The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-15
AN IDYL OF ICE-CREAM.
How the Girl Absorbed Countless Saucers
and Bankrupted Her Beau.

and Bankrupted Her Beau.
It was the wild midnight. The tame
midnight was off watch and had gone to
bed three hours before. A storm
brooded over the eastern heavens. II
was thoroughbred brood storm. Hop.
brewed, for it was coming from the
yeast. Hawkeye creek was rolling
unanimously in its sandy bed. A 1.-the
form covered ct the garden gate. Many
manly form has been coward at just
such gates, ever since summer nights and
gnats and beauty and love and June bugs
were invented.
"He does not come," she murmured,
softly, as she peered into the darkness.
Il cannot see him. will call him."
She was wrong. If she couldn't see
him, she certainly couldn't call him with
the same hand. A manly step came
scraping down the sidewalk. It was
Desmond.
She threw open the gate, and the next
instant he clasped in his great, strong
arms twenty-seven yards of foulard,
three yards of ruching, seven dozen
Breton buttons and a pompadour panier
as big as doghouse. 1t was all his
own.
cali is lost" he exclaimed. econ
stance de Belvidere, the Russians have
crossed the Balkans. We must fly"
Constance was noble girl. She only
said: WHITTIER shall we hy?"
He wanted to fly to some lone desert
isle, but she submitted an amendment
providing that they should fly to the ice
cream saloon. '..' =
They flew. ~
In the crowded saloon, where the soft
light fell upon fair women and brave
men, and the insects of q summer night
fell in the ice-cream freezer. They spoke
no word.
When two sentient human beings are
engulfng spoonfuls of cornstarch and
eggs and skim milk, language is a
mockery. ~ -..-.
At length Desmond broke the tender
silence. He said:
"More, dearest?"
She smiled and bowed her lovely head,
but did not speak. She was too full for
utterance.
Desmond gloomily ordered more. And
more when that was gone. And supple
ment to that. And an addenda to that.
And an exhibit to that.
Gloom sat enthroned upon his brow.
Constance saw it. She said:
."What is it, dearest ?"
A dreadful suspicion stabbed her heart
like knife.
desmond" she said, "you are not
tired Of me, darling?"
"By Heaven, no, he said, and then
he looked (and thought) unutterable
things.
Her brow ightened up with ray of
celestial intelligence.
II see" she said, tapping the empty
plate with her spoon. "Too cold.
Signed, O. Morbus." !"
He denied it bitterly, and bade her re-
main where she was while he settled with
the man.
She, guided by the unerring ms inct
of her sex, peeped through the curtains
of the saloon. She saw her Desmond
holding earnest discussion with the man.
She saw the man shake his head reso-
lutely in answer to Desmonds pleading
looks and appealing gestures. She saw
him lock the door. take out the key, put
it in his pocket and lean up against the
door. She saw her own Desmond draw
from his own pockets and pile up on the
counter pearl-handie pocket-knife, six
nickels, four green postage-stamps, a
watch-key, two lead pencils, memoran-
dum-book, a tLeater ticket (of the variety
denomination). pocket comb, an ivory
toothpick, O shirt-stud ,one sleeve-button,
a photograph of herself, q package of
trix, two street-car checks, card with a
funny story on it, silk handkerchief and
a pair of gloves. And then she knew
that Desmond was bankrupt, and when
the man swept the assets of the concern
into drawer and opened the door she
sobbed convulsively: "And it vast
mine extravaganza which hath did this
thing"
They did not talk much on their way
home. Once she had asked him if he was
rich, and he only said:
Enormously"
Such is fate.-Burlington HaoOkeye.