by loving, trusting
sirl,
l look back now, Jim, upon
hat childish idyl as the one un-
elbish love affair of my life.
My father and mother were
10Th steadily. determined that
heir children should have at
east high school education, and
ne of the few remembered times
fhen knew that they were hap
y was when, in my 18th year, l |
topped forward to receive my |
Ugh school diploma. I
Alice was graduated at the 4
anne time, and 1 remember we I
DOk the ribbons off of our diplo- =
las and exchanged them and prom q
'ed each other that we would $
eep them as long as we lived. [
And, Alice, dear little Alice, l
whispered, as l kissed her in +
he shade of the big oak tree in 7
'ont of her fathers house, wen I
g up the diplomas of our grand Il
hildren with these same ribbons. S
hey won't mind how faded they S
re then, And Wen tell them our Il
tory s
Alice didn't even blush as she S
'oked into my face and smiled: t
OF course. we will Harry. e.
In her innocent soul the pro e
hesy of a long life together, with n
lildren and grandchildren, was e
that was to be.
Il
to the Naval acade- q
y at Annapolis, but alas, was d
tucked the first year. This was c.
great disappointment to my peo- OF
Ie. think my mother never a
'ased to sorrow over this. with q
or ambitions for her children Il
liS was heavy blow. Ii
Il never had mind that was Il
Die to fathom mathematics. and W
len they were the backbone of a p
'yal officers training. To this cl
~ as You know, Jim, I am not v'
Me to keep my own personal ac- G.
unts, and l lost out then as l &C
I'VE done always since whenever OF
must dabble in figures. as
Personally, l was really glad al
er my discharge I had stayed
Annapolis long enough to un- :
'rstand that I would never like
e routine. l never could stand
ing the same identical thing
er and over again, Particularly
tha np1hrs ~ s,,,,,y~,o -. II