The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-30
SELECT STORY.
OUTWITTED;
OR, TIE ACTRESS AND HER DIAMOND
RING.
BY CLARENCE l.. ADAMS.

Eight of us sat at breakfast one
morning in Paul Ryder's rooms. 1t
was a regular bachelor breakfast, order
ed with the excellent taste that Paul
always displayed when his pecuniary
circumstances would permit. The dishes
were delicate, the wines excellent and
the coffee miraculous. The company
were well assorted also, embracing two
artists, two musicians, three writers and
an actor--all men of esprit and cultiva-
ton.
After breakfast of this description.
have observed that the tendency of
the conversation is generally toward
the abstract and aesthetic tone. After
dinner party of young men like to be
material They talk, of course, much
about women, and relate their exper
fences, their conquests, their disappoint-
ments, their defeats and their adven.
lures with the other sex, in charming
" naive and candid way making the
chat really delightful, when the parties
are refined aud tasteful. But in the
morning, after lighter meal, the intel
lect exerts Il greater power than the
senses and the subject of discussion is
always presented from more meta.
physical point of view.
The yiauds were demolished, the cof.
fee urn enplied, and the guests salts
fled. A few tall, slim .necked bottles OF
light wine stood upon the table, around
which we sat in indolent and easy pos
lures, listlessly smoking our cigars.
Il met our host yesterday" said MaA
Van Heyden, the artist, "with most
beautiful and gorgeously attired maider
on his arm. They were taking Broad
way in splendid style, | can assure you
Everybody turned around to look n
them as they passed"
"Ah, ha! Something new, eh, Paul? :?
asked Hal Forsyth, editor of the Week
| ly Aesthetic
"No; only Marie"
"Who is Marie?' asked the artist.
.Marie Coventry, the actress.
thought everybody knew her"
"Yes; everybody who knows you,
| suggested.
"Pardon the ignorance of poo
painter, Just from the distant and face
tious city of Cincinnati. / am not az
quainted with the fairer portion of you
set yet, remember
"Hasn't she lovely face for picture
Maxi" asked Cecil Dasche, the othe
artist of the party.
"She has go. | should like to MARI
a wife like that and pass the remand,
Of my existence in painting portraits
her.
"Well," said Paul, II guess you ca
marry her if you try. Women genera
ly don't seem to object to the matr
monial condition
"Never! never! never!" cried all
chorus.
"But has she no cavalier already--n
happy man who rejoices in the posse
sion of her hearts best affections an
all that sort of thing"
"Yes; our friend Paul is the loadst'
of her love-" said Sam Hackett, tn
pianist. ale reigns over that cham'
leon and intense instrument, her hear
just now" =,
81 don't know how long this thin
will last or what will come of it. 81
has loved Paul now nearly thr'
months said Forsyth.
81 scent a marriage added Hacket
"Neyer. never!' cried the rest agar
81 am provincial" said Van Heyde
''and | suspect, too, that the slow Ge
man blood transmitted by my ancesto
makes me q little hard of undertan
ing. Therefore, | must confess tn
you talk of love and marriage rs dl
connected matters in way that su
prises me. | thought that people
ways married when they were in love
A round of laughter greeted this b
of ironic humor.
'If | understand Alright" pursue
Van Heyden, "this lady-Miss Cove
try-loves our host, Paul Ryder!,
"Rapturously"
'Incessantly!
"Copiously!
Externally"
"Fearfully"
Sand wonderfully
"Allow me to ask, then, if he recipl
Gates this rapturous, incessant, copiol
eternal, fearful and wonderful passion
"Certainly," replied Paul; 'you do
suppose | would be impolite enou
to refuse 80 slight favor to a lady 7
"Let me get this clearly into |
head Given young maiden, beau
full and gorgeously attired. Given
young gentleman, ditto, ditto. N
the young lady, plus love for the you
, gentleman, and the young gentlen
plus love for the young lady, make
Pa. equation which, multiplied by my il
i. of things, ought to equal domestic m
- rimonial bliss Quod erat demonstr
dunn
81 don't see it. Mathematical,
not likely to happen. ! cannot expl
the relation existing between Marie
myself like to go to STE her--to
with her-to make love to her. S
as nearly as l can Judge, likes to