The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-30


 man Pennicut. Ruth, tlGs is Mir. Winfield, my niece, Miss Bannister." t..
 And Kirk perceived for the first time that his visitor was not alone. In the shadow behind her gid vas standing. He stood aside to let Mrs. Porter pass, and Rath came into the light.
 If there are degrees of speechiessness, Kirk's aphasia became doubled and trebled at the sight of her. It seemed to him that he went all to pieces, as if he had received a violent blow. Curious physical changes were taking place in him. His legs, which only that morning he had looked upon as eminently muscular, he now discovered to be composed of some curieusly unstable jelly.
 Ruth, outwardly, remained unaffected by the meeting, but inwardly she was feeling the sensation of smallness.
 To think humbly of herself was an ex- perience that seldom happened to her. She was perfectly aware that her beauty was re- markable even in a city of beautiful women, and it was rarely that she permitted her knowledge of that fact to escape her. Yet for an instant it ceased to exist. She was staggered by sense of inferiority.
 It lasted but pin-pOint of time. She re- covered herself so swiftly that Kirk, busy with his own emotions, had no suspicion of it.
 George is better today" he reported.
 "He never was bad," said Mrs. Porter suc- cinctly.
 ''He doesn't think so.''
 Possibly not He is hopelessly weak minded"
 Ruth laughed. Kirk thrilled at the sound.
 Poor GeoYgepa she observed.
 Don't waste yonr sympathy, my" dear," said Mrs. Porter. "That he is injured at all is his own fault. For years he has allowed himself to become gross and flabby, with the result that the collision did damage which it would not have done to a man in hard condition. You. MT. Winfield," she added, turning abruptly to Kirk, would scarcely have felt 1t. But then you" went on Mrs. Porter, *are in good condition Do you take cold baths?"
 T dO."
 Do you do S~edish exercises?"r
 "I 20 through a series of evoiutions every morning with the utmost loathing. I started them as a boy, and they have become a habit like dram-drinking. l would leave them off if could, but can't.'
 Do nothing of the kind. They are inval- uabie."
 Wouldn't you like to go up and see Geerge?" asked Kirk.
 "Very we'll I have brought him little book to read, which will do him geod. 1t is called Elementary Rules for the Preser- vation of the Body"
 "He has leauped one of them. all right, since yesterday" said Kirk. Mot to walk about in front Of automobiles"
 ''The rules I refer to are mainly con- cerned with diet and wholesome exercise," explained Mrs. Porter. Careful attention to them may yet 'saye him. His case is not hopeless. Ruth. let Mr. Winfield show yOu his pictures. They afe poor in many re- speets, but not entirely without merit
 Ruth, meanwhile, had been sitting on the couch, listening to the conversation without really hearing it. She was in a dreamy, mood.
 She became suddenly aware. in the midst of her meaitatieas. of eyes watching her in tentiy. She looked up and met Kirk's.
 She could read the message in them as clearly as if he had spoken it, and she was conscious of a little thrill of annoyance at the thought of all the tiresome formaiities which must he gone through before he could speak it. 1t was ali so simple. He wanted her; she wanted him. She had known it from the moment of their meeting. The man had fennd his woman, the woman her man. Nature had settled the whole affair in an instant And BOW civilization, pro- priety, etiquette. whatever one cared to call it, must needs step in with rules and regu- latiOns and precedents.
 "Wilf you show me your pictures, MT. Winfield?" she asked.
 If you'd really care to see them. I'm