Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1919 — War-Time Speed [ARTICLE]

War-Time Speed

By CATHERINE PARSONS

(Copyright. ISIS. ,by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.» Gardner Lane wa* brtsy with the deHgbtfut task-of .painting Amy Boland'S . U'.jott had seen .V.h). ,y<m .-.would ha ve., really envied—iiiuu—fatsite was truly lovely. On th is particular <i«y Amy, left flte -studio somewhat later Hnrn usual for the picture was just nt an interesting, 'Stageanfi Gardner T-oTild not be:if to stop work till the last bit°of daylight had vanished. Mrs. Boland, 'who always came with fief daughter, had left early to "atF == and ' Amy had promised to meet her at ■„ ,'.7-7 "“'T ’;i- J^.i 1 '■lm- 7, ' . Gardner had kept- her till the 'last possible moment amt'M-he was ITorrytog toward- the—front door, o h<ii site ran directly into n young mail wfio was coming in the opposite direction.' “I beg pardon." exclaimed Amy, as she bounced back in surprise. "Why, —BtHy-fcawe,” she -added, u* she—reeog— „ -.^. h - prtV - 1n rn,- world did you come faaml 1 haven't toid ev> s on you for over two years.” “Just got here, Amy. I’ve been out tn Colorado working hard. But even an obscure fnrmbr Juts”a~Hght to a vacation nowand then. SO I'mtaking two weeks this time. Maybe it isn t good to see yon again—you havenj rtmnged mueli exee;it to grow tip more. I suppose you'd forgotten all about me, though." Amy blushed slightly, but it was too dark to see. —“I hadn’t-.— really: but of course two years is a lone time. In another one I might forget whether your hair was red or brown. It’s hard to remember ' ’ Billy toughed ruefully. Amy held out her hand with a frank and -engaging smile. In another moment she was gone. “For—heaven’s sake.” cried Gardner, spying his brother from the floor .. above, “When did you get here? Wei), niaybe It Isn’t good to see you again, too I Is this a pleasure trip?"— “Not exactly. The truth of the matter is I'm enlisting in about two weeks and I wanted t• • see the old town before I went over.” “Great Scott, you don’t say so! I would myself but I'm beyond the draft ------age and I. mi te to leave my work— I’m really needed here. Could they spare you all right?” “Well, you see. I’m my own boss, so I just sold out ami came along. I couldn't stay out of it any longer and “I’m single, too, but 1 may nordre long—that’s orfe reason why I don’t want to enlist.” "Who is Gardner—laughed. “1 shotllj say not! I've had a dozen since Louise. It’s Amy this time. I haven't told her yet. but ..I'm going to marry her." Two days later Amy went for another sitting for her portrait and again she found Billy in the hall on her way botne. -x “Hello, Mr. Hermit.” she scoffed. “You're not-wasting time on your old friends this trip, are you?” "Most of them seem to be pretty busy themselves.” “Well, I'm not for one. and to prove it I’ll invite you to go for a walk with Die now. lovely out -tndax?!-’- crled= Amy enthusiastically. '“Yes. but you'd never call this beautiful if you could see it out where I live. Mountains'and hills and valleys everywhere you look. And the sun-sets—-you’d-Love - those sunsets. Amy. They just' make the whole world a blaze of glory and put peace into your soul. I can’t explain hpw it is out there—it's too big for that. But Lean tel! you it impresses one. Maybe I'm daffy on the subject, but it's simply life out there to me. 1 feel like our poet friend who said: 'I want to, go back, and 1 will!' You'd love it out there. Amy.” "Ob.. 1 would love it !"•she agreed. . wnd etmnct snrpri'cAit herself by heF own fervor. "Will you visit me. some day then—you and your husband?” “We’ll he delighted—provided I have one by that,time.” “In the meantime will yououtsider, ar. invitation undine with me this evening?” “I'm sorry, Billy, but I'm going to din ner a t the Sea tons' w itit G ardner—they asked me ages ago. But I've had 8 lovely walk with you." -"So have 1., - too? Good night." “B'li.n”. J ■■ -rj—-— — “What can I do, for you?” “Don't you ever want to walk home fflth me again’ I have three more sittings." “Of course I want to. But a man doesn't do all the things he wants to—worse luck ! I’ll see you before long, though. Good-by." “I think you’re the limit, and you make me cross," flared Amy, and refused to notice his proffered hand. Whereupon Billy pondered long on the vagaries of women and kept out of Amy's -way for the next two days. But on the day that she came for her last sitting she found him standing before her picture in the studio with a strange l<g>k on his face. “Don’t look so sad, Billy—l’m not dead yet." •• “Hello, Amy; I didn’t expect you today. Gardner wMt to New York} but he serrTyowa message-at the tost min-' ute—you m-Mt have left .before the

