Show i r rr M r at FL 7 J f fICK t ICK ICI COURTNEY Y Dick iCk Courtney bore the reputation 0 of being the laziest man In his set t almost any hour of ot the day ber he be r might inight be found at the Manhattan club ro occupying the easiest chair in the r room Ji o m his feet in another a a. cigar in i r his mo mouth th and a far-away far look in his eyes eyes Yet he was extremely popular for his money good looks and charm of manner gave him the key to society's so so- gate and no swell function was deemed complete without the presence of Dick Courtney But no one ever x 1 expected ed him to do anything and no on one one ever undertook the task wk until S tE he met Dorothy Vernon I 1 E Dorothy was a very energetic young person but when she began the education ed she expressed expressed expressed ex- ex of Dick Courtney as pressed It she had a larger contract on her hands than she imagined At Atthe Atthe Atthe the end of a year about all she had accomplished was to gain possession of Dicks Dick's heart heart at the cost of losing t her own though she would have denied denied dez de- de z nied that last statement most emphatically ems em- em s f for she inwardly rebelled rte against the idea of loving cuch such a af alazy f lazy azy man Dorothy had theories with all the audacity of a nineteenth nineteenth nine niue- century girl she did not hesitate hesi hesi- hesitate tate to o express her views of any of the subjects of the day When war was d declared her enthusiasm all turned turn- turn 1 ed ad d direction and she bemoaned bemoaned bemoaned be be- moaned the fact that she was a girl girland and c could ld not go to the front 1 J It was one evening in the early earlys s rV ry at the Van Delands' Delands reception 1 j O t Is terrible to be a woman and have to Just sit by and walt wait If r. r 1 1 I 1 was was was' wasa a man I wouldn't walt wait long it itIs i fd 5 Is ev every mans man's duty to go dont don't you youL L think o it t Certainly Miss Vernon answered 4 Gerald with alacrity y and It Itis 5 fJ is to be pe e hoped the call of duty will find i r none of our loyal Americans wanting r added he with a a a. meaning look at Dick Courtney who had come up UI Just then Courtney and Alstein were not the best of friends perhaps because they saw i In each other a possible rival for forthe forthe forthe the h hand I d of Dorothy Dicks Dick's father and mother were English English English Eng Eng- lish and he had all all' allan an Englishman's proverbial ial coolness so he only said In reply to Alstein's little shot that War again Really Miss what a little enthusiast you are And And rightly so said Alstein Wo Would d there were more women like her and more men imbued with her spirit I wish I could sta stay slid rid h help lP you champion our cause Miss Vernon J but Isee ee the next dance is beginning and I r must go e As Alstein took his leave Dick settled settled set set- tied c comfortably In the seat by Dorothy's Dorothys Dorothys Dorothy's Dorothys Dorothy's Dor Dor- othy's side and drawled in his Ills sl slow w English way r Is Alstein going to war Dorothy Yes he is going of course he Isn't going to shirk his duty Hes He's the r I i 1 I QU I 1 7 J I l THROUGH THE THE HOT HOT GRASS most enthusiastic man Ive I've seen for a along along along long while and he thinks Just as I do We ought not to wait but go at l nc and avenge veng t the J terrible wrongs wrong t that that have been committed by the Spaniards Dick smiled but did not answer His seeming indifference nettled her Perhaps you do not understand Mr Alstein's feelings In the matter You Youcan Youcan Youcan can not feel Just as as as' we do do dot whose fathers and grandfathers have fought and died for this country Youre You're English Eng Eng- lish and and and- What else Dorothy Youre lazy you know you are r What else Dorothy Dick was outwardly as comp composed sed as ever but a at t slight Blight compression of the lips Ups and a adeep adeep adeep deep drawn breath showed that Dorothy Dorothy Dorothy Dor Dor- othy was hurting him Dorothy knew it it too but woman-like woman she liked to tos s dare even dare even the man the she loved loved and and a coward finished Dorothy In a sudden sudi sud sud- i den moment of e exasperation and an- an f ger get i f I wouldn't say that if I were you L LDorothy Dorothy Dorothy it isn't exactly fair y you u 45 t know I wouldn't take it from a man i. i but but ut from a woman woman the the w woman n I Ilove Ii Ilove i love too too too-l I think k Id I'd better jo go now t 1 I see pee ee Mr Alstein Just outside Ill I'll 1 1 send him to you Dick but it was too late he had hadl C l' l T J. J left herJo her Jo 5 Dorothys Dorothy's most ina In- In A A. few days later e I s. s a t t l ik 4 J J 0 rr o bf 1 q Y f friend Ethel Burnam came I rushing in with some startling news Oh Dorothy Did you know Dick Courtney had gone to war war had had Joined the Rough Riders Think of the swell Dick who never did a days day's work in iri his life Ufe doing that and Ethel laughed at the imaginary picture picture picture pic pic- ture she had drawn then added dolefully dolefully dolefully dole dole- fully Most likely hell he'll 1 r killed Poor Dorothy After Ethel had gone she threw herself on the couch In an agony of remorse Those last words of hers to him seemed burning themselves themselves themselves them them- selves upon her brain She had called him a and now he had gone perhaps forever foreve As for Dick on that to never gotten day at Guasimas when those brave men put to flight an enemy four times Umes their own In number his last thought was of Dorothy as he went through the hot high grass with mouth tightly shut and eyes eves to the front He got a slight wound early In the encounter encounter encounter en en- counter but that only served to awaken awak awak- en him to the terrible reality of the situation He dimly wondered wonder d what uld ld say say if It she saw him now blo stained blood d and dust-covered dust as he was rl ien he forgot even Dorothy for t the e bullets bullet fell feU thick and fast and the de dead d and dying were all aU about him Just Just before the end of the battle a pOh pointed led bit of sl sree sleet el came silently and swiftly on its deadly mission and the next moment Dick Courtney was ly lyIng lying lying ly- ly ing stunned and bleeding in the long grass His wound Is mortal was the surgeons surgeon's surgeons surgeon's surgeons surgeon's sur sur- geons geon's verdict but he he did not die for all that He was too young and strong and after weeks of pain and suffering he was back in New York again still weak and ill but with every certainty of recovery before him The first evening that he spent in the city found him on the way to Dorothys Dorothy's house As he waited for her to come cometo to him he caught sight of himself In Inthe Inthe inthe the mirror and smiled at the thin h haggard g ard vision tha that presented itself He wondered If he had retrieved his character In Inh h her r eyes eyes anc and then there was the rustle of a womans woman's dress on the stairs and Dorothy repentant loving lovIng loving lov lov- ing was In his arms with a cry of Forgive me Dick Later on Dick ventured to ask By Dy Bythe Bythe the way Dorothy did Alstein get killed or wounded or anything I haven't heard He He he didn't go after all he was called to Europe on important business business business busi busi- ness and she added Ive found out one thing Dick the bravest bravest men men arent aren't ren t always the ones who talk the most and a man can be a hero even If his great-grandfather great didn't fight It iD the revolution Boston Doston Boston Post |