| Show I lj I Tr r F f j i 1 fr L Ir IrI J XE I DAY D A Y f u U E 4 S A S THE OF OFA ARMS r i A TRUE STORY i r V 1 1 M I e J j Cv o 1903 tr T tb the Nee ew Tork York n amid O Co All AU Rn net 41 1 j i JU of ot brilliant colora laughing lau faces facci W F null mid bright eyes began be n through Hue los lea XI d de when tho late lato afternoon sun pun flooded Valetta In orange e and gold The he brooding battlements of ot the Maltese citadel took warmth to 10 their sombre surfaces were drawn aside In balcony windows Venders enders began bc n to cry their wares The Tho hum of ot stir ring flag life lICe rose In pitch and volume as 18 a n temper lag In circled through tho the purple shadows bring bringIng Ing ID ng to coy elt to Its real awakening for the tho day The two too midshipmen from the American war that had bad been lying for tor two weeks past In tho the harbor below drifted leisurely through the throng thron bad had not ceased to be n a source of ot ever eler new wonder and delight to thorn them and amI as ns they walked they were alert to note noto every quaint detail of at color form torm and ami sound Bound Why do eo you vou bear hear to lo tho the right asked 0 Connor OConnor the elder of ot the tho two suddenly as tho the other t t Into the press Ires It li is I more moro to tott tt sly slat y with mth the procession on this side sId lou Iou forget tor el said sall with a n laugh I unit mast have bare the th dally ro from Neste my little flower dower girl mine I said OConnor OConnor frowned but offered no further objection They tided tacked through the crowd and reached r tho the outer fringe of ot tho the traffic trams to tho right to tho the row of ot booths where graceful dark skinned Maltese maidens offered fruits flowers sweets ts and shells for tor tale They drew up Ul at one of ot these booths plied piled high with rich and fragrant blossoms of ot the Islands Island a n wild riot of ot hues and scents scent At A t the side aide of ot the stand stood Neste etc who greeted them gayly waving a It slim b hand nd at al OConnor and nodding with more moro familiarity to 10 Hers was tho the purest type typo of ot Maltese t nigh lIh soft pleading plead In Oriental eyes delicate tut and line trim figure With light caressing touch slit Mir 1 n to 10 seism fIt t their flowers herself herselt the two Iwo young men In her broken phrases of ot English Sn silo she said sahl shaking her ber head decided decidedly k ly 1 at Of onnor who sought ol ht to do his bs lils own selecting without reference to fo o her I will give what wha t shall be he hei betar i tar tor you 1011 Perhaps now n a prickly pear eh ch It was wall wallI I Settee plan and ami not a had bad nd one to address ad al alI dress dreM all naval natal men as ns captain She triumphed with I It once more for OConnor sao pavo over oer his mils clumsy effort with II b a II short laugh Here nere is II for tor you ou she sho wont went ent on and De held out ont a II single white rosebud twined with a of green nut lInt what am nm I to do Co with It seste asked a k d the theley boy bov in mock mork despair tle Carry It ft In my lilY hands I must mint for tor 1 I have hae no skill in wearing It It was the tho dally daily comely comedy com OIly Ho ne would not hear her protests and so 80 she alto must leave leao her booth and fasten the flower In tn his lapel lal 1 herself herselt while he made no nod nod d EUl ue e of ot his hU admiration for her and her olive took Just the tho faintest flush She trove 1010 three p pansies Ml almost velvet black for tor OConnor f you jou OU look dark at me sho aho said saM trying to Imitate hit his disapproving mien nut But he ho made no offer nicer that she Rh fasten talton his flowers Into place and she Bhe handed them to 10 him with a n little Utile toss As OConnor moved away after paying her ber lo leaned toward the stand and amI whispered d a n phrase Then ho hurried harried after his companion OConnor had bad turned In ha time to t