Show 1 I I L A Midsummer Knights Knight's Dream Copyright 1920 1320 by Doubleday Pare Pace fc Co Published d by special arran arrangement ar ement wIth with wilt I tho e Wheeler heeler Syndicate Inc I By O. O HENRY The knights knish Ls are arc dead I Their swords are rust Except a f ew who have havo to bust hust- Jc L 5 all th the time timeTo timeTo To raise tho the dust Dear Render Reader It was summertime The Tho sun glared down upon the city with pitiless ferocity It Is difficult for foi tho the sun slIn to be ferocious and ancl exhibit compunction simultaneously The Thc heat was was was-oh oh bother bOlher thermometers thermometers- who cares for standard measures anyhow anyhow anyhow any any- how It was so hot that that thit- The roof gardens put on so EO many man extra waiters w. that you OU could hope to tc get set your oUr gin fizz now now now-as as soon as all the other people got theirs The Tho hospitals hos hos- hospitals ls putting In extra cots for bystanders For when little woolly dogs dos loll 1011 their tongues S out and nd say ay I woof woof Woon at the fleas that bite em and nervous old black bombazine ladles ladies screech Mad lad do dog and policemen police Is goIng goIng go go- somebody men begin to shoot in Ing to get hurt The Tho man from Crom Pompton Pomp Pomp- ton N N. J who always wears an nn overcoat overcoat overcoat over over- coat in July had turned up in a Broadway Broadway Broad Broad- drinking hot Scotches s and way wa hotel enjoying his annual ray from the calI calcium cal cal- clum Philanthropists were petitioning petition petition- I to pass a bill re reI requiring requiring re- re ing the legislature I quiring builders bunders to make tenement fire I escapes more commodious so 90 that tam fam families might die all together of the heat So o Instead of or one ene or two at a n time the tho about many men were telling you each day number of baths they took tool that you OU wondered how they got sot along after atter tho real lessee of ot the apartment came back to town and thanked em em for Cor taking such good care of or It The young man who called loudly for tor cold beef and beer in the restaurant protesting protesting pro pro- testing that roast pullet and Burgundy for Cor such weather was really too heavy hea brushed blushed when he met your our eye CC for you In had heard him all winter calling vi viands vi 1 modest tones for Cor tho same sarno ascetic pocketbooks ands SOUP thin thin- actors and antl baseball excuses grow Yes It was summertime ner at Thirty fourth street A man stood downtown car A man manof manof for tor a l waiting pink faced keen of oC 40 gray haired harassed harassed harassed har har- plainly dressed with a nervous around the eyes lie He wiped assed look hf his forehead arid and laughed loudly when a fat tat man with an outing look slopped stopped and spoke with him defiance with he shouted No sirce None of oC your old mosquito mosquito mos- mos and quito scorn haunted swamps and tl Draper skyscraper without elevators for tor me rae mountains get et away from hot bot When I want to weather I know how to do it NewYork New York sir Is tho the finest summer resort shade and in the country Keep In the tho and antl dont don't get too far tar iway watch your our diet electric fan Talk about away aay from Crom an Adirondacks and antl your our Catskills' Catskills your comfort In the borouSh borough borough bor bor- solid Theres There's more rest Manhattan than in all the ough of ot together No s rec- rec No country ot of the perpendicular cliffs and tramping up waked up at t 4 in the morning by bya a being million tiles flies and eating canned goods straight from the city for or me Little old New York will take a few tew select comforts and conveniences con con- summer boarders homes that's that's the tho ad that v of at homes I answer every time said the fatman tat rat You need a vacation closely at the other You man looking haven't been awa away from Crom town in years Better Detter come with me for Cor two weeks anyhow The Tho trout In the looks at anything now that are jump jumping in he Harding writes me mc that like a fly ny brown last week week three-pound three landed a a. Nonsense cried the other manGo manGo manGo man Go ahead if you oU like and boggle around in rubber boots wearing yourself yourself your our self seU out trying to catch fish Whoa hon I restaurant and want one I