The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-07-27
ONE WAY OF LOVE,

UNI VAL VI LUFh,
She was a clerk in the Treasury at
Washington on a salary of nine hundred
dollars year; he was in the post-oflice
enjoying the privileges afforded by an
income of twelve hundred. Once in d
while there was holiday, when they
would take the boat down to Mount
Vernon, if it was warm, and spread
their luncheon in the shade of It's his
torlc trees and patrOnize nature as sue
cessfuliy as if they were nabobs. Some
times they had tickets given them for q
comedy or tragedy, when they laughed
or cried with the discernment of mil
hOnaires and the old families. On Sun
day mornings they sang in q choir and
walked out to Long Bridge later in the
day, or strolled in the Capitol grounds
and surprised the first violet in its hid
ING place. Helen landladv told every
new boarder that Mr. Van Week ''was
going with Miss Hildreth, but Miss
Helen always protested that he was
merely friend, that they were neigh
bors at home, and had gone to school
together when they were in their pima
fores; and the landlady always shifted
when she remarked "If he's nothing
but friend 7 should think there'd be a
secession Of his loye-making sooner or
later
One day when they were rambling
about Mount Vernon together HeIenfell
into a romancing vein. Suppose this
is my country seat said she, 'and |
have furnished it in the Queen Anne
style, and I'm entertaining the creme de
la creme, Just as they do in novels
"A sort of Lady Geraldine-a and / am
the poor poet, eh?'
''All but the poetry Knocked Helen
Now suppose this is nly manor
house." suggested Theodore, Furnished
in the renaissance, let us say-rm max
ing great demands on your imagination
and I'm entertaining all the swells.
I've lured you here on the preteXt of
looking for four-leafed clover but
really to ask if you will share my mag
nificence with me: what should you
sayP"
II should put my lessons in gymnas-
ties into use and jump at the chance"
"And if | should ask instead.
"'Come share my cottage, gentle maid?'"
"Don'tr' cried Helen
He looked at her little blankly.
''You don't mean that you care so
little for meP'
II don't mean anything. Don't let
US talk about marrying and giving in
marriage; we are happy enough as we
are.n
But if I don't marry you some other
fellow willr'
'Nonsense; penniless girls are drug
in the market. I've seen misery enough
from marrying on small salary; Eve
seen people living in two rooms. on
water and crust, so to speak. doing
their own work, with no pleasures and
no society, and no hope of amendment;
people who thought love would tide
them over all the quicksands-an
presently the hallucination wore off, but
the quicksandS remained; reproaches
set in; she grew bitter and unloyely, and
he morose and neglectfur'-
"Then you think love an hallncina-
tion?n
II think marriage is a mistake on
twelve hundred year. If | became
dowdy and hadn't time to cultivate
taste for esthetics or whatever was the
fashionable craze, and grew jaded and
spiritless with the uncOngenial task of
washing pots and kettles and stewing
over range, and if nobody turned to
look after me as passed, one day you
would find yourself disenchanted. Then,
supposing the new administration should
push you out of Office, even fora month,
or you should fall ill? No, we are hap
py enough just as we are; don't let Us
discuss marriage; let us wait, like Mr.
Micawber, till something turns up
And so Van Week waited. Perhaps
he