see lICe the incident They walked In silence through tho the busiest thoroughfare for tor some minutes OConnor was WAI IW pled with thoughts that made mado his Ida the tbt only serious face In nil all that bewildering shifting shirting kaleidoscope e with a II smile upon his hi lips paid no atten aUen attention Hon tion to the others abstraction finding employment in amused observation of ot costumes houses housea end ami the tho 1 of If the tile streets words came camo without with out rt warn waI IB K rou been mooting that girl Irl ho Imo said and his mouth MS II U set let for tor opposition The younger man inan I turned toad to tf t t I n 1 quick quiet dolor sw sweeping coning to his handsome face we to rout you ho asked sharply e II n coo II iu we M sue fur as is 11 concerned But nut Buti i n n r juu an pleaM pie r you heard that Cochran tho the Sl h Secretary has hae tiled flied a prior claim said uld all e returned hn J OConnor Connor took look him hUm up rundAy ns III ono who has hRS hast t for lor Ida hi II speech Now look here lIere Joe Im nut not notto iliac l to quanta 1 with you rOUt but you 1011 ought to 16 know the n report that Cochran te is mixed III loth l woman in some lomo way wor tor lOf sake lake t go and start urt a flirtation with her What do 10 you rou theta Ibn tb n people Maim rand and nd y YoU cant understand them nor they thoy you jou jouw w n II III Ikea here It If ho wants to I make a fool of ot otI I user U r a dower gIrl ho 10 knows know how bow to tD manage manago It Um v UI I l you IOU moan no harm haun but he ho wont huwe 1 trouble Ir It you rou ou 8 go on W It Liar l u la It ll ot of f or yours either tho t U J trolly boUy k And Aud lie not lIot Arab l i a tIr have smiled nt at the tho M J lie Ua had tile affair 1 seemed t 1 to too weighty N k lien 11 ht i ht Ill nl not lIet M exactly t y sure liuro of ot tho ground IT ulra U B Joseph wn was 1011 to him as aa a 11 ait it II U r and 1 Ue III ra meant nt to K 10 vo whether or not 1101 w p as kilt wi or desire J to is u in ere Jeo Jo You Top dont think youre Ith the gIrl des w you No o of tonne Ou Riot ot 11 I then hell dont you rOil ou ico eo what a light youra youre In la Theres Only one jIlO t I ru L j 1 a v rJ 0 01 i Ala I y tP l l Sd I 1 L r a F P r f these people wll put litH upon your actions and only one OliO Cochran will put upon It Dont go so any further with It II Joe I dont quite understand myself what Il at Cochrans Interest In III but probably Its not much to to toLila his Lila credit Its Ils no place for tor you Joe Im quite capable of ot attending to my own affairs said stiffly Oh very well If It you feel that way WilY theres theros noth nothing nothIng nothing ing moro more to say I think Ill return ro to tho the landing The Charm of Neste They parted with salutes and went tent on alone Tho The boy was a n little uncomfortable He ne had met the girl had strolled among tho the shops and along alon tho the harbor with her hor Sho attracted him and ho he saw no reason why he lie could not meet and admire a 1 young youn woman hero on the tho same footing that hint he ho would at nt a ahome homo home port Xesto Nesto oslo had the prettiest face taco and the tho neatest ankle in Malta Malin and If it he choso chose to play pIny senti sentiment mont ment before her hor according a to the ancient privilege of or tho the mariner why what harm and whose whoso affair Ho Ito decided that OConnor was merely presuming on his two years advantage In ago age As for Cochran a n thin faced arrogant person whom ho he hind hall met mot once or twice ho refused to believe bollete that tills this or any other othe non man had n a right to fo say MY who should and who should not be bc tho the flower girls admirer nut But how bou bouhad had OConnor learned so much That pushed him hima a n little for tor while not ashamed of Rile his attention to Neste ho he hud had certainly not advertised It ItAn It ItAn t tAn An hour after arlor dark he be walled waited