Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-07-23
Il wish you'd take me away into It,"

on your face. You were staring right
through everything. and half smiling.
Then l knew about the wood. l won
dered If by any chance yours was next
door to mine. That's why l crossed
over the street wanted to find out.
I'm not sure l didn't will your man
to get thirsty at that instant"
81 didn't know myself that 1t was
woods l went into, when it seemed as
If l couldn't stand it without going
somewhere" Dick told her II had
a sort of idea 1t was house-a
thoughthouse, you know--that no one
else had ever seen, and kept the keys
of all the rooms. But l see, now you
speak of 1t, house would be stuffy.
Woods are lot better. We're In them
now This Isn't street any more.
l never met any one In my woods be-
fore"
"Do you hate meeting some oneT
the girl wanted to know.
''It's wonderful to meet you. You're
English, suppose, and I'm American,
but our woods do join. And there's
no high wall between. If there's any
fence at all, it's the kind you can see
through"
"There aren't any walls or fences
between Thought-woods, you know"
said the girl TITS not necessary to
have them, because only the right
people ever come wandering into your
woods, and you wouldn't want them
to keep out. You're so right about
this not being a street. What won
der is, why l never met you before
today. Or have l met you beforeT
why, of course you have" Dick an
swered, smiling at her over the brack-
en-, through a magical green light
where boughs of beech trees cleaned
silver. AT least you didn't exactly
meet me. often saw you, far ahead,
and tried to catch up. But you only
looked over your shoulder, and think
you must have run away-too fast for
me-"
lob, no, you're wrong. didn't run"
the girl told him. 81 waited BIT YOU
must have stopped to play with some
one else, and so--we lost each other"
Eyes, that was 1t. heard some one
laughing by the way, and l stopped
and got lost. Afterwards, when l
found myself again, 1t was too late"
mo, no, not too late, or we wouldn't
be talking in the woods now-our
woods" the GIN cried. zone talks
like this only In Thought-woods, new
er, never anywhere else. There, one
hasn't to begin about the weather or
have you been to the theater much,
latelyY or do you like bridgef' or
don't you adore danclngT All that
sort Of stuff that wastes so much time.
Because, you see, one has been neigh
bors in the woods for such ages, one
can say just what one wants to say
or not talk at ALL It is almost exact
ly the same thing. And l oughtn't to
have said we lost each other. Tn the
Thought-woods people-the few people
who can get In there-never really
lose one another. Voices carry long
way-when they call with the pass
word"
"Thank you for reminding me of
that !" said Dick. ut helps a lot, and
1t will help more, later, when / can't
see the trees in the woods, through
houses and things-or through people.
People are so thlckr" He gave a Sigh
but interrupted 1t before the end. "Of
course, you are the princessi"
''How splendid that you recognize
mel recognized you from all the
way across the street !"
"You live in the high tower on the
hill, that hill on the blue spot in the
distance" he went on.
"why, yes. And must always live
there, though It's little lonely some
times. But the horns on the gate at
the drawbrldge, Childe Roland. And
can always run down to the woods
just for little while If you signal me
with the silver nOte--as you did to-
day"
"Dld you hear the horn calling
your" Dick almost jumped as he asked
this question.
ooh, yes That must have been
why | came out-lnto the woods
morning There was no other very
important reason why shouldn't have
stopped at home in my tower"
"Tm 80 glad you came !" said Dick
81 was calling rather loudly OF
course, you've often lowered fairly
near before, but never near enough
for me to see your face. Lord, but
IT'S beautiful to be In these woods,
such day az this-with you. know
now, came to London for this meet
ing"
She didn't ask II he had ever mis-
taken any one else for the princess,
or If he were married, or anything like
that. He put no questions about her
life outside the bounds of the
Thought-woods
She unched with him, and had tea
with him in the queue where he had
been so safely parked" but at Ave
o'clock she had to go. She didn't tell
him why or where. ALI she said, was
at isn't really good-by. We've seen
each others face now, so the light
will be clearer along the paths"
After she had gone he thought of
her all the time, so that 1t seemed
only about ten minutes before he
heard Sadie's voice
well, here ! am at last ~ she ad-
vertlsed herself, having left her friend
out Of sight around the corner. ~
hope you've taken notes1"
"Nothlng on paper" Dick confessed.
But you can tell me the funny
things you've seen and heard"
Eyes, the funny things" he echoed.
"That's all you want, isn't III"
yeah" she said, comfortably. $50
glad parked you You are the