go so to a cool order it I laugh laush at nt you OU fellows whenever whenever when when- ever I think of or you hustling around In Inthe Inthe Inthe I the heat In the country thinking you a good time For me Father Fa- Fa I a- a are are having ther Knickerbockers Knickerbocker's little improved farm arm with tho the bl big shady lane running through the tho middle of ot It The Tho fat man sighed over his friend and went his way The man map who thought New York was the tho greatest summer resort in tho the country boarded a a. car and went buzzing down to his hi office On the tho way onay ho throw awa away his newspaper and looked up at a ragged I patch of or sky iky abo above the housetops Three pounds he muttered ab ab- senU And Harding Isn't a liar I II believe if It I 1 could could but but its it's impossible they've got to have another month another month at least In his hla office th the upholder of ot urban midsummer joys dived headforemost hc into tho the swimming pool of oC business AdkIns his clerk came and added a aspray aspray aspray spray ot of letters memoranda and tole- tole grams At 5 o'clock In the tho afternoon the bus busy man leaned back In his office chair put his feet cot on the desk dek and mused aloud I wonder what kind of oC bait balt HardIng Harding Hard Hard- I Ing used a S S I I She was all In white that day and 1 thereby Compton lost a bet to GaInes Compton had wagered d she sho would wear light blue for sho knew that was his favorite color and Compton was a millionaires millionaire's mil mu- son and that almost laid him open to lo the charge of oC betting on a sure thing But white was her choice and Gaines held up his head with twenty twenty- lives fives lordly air The rho he little summer hotel In the mountaIns mountains moun moun- had a lively crowd that year ear There were two to or three young youn college I men and a couple of at artists and a ayoung ayoung ayoung young naval officer on one ono side On the tho other there were wore enough beauties I amon among tho the young ladles for tor the correspondent correspondent cor cor- respondent of oC a society pa pap paper r to refer reter to them as a bevy y But tho moon amon among the stars st. was Mary Sewell Each one of ot the young moon greatly desired to arrange matters so that he could pay her millinery bills and fix the furnace and have her do away with tho the Sewell part pait of or her name forever Those who could sta stay only a week or two went away hinting at pistols and blighted hearts But Compton CompI Compton Comp Comp- ton stayed like the mountains themSelves themselves them them- I selves for tor he ho could afford it And AndI I Gaines stayed because ho be was a fighter tighter I and wasn't afraid of millionaires millionaire's sons I and well and well he adored the country I What do o you think Miss Is Mary Man he said once I knew a duffer in NewYork New NewYork I York who claimed to like it in the s summer sum sum- mer mci time Sll Said you OU could keep cooler there than you could In the woods Wasn't ho an awful sill silly I dont don't think I could breathe on Broadway after the first of ot June Mamma Iamma wa was thinking of oC going boing back baek week after next said Miss Mary I with a lovel lovely frown But when you think of it It said Gaines there are lots of oC Jolly places in town in the summer The roof gardens gardens gar sar- dens you OU know and the the the-er-the er the roof root gardens arden s. s Deepest blue wa was l the te e lake that day day day- I the tile day when they had the tho mock tournament tournament tournament tour tour- and the tho men rode clumsy farm horses horst'S around In a a. glade slade in the woods I and caught curtain rings on the end endot of ot a a. lance Such fun Cool and dry drys as s the finest wine came I the tho breath of ot tho the shadowed forest The valley valle below was a vision seen through h an opal haze A white mist from hidden hid hid- den falls taUs blurred tho green of ot a a. hands hand's hands of ot treetops half halt way down dowa tho the gorge borge Youth made mad merry handIn hand handin handIn in hand with young summer Nothing on Broadway like Ilk that Tho The villagers gathered to see tho the city folks pursue their mad drollery The Tho woods ran rang with fth tho laughter of ot pixies s' s sand and anti naiads and sprites Gaines caught most of or the rings HIs Ills was wag tho