Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-11-07

and terror such as she had nevt
known In all her life lurched Like
silver Of Ice through her consciousness
Then quite Unexpectedly he smile,
). Her relief left her all but hysterica
What. I'd like to know" she erie
out with forced hghtness, is wha
YOU are doing here7"
I Running away from soldiersl" b
but you're one Of theml" she pro
tested $50 how can you2"
More successfully than you, evi
IDENTIFY" he replied.
Els smile twisted q little.
What I meant was the parade" sh
He looked surprised.
The PARADE" he questioned. 9Th
parade OF THAT he added dis
rnisstvely.
But the subject it seemed was no
TO be dismissed 50 easily.
Yes, the parade" she repeatet
tenaci0usly.
He drew sharp breath.
Its too much. he said. 20 &c first
OF course, its no end Of sport seeinl
the fellows who are therel"
Yes, it must be" conceded Aac.
Xardleigh courteos1slY.
Rather speculativeiy for an lnstan
hts eyes pr0bed hers.
But after you begin to see the feI.
lows who aren't there" he faltered
In front Of you the glimpse Of q Shout.
DER or g neck or an ear that looks like
Peter-but isn't. Behind you q laugh Oh
Q cusS that sounds exactly like Mack
but can't be-and you know damned
well why 1t can'tl And"
A trifle helpiessiy he took refuge In
his original statement again
came back to see Alice" he
sBut Alice didn't come-9" said the
girl.
BIS grin faded.
No, Alice didn't come" he repeated
monotonOusly. Then, as though snit-
ten suddenly with the consciousness Of
some quite unintentional discosutesy in
the drabness OF the statement, he be-
gan to grin again But YOU came, "
he said.
s'HaI" said Alice Yardleigh. Even to
her own ears the forced jocosity OF the
exclamation Jared unpleasantly.
The tall soldier stepped back a little
and looked at her.
I'm afraid frightened you a bit, |"
he admitted. Jumping on your run
ming board 50, and all that. I'm sorry.
But truly thought you we're Alice.
Honestly now" he added with vague
ly accruing sort Of surprise. Honestly,
now, you're not so RWfully unlike Alice
with your sunny hair and your sky blue
eyes, and the shape Of your head, and
everything Why you might almost be
AIiceS daughter" he ventured whin1-
sacally. No. hardly that, of course" he
retraced, but a younger sister, any
way. Womens ages are so hard to guess
these days" His smile and his Whim
faded. What was the war to you?" he
asked just bit sharply, that you're
running away from soldiers today2
You're hardly more than 3 kid nowl
Surely you couldn't have lost"
I'm Is" said Alice Yardlelgh. Il
lost two favoEite boy cousins who were
10 years older than II lost lost q
whole lot Of faith In thingsl Grown
people get their lost faiths back again
some timesl But little girls dontl Not
so easily, that is to sayl The parade
today It would have broken my
hearth Such q carnival Of tears and
Iaughterp
her eyes brimmed suddenly.
The tail soldier looked absolutely
panic stricken at the sight.
20 I say" he stammered- Nothing
but something that had already been
said seemed to offer any refuge to him.
Like q drowning man clutching at q
straw he cIutched at 1t. $50 / came
up here TO meet Alice" he resumed
resoIutely.
cred with faint nlockery.
mo, Alice didn't come" he repeated
And the hotel Is gcnel And there isn't
my lunchl and haven't got any grill \
And / wish I'd been slain at the battle
If Bun RUM" he added facetiously:
Alice Yardleigh laughed pit Wryly.
Here am /" she said, with q car
III OF food but no dateI And YOU with
date but no foodl That's life, drat 1t ]"
"What?" protested the tall soldier.
Whata" With an absolute boot OF de-
light he jumped up on the running
,oard again and began altogether boy
SHY and cheekily. vet strangely with
nut offense, to investigate the seeming
'What2" ne sniffed.
"A chicken pie? Caviar? OliveS2 A
,ottIe OF sherry, even-?"
Breathless with astOnishment he
TODD back again and looked at her.
Absolutely you are perfect 'AliceI"
le attested, Come !"
fare you crazy?1 said Alice Yard
sigh,
'sNo-not noW-any more" he said.
But for two or three years after the
7ar-tust a little"
Once again for sheer nerves, II for
othing else, the tears started TO her
yes.
20 hush" he grinned. Come on and
lay the game and ask me TO lunch.
{ would be no end Of larkl"
90 ali right" she said. Hop in"
In another moment they drew up
efore the firecracked steps OF the old
otei and began, both OF necessity and
Convenience like two old cronies, TO un-
ack the lunch and spread 1t cut be-
ore them. Lacking q crony's back
round, however, Of mutual memories
I'D associates, their ensuing CONVERSE
on, though pleasant enough, was
-arcely as flavoFous as the food. A
tile bit skiltedly they praised the
lew or turned internationally now and
zen to point out some outstanding tree
ID or pale spiral Of smoke against the
lr horizon line.
Fl never saw the place before by day
eht," admitted the tall soldier. TT
as night and moonlight when Alice
nd I were here There was a dancel