- • - -—-- —• Messenger arrived at your home. *'l 3hT. Y<*U ihili'T-si'fin overjoy.M: to ace me yliutself—.don't let me keep y«. What Irnve 4 done to-you Jtilly. that’you shoiil*! be so horrid to me? Don't you flare say you're not —you Kl‘e. .? — w _ “I'm sorry. Amy—l told you I wasn't cut out for, society in the : lirst i»iaee. ftHd-1 4ilvmyi'' maifiLn-mesS t)L. 4hlri£s.”—_ 1— - Gardner came back from'-New Yofk •he next morning and in the aftermem he took Amy to tea at the most fasbfoimhle hotel in town. Gardner liked To IjeJuTh nt smart places—e.-peclally_ . mp.iuy with a— good-look iim girt.— "1{!1 1 y's sailing tomorrow." In- sai<V casually, in the course of conversation, "Where to?" asked Amy, with trptj indifference. —l '.-. '■ "k'nince. He's going. In ' aviation nu-r tin-re.' That's renlly why he <ame east, you know. I’ve got down town and fix up some things for him as soon- as we leave here —you worrt mind if 4 send you home in the car alpng.will you?” “Of course not Gardner " AhW -WftS trying hard not to choke on the de-i Ih-ious piece of French pastry which she was doing her J>est to swallow,. Then .‘rftec- reeetvod another ■ shock." Gardner leaned over the table and began Jo-speakdp a low-ered von-<\ ’ "Amy—will you innrry me?" . - "Is this a surttrlsg party?" .gaspedL. Amy. ; .; ' ' -A ' ?.d j"'- —* “I shouldn't think you would be surprised—l made up my mind some time ago." * “But —L~ didn’t know that, and as much asl’ve seen of you lately, it never entered my head that you loved me. I like you; put 1 don't love you ■any more than you honestly love me. And I want to be friends —you’re a better friettd than.myou t wouTd be a husband—don't you truly think, Gardner?” Gardner smiled In, spite of himself. “Where did you learn so much Ttbou t being In- love. Uttle Amy?" ' "I learned the little I know from a very - poor teacher who didn’t even want me for a pupil. I’m sorry, Gardner, hut I do care for someone else. He doesn’t even know I exist—hardly. Forgive me, but it’s the truth. And you'll still be my friend, won’t you?” “You can be perfectly sure about that," returned the rejected suitor promptly. ' Amy waved her hand~fe -him—and then turned and walked rapidly in the opposite direction from her own house. Her head was dizzy and her feet seemed to travel too slowly. She dragged-JrerSSTf wearily up the steps of a familiar house and rang the hell. “Is Mr. Wllflam Lane in?” she asked the man who answered her ring. “In the library, miss.” “Don’t announce me, then—l'll go right in," Billy was sitting with ids back to the door writing. Amy walked across the room.before he saw her. Then he dropped Ids pen axuL-sprang to his feotin amazements •'Amy ! 1 - he eried.— “Has-something happened? You want Gardner?" “No. I don’t want Gardner—l’ve just "refused to iiiiirryJfinr. I just want to know why you are going away without saying good-by to me. It’s unbelievable.” “Do you-mean to tell me.you're not going to marry Gardner? Why not?" i "It’s really none of your business, but I'll tell you. For the simple rea_son that I don't happen to care for him—not in the marrying way of caring. I mean.” —— ■ - “What way Is that?” ? “I didn’t come hereto talk to you about marriage. Mr. William . bane. I only catire. to tell you how horrid 1 you." ■ ■ ■ Billy covered the distance between them in Jess—time--than It takes to mention it. Then he caught Amy in ins arms and held her till site had ceased to struggle. "And I love you. 'ove you. love yofi." he told her for abouTlifty times in aa main different ways. “Look me in the Cyes and tell me you hatp me.” But Amy was too comfortable to look up. so She didn't ~even ,answer him. ’ ‘ ' After a little while Billy looked at his watch and found it was a quarter to eight. "Will you go to dinner with me this tii»e. Ainy<! :t rii ng?” h e :TSked her. “It looks as if I'd have to. You don’t know how much L wanted to go with you that day. Billy. Let’s get out of ti e house before Gardner comes. 1 think it would be better to break it to liim._a£ie.r you've been gone a few days, even though he didn't really love -use at all. Oh. I wisli you didn’t have to go. Billy—l can’t •[ear to think of it." .«■ ■, ■- ? ' — ■/ == "Would you marry me tomorrow if I could get a special "Yes, any time at all.” “ "Then well go and- see—about It- — will you conle with me?” "Anywhere. You won't be.able to lose me now. And Billy, 'my husband and I' will be glad to come and visit you on your wild and woolly farm as soon as you come back t,o uk" fighting for now—that’s what helps a man to do his duty even if It Is hard work, too, Trn the luckiest person to the world today, Amy dearest." Ji! , . “With the exception of one other," corrected Amy. and was Immediately deprived of the power of speech again.