for her bor on one ono of ot the narrow precipitate streets down lown near tho the har liar harbor harbor bor her Share Sho was n II little late but presently she sho glided toward him wrapped In a shawl or mantle of ot dark shade He the could not quito seo see her hor face In the faint taint light from a n lump lamp over oler a doorway but there thore w was as an au anair air of or uneasiness la in her manner and anti her ber voice as B slid she answered his hU gallant Silo She glanced back backover over oer tho the way WO she nho had bad come COllie One would think you JOU wore were afraid of ot something ho said milled a n little at hoc her preoccupation Sho She spoke softly anti and he be missel ml l l the tRie usual tone of at banter And It If I am Captain Oh If It you it does not become you Vo Wo cannot meet miot again horo hero she sho b began blan gan hurri hurriedly Ilten now somebody s M see w us u Come Cemo C there th ro Is a It ahouse ahouse house I know Hut But why should you be Je afraid t he to said surprised anti and I toll loll you yell anlO ne Coma eom after me ins in the street bore horo I 1 feel feol him himlie hll lie 10 did not r the this situation It warned seemed artificial overstrained overstrain to 0 He lie sought nought to W paws pass It U off eft You lou are uro J Neel eu 1 W O would follow Com Conte C ml Lot ui us climb to the Hue Bus Iw I 1 1 do tie the light are and luul ovary every one can see BBS us as If It they want to I Let t thorn look leok Th Theres re toe tee mu murk muth h nt etor orr about this thU to atilt ault lOt int meSho Sho shrunk Jack hack lu iu terror when he hor her arm No so no Yet rOil do de not net It would be bo bad bAI vory ery bad Lind t tor for ass sod ami for you yau What lii Ii 1 till this all about shout N 4 r be iii cried er quite toeing his hla paU Mc ee It wa was a trou that lint OConnor should have haye seen iwen tit lit te to warn him about the tile way wa would take hit his flirtation Now sow the tho girl till herself was WIlS acting m ua a If It they were In wine soma lUe dark sue ue eluding and jealous mo JUo the In sour BOW P peony uny romAnce romano The Tha boys bays bO healthy mind the n of at such Iloh a It nets littLe late Into Jill 1111 relation with her bir hert t hiu was wai wa at hi h lids IUt tae rase She bhe dbl tikI not fret r for tor seine tilt U It is l I kUre kuro re yea ron InlOw k what you ou have havo done hire hero hired nutty 1 she Iu said td d all as one 9 an 1111 evident feat raI w THE SURGEONS RAN TO HIM What I have havn done dono No I dont What harm barm was there thoro in It Ho no had struck tb centre of the matter there She moved away from him and drew lice her shawl closer Ah hl bl Then bon It Is truo true that you are arc a child she sheI said I her voice rising scornfully Yes I think so You lou not understand lou Vou think Nesto has bas not many many ninny who beg bel for a n smile n a void avoid Oh no You ou think she must be bo glad Iad only to talk with you like n a achild child chilli I tell teU you sonic some one comes after me but you rou not understand I tell you there are aro men not chit chil children dren who follow tollow Neste oslo You cannot play with her Jer like ilkI a boy bo boyHer Her Hor fierce tense words shocked him revealing an wholly foreign and strange o It was true that he could not understand all lint Hut hn he saw dimly that his position was a n false one that he had taken steps which to this girls mind meant things he had ball not dreamed of ot It was his error Ho Ito know knew now what OConnor had meant Ordinarily the boy would have hale been angered an ered by hy a n taunt as to his youth nut Hut from hor her it merely morely sorrel served to measure the distance between tier her point of ot view low and his own Hers Hors was an atmosphere of ot Intrigue of of ot passions alien to him Ho lie had bad merely treated her ns lIS he lie would some Orne laughing friendly sensible fair one nt at home homa HU