The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-01-02

uScu W have cTfdnOS dlter school on the
way that led past my house, my state Of
mind was simply ecstatic. But, God
bless me! that was nothing to the thrill
of joy that ran through all my veins
when l bore her off in triumph to the
supper table at a donation party in the
very teeth of 16-year old chap who
had come up from New York to spend
the winter, and who had the unmistak-
able air of the city boy, and no end of
good clothes and a gold watch and chain
to boot. He had cast an admiring eye
on my girl and his discontinue gave me
a vengeful satisfaction. 1 often used to
wonder how he ever stood up and
laughed so serenely when l glared on
him. However, he went back to New
York in the spring, and the next time I
saw him he was delivering most elo-
quent and powerful speech on the floor
of the National House of Representa-
tives. We were friends for good
many years after that, but, poor fellow,
like Latour d'Auvergne, he died on the
field of BATTLE shot through the head,
leading charge at Five Forks.
"How gayly and rosily the years
went by. My little love and [ had
reached that age when sleds had to be
discarded, but all that time we had been
weaving oriental romances for our flu
ture. My first and most glorious
thought was to run away and go to sea.
The dull life of merchantmen was not
to be thought of. There was no war in
which l might win deathless fame, re-
christen myself Paul Jones and come
home laden with prize money and
dressed in a dazzling uniform, princi-
pally of gold lace, and bear my proud
and blushing bride away with me on
the bounding pillows of the deep blue
sea. You must know that the old folks
were inimical to me, and of course
regarded them as heartless and sordid
enemies, whose lives 1 spared solely out
OF consideration for their daughter, the
beauteous and sun-kissed peach that
had by some unaccountable distortion of
nature budded and ripened on crab
apple tree.
"At last I settled on a whaler. That
was the grand opportunity for which 1
had longed with feverish Impotence. A
three-years' voyage would do the bust
ness. l secretly resolved not to write
home, though just what I expected to
accomplish by that I can not now re-
'all. have an idea though that the
lear girl for whom was to carve out
fortune was to mourn me as one dead:
hat 1 should return home bronzed and
bearded, indulge in a vast amount of
nautical talk incognito, and finally dis
lose myself as her long-lost lover"
smiled at the enthusiasm with which
ny entertainer went over the details of
his childish romance, so very like GER
ain recollections of my own; but he
My paused to take another cigar. With
lis head enveloped in blue and fragrant
INDUS, and his voice taking on gentler
one, he continued:
"For some reason that has passed out ,
mind, i abandoned the whaling voy-
ge, and the object of my hearts adora-
on went away to boarding-school. 1 !.
NV her on the train, and every iron d,
heel ran over my heart as she was
hirled away. I remember that she had
n her first long dress that day, and 1
IN see the crystal tears that stood on
er cheeks as she turned on the plat
'rm and moved her lips in mute good
= to me. O! the letters we exchanged!
will not try to tell you all we said, or
'ther, wrote, in that long interval of {
'paration. She was away whole year,
nd when she returned 1 had left the =
llage and begun the inevitable tussle :
18th the big world. There were no
halers in it for Inc, no gold lace, no ro-
antic and sudden acquisition of wealth.
1T very earnest, steadfast and plod- J..
ng loyalty to very prosy and COM :.
onplace apprenticeship. At times the :.
d dream came over me with painful Il
vidness, and 1 confess an occasional
'asm of unrest and discomfort.
cat those times l conceived other
and schemes, one of which, partic-
arly remember, was to write a book
I'd send copy of it to my girl lover, r
ith the compliments of the author r
ritten on the fly leaf. That and all "
y other plans for grandeur were bur- =
d in the common grave, and when. at y