Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-10-17
AFour-Leafed
Glove.
By RUBY DOUGLAS


- ALLY ARLINGTON was not OF q
- curious turn Of mind. but her in
quisitveness had mastered her at last.
what in the world is that man look
ing forf' she asked Of the matron Of
the babies convalescent home.
The matron turned her eyes toward
the rich, sloping lawn that rolled away
from the porch toward the water be
low She laughed at the question.
"A fOur-leafed cloyer,r she said.
But he does It every time he comes
up persisted Sally Il have watched
him from our garden, and I've been
consumed with curiosity"
ITS funny about him-poor chap"
explained the matron. "His little girl
has been here all summer convaiescing
after winters illness. She has no
mother, and the fatfer is all bound up
In the little thing. The youngster has
a notion that If her daddy could find
a four-leafed clover and give It to her
she could go home with him soon.
Such a notlonl We have all sorts Of
whims In our sick children"
Sally was watching the young man
searching the thick clover patches.
He'll never find one there, but-do
you suppose he'd like to look in our
lawnf'
The matron was matterof-faet.
"Why not? Do you grow theInT'
"N-no, not exactly; but there seems
TO be a good crop of them this year,
as l find one very time / go across the
lawn" Sally told her "rd gladly find
one for him, but that Isn't the point
You must find 1t yourself"
The man was coming toward the
porch, his lack Of success evident on
his finely cut features.
is your little Eileen to be dlsap-
pointed agalnT asked the matron.
He nodded. I'm asdub at this sort
Of thing fear. / never found one in
my life"
The matron took the occasion to In
troduce him to Sally, and she laughed
at his lack of luck.
Would you like to try our garden?'
she asked I've watched you more or
less all summer, and If I'd known what
you were doing-and why-I might
have planted some so that you could
not miss them" she joked.
The man looked at her Are you
serious about having them in your
lawn7' he asked eagerly. "That Riddle
of mine is obsessed on the subject"
Perhaps it's complex" ventured
Sally.
Its something feminine. anyway"
the man told her.
After a few more words the pair Of
newly acquainted young people left
the matron to her charges and went in
search of a four-leafed clover.
True to her prediction. Sally picked
up the extra-leafed clover inside of ten
minutes, and the man sat looking at her
with admiration. She handed it to
him.
He took it. But must find one my
self" he explained, not, however. offer
ing to give her back the good-luck
omen. Instead. he opened n tiny note
book and put it carefully within.
Eventually. and with Sally almost
leading him to the spot where II grew,
he found a clover with four leaves.
The smile that wTeathed his face was
worth much to Sally. She had known
the little Eileen ever since the home
for convalescent babies had opened up
in their neighborhood in the spring
ow.d v,,r,- nho ooufd -a, ,rhn-n tho ,.-,,
one had inherited her charming smile
"I'll take it TO Eileen at once, and
then must hurry back to town. 1t is
quite trip out here to the country,
but since the youngster has no mother
I have to do double duty, especially
when she is ill.," he said, sadly.
'Tu try to see much Of her II 1t will
help you" said Sally, generously.
"Wnl it7' asked the man. thank
fully. 81 shall never forget your kind
ness"
If the matron had been of ro
mantle turn of mind she might have
noticed the added devotion OF Sally
Arlington to the little girl whose father
had found her a clover.
"And you do think I may go home
soon, Miss Sally?" asked the little one
a few days after her receipt Of the
four-Ieafed clover
"You are getting pink cheeks and
your appetite is good. so think II
won't be long now. Eileen" consoled
Sally.
"And the clover did it--I told daddy
So" insisted the child.
Sally told the father what the little
girl had said.
'Td hate to tell you what dare TO
hope the four-leafed clover has done
for me-" he said, earnestly. Il wish
that might picture-th vision that has
opened up to me since folded that
green charm within the leaves Of my
notebook" he went on, looking straight
into her eyes.
Sally dropped hers under the spell Of
his earnestness.
why don't you7 Why can't you tell
me?" she asked
The man was silent for so long that
Sally wondered If she had Insisted too
much on HIS confidence.
IF were sure that you would like
to hear" he said. 81 think l should
tell you-here and now. It-it seems
so soon. And there is so much to
consider
MAY I tell you-that love your
Sally nodded Ike a child as she
raised her big eyes to his.
"And-we'li talk about all the rest
afterwards he said.
They did not get to "al the rest'N
that day. There seemed to be so many
ways Of saying merely, 81 love you"
"And my clover brought us all good
luck, didn't it?" Sally asked when he