Evening star., 1923-12-30
A Filtration
OF Convenience
BY ). A. wALDRoN.

the formalities that obtain
. in society and many 2 ss,, 70.
~ nance develops aboard ship
more speedily than it could at the
seashore, although no field of the
amorously sentimental can approach
the seashorasfor ephe morality and ,ir-
responsibility, OF attaohnishts
Men and women at sea. ma quick
acquaintancs even outside of that
sympathy In misery that Neptune,
often infiiets, And the very freedom
from the Conventional code that the
ever-c changing deep suggests gives
impulse to the romantically Inclined
Harold Bangle. onsthe good ship
Utopia, was. a day out from Cher
bourg before he. caught sight of a
pretty woman who pleased his fancy,
He had been trying to spend his in
come dufing a six-month tour of
Europe. slncide making love in
various lands. His infatuations in
New Yorkshad been many, and once
in a while he, had been fortunate
enough to inspire what seemed to be
responsive feeling. But young wom-
en-. are not so ingenious as they used
to be, and although the aphorism
that money makes the mare go is an
ornamental education. some, of them
still are hard to please '-S
Nobody that knew Harold ever
wondered. why he didn marry. In,
evitably when he had reached a stage
of courtship that gives girl hope;
and inspires rejection as to the latest:
modes in trousseauX. Harold would
find some other young woman more
attractive and begin all over again.
He was so volatile that he never yet
had been melancholy because some
girl threw him over. *.
During his travels, Harold had
made love tentatively as best. he
could, not being an accomplished
linguist, to divers mademoiselles,
frauleins and signoritas, but never
with any promise of success. and at
times with experiences which called
upon valor and found valor absent.
In Paris he had been challenged to
a duel and fled the city in such
haste that he forgot some Pf his
luggage. In Berlin he had felt the
prick of a petty officers sword as
those in regular warfare feel it when
In full retreat. In Naples he had
escaped the stiletto of a young men,
Der of the Camorra whose signorita
he had approached, nothing saving
hii but something in reserve held
over from the days when he was
crack short-distance man at Har-
ward. These experiences led him at
last to more fully appreciate the
beauties of his native land and the
damseis thereof.
Repeated defeats of amorous i'm
pulse had made Harold more ,sus
ceptible than ever. So when on the
deck of the Utopia this one day out
from Cherbourg he saw a beautiful
girl who looked at him with an
archness that seemed to invite over
ture, he actually blushed with en-
thusiasm. The sea was high and the
wind blew q gale. Just as the girl
was about TO. arrange her chair for
an airing, one of her rugs took
flight. Harold rescued it from
drowning, and the rest. at least on
his side, was courtship.
From the moment of this uncon-
ventional introduction Harold was
. the very shadow of the pretty girE
Tho next day they arranged their
chairs together on deck. nd-happy
conversation flowed.
You don't mind, j venture, to give
me your name?' he asked handing
her his card.
Not in the least she replied.
"Claremont."
e,,I Nn11
will permit the opinion" said he.
do you really think SOP
And do you mind telling me your
baptismal name?"
Not at ALL Virginia"
Really a. lovely combination" said
Harold, and he emphasized his ad-
jective They talked and laughed
till the call for luncheon, and again
until dinner.
The next day Harold arranged her
rugs, got her foot-stool, rang for
tea brought her confections and, in
fact, anticipated her every wish.
She smiled upon him and entered
charmingly into every subject he in
troduced If he had not been more
, infatuated than he had ever been in
his life, he would have broached the
subject of love. But such words
failed him.
Day after day their intimacy grew,
until Harold was in a hopeless state.
All his assurance in amatory affairs
had left him, He thought and
thought again as to how he might
declare his passion.
1t was not until the ship approach
ed the effigy of Liberty that Harold
in desperation made up his mind to
say something. He was standing in
front of Virginia, with his mouth
open. aimlessly holding his pipe.
My dear Miss -Claremont," he
stammered, and swallowed the rest
of his speech as a heavy man ap-
preached sluggishly.
''Mr. Claremont,"- said Virginia, in
dicating the interleper, "is a poor
sailor. He's been below constantly.
Mr.. Bangle, my husband"
Copyright. 1921 =
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