privilege l le lego lege o to crown the queen of or tho the tournament ment He lie was tho conquering knight I II I as as far tar as the rings Ori On his arm 1 ho wore a white scarf Com Compton pion wore light blu blue She had declared red her preference pret- pret crenco for Cor blue blur but but- but sho she wore white that da day Gaines looked about t t for fr r the queen to toI I crown her lIe He heard her merr merry laugh Jaush as If It from the tho clouds Sho She had slipped awa away and climbed Chimney Rock a little granite bluff bluet and stood there awhile a a- white while fairy among the laurels fifty fitly feet teet above aboto their heads Instantly he ho and Compton accepted tho Implied challenge The Tho bluff was war easily ei mounted at at- atthe the rear but the front offered small hold to hand or orI foot Each man quickly selected his I route and began bean to climb A crevice a bush a slight l projection a vine vino or I tree branch branch all all of or these were aids that I counted In tho race It was onas all foolery there was no stake but there thero was youth In It It ero cross reader and light hearts and something else that Miss MissI CIl Clay writes so charmingly about I Gaines gave a great tug at the root o of a n. laurel and pulled himself to MI MII Miss Marys Mary's feet teet On his arm he carried I tho the wreath of ot roses and while the tho villagers villagers vil 11 vil- vil lagers and summer boarders boarder screamed and applauded below he placed It on the queens queen's brow You are a gallant knight said Miss Mary I If J I could be your our true knight al always alway's always al- al ways way's began Gaines but Miss Mary laughed d him dumb for tor Compton scrambled scrambled scram- scram i bled over the edge edse of ot the rock one minute min mm- ute behind time What a twilight that thal was when they I drove back to the hotel hotell I The opal of ot the valle valley turned slowly to purple the dark woods framed the lake Jake qs as a mirror mirror mirror mir mir- the tonic air stirred tho very soul soulIn soulIn soulin In one Tho The first pale palo stars came out over the mountain tops where yet a faint glow ot- ot of 1 S S S S P S I II II I I ii beg beb your pardon Mr GaInes said I Adkins I The man who believed New York to tobo tobo to tobo bo the tho finest summer resort in the world opened hi his eyes and kicked oV over r I the Ithe mucilage bottle on his deskI desk I I I 1 I believe I was tu asleep leep he said Its the heat said Adkins Its something awful In tho the cSt city these I Nonsense said laid tho the other The cit city beats the country ten len to one In I summer Fools go out tramping In InI muddy brooks and wear themselves out I trying to catch little fish tish as long as your finger Stay in town and keep comfortable that's that's my idea I Some letters Just came said Adkins Adkins Adkins Ad- Ad kins I 1 thought you OU might like to glance Jance at them before you OU go Let us look over o his shoulder and I read rend just a n few Cew lines Jines of ot one of them thorn I My Iy Dear Door Dear Husband Just Husband Just re received re- re reI I ed cel your oUr letter ordering us to stay I another month Ritas Rita's cough Is 1 almost gone one Johnny has simplY simply sim elm ply gone Jone wild like a little Indian 1 Will be he the making makinS' of ot both children I work so hard and I know that your business can hardly afford to keep us here so long Ions best man that I over cr you always pretend that you ou like the city in summer trout I II I fishing that you used to be so fond Cond of ot I and all to keep us well and I happy come to you ou if It Jt were were I II not doing tho the babies so much good I I 1 stood lost last evening c on Chimney Chimney Chim Chim- ney ncy Rock in exactly tho the same spot pot I II where i I was when you OU put the thc wreath Heath I of roses on my ray head through h all allI I the world wend when you said you OU would bo be my ray true knight fifteen years cars ago dear just think h hive vo ve always s been that to me mc me ever cr and ever MARY The man who said ald he thought NewYork New New- NewYork York the the- finest summer In tho the thoI I I country dropped In Into o a care cafe on his way home and had a J glass lais of ot beer er under under un un- der Ier an electric fan tan I Wonder onder what kind of ot a a. fly old olti Harding used Z be c said to himself |