Ills Impulse was wa to drop the tho I ho affair instantly nut Hut one thing detained him If it should chance to bo be true trus as RS sin she Rind had Intimated that she had run some sorno danger In hint in this harmless way he must stand by hy hot hoe It was absurd of ot course but ho lie must clear thAt point Did Not Understand Her Herou You ou are art right rl bt he said slowly 1 I was a II achild achild child as ns you moan mean it I thought only to pass a n pleasant hour with you nothing more Still If It thoro there linn hoe hn been beon n II misunderstanding somewhere that nag may make malic trouble I will wll offer all explanations Her for laugh laush was nf stilt still sharper r this time lint but It did not sting ding him bum as all she he meant It should If It he ht did not understand hor her neither did she Ibe understand him She Shu had Imd no conception of or bl his bit motives motive Hun away awny IKUe litre child else be he s said lil It U Is goodby Ibl then Ihen oh ohm I think you better RO go tint there is II a big b man num coming now mow tad And with lib thle last thrust before he lie detain her tier she he d sway awny liI Into Inlo one au of ot the time alleys Hint opened sear near at st band halal He Ha n looked up vp the tho street t following her purling nurture gesture ture Then Thora woe was wasa a II moving there tiler It tupp d ll under alder n a light for n II III second I then It too pried out of ot Into an 1111 ally ule The Jha idlers from the war ar vessel 1 lied Imd halu 18 In III tin little theatre fur for tb Ib the operatic tho the next They were ro d n Ht ill duel dank In In lisle elo close fitting lUaU old and climbed the endless aa stone toward tb t upper town in Lim groups WM was with OConnor He Ue had h t found kHi M to raMore rAI hta hl k old oil rotations with the t I e r was man lied the move Mors hud hilt passed u thew aa ae to Ui UtI hie MUM wt bolt aoe the subal otiler c all H M as a tacit that he 11 had llad been III rl right bt In to bbl l katl ct the day duy They seats U Is tit tie aid aad HI at HIthe atthe t the close clone d of ot the Ue tiNt limit act lie passed panted out late Into the he lobby for ter a breath of 01 air Ir h As 1 they carne through Ute u tb doors door a It group or of f n mw 1 ea at t th Uw the lift left 1 sad and anda sada a nil thin t mere u tt titan i idid lye lh rill dill nut not souse him bum yata IU In lu 1 Ill he ip TW JM Up IU quick quickly reMi r j wd cJ CM Ca C bran bru Ha HII WA Wit about abash t t let l but b mt the did dW oat amat leek INk look bask II bridge wu w pa wJ Did ld you yau fi IM tee M y l ho u a asked ked OC 1 I 1 It nE t P H n Ulft t Yeas Yas but hut It was W 8 an accident They walked slowly back amid forth on oar the tho short promenade Into halo n II t ston of ot I affairs at nt homo They did not see 19 that Cochran was MIl RP again Once Ouse more the tho I jostled thrusting him savagely with lilt bin shoulder and spinning the time hey boy half hair way war around There was no explanation for It thin this time other then than deliberate intention There here hail had len been ample space for Cochrans To lo hilt hll purpose still plainer he ho stood at nt openly Seasoned for a Scrimmage The boy hoy for all his hIli Blight slight weight wi was clean Time Tho hard training of or the tho son lOll hal hail and amI toned him lain and bf lac wax was an as light on his foot as some lithe wild of ot the lite wools wood OCon OConnor OConnor OConnor nor could catch hili hie firm arms he stepped directly tHreet In front of or Cochran nfl drove trot hi hits right rheM fist fl t Into the I n llah manns face C hn staggered t led baCk and fell 1111 awkwardly ready to 10 renew the at lit attack attack tack wh when n the other should rise rile ri mouth month firm sot tet sal awl aglow with battle nut Hut OConnor awl and other or of orthe orthe the who hail had l ben n attracted by hf the tI uproar swept upon UlOn him limn end and hustled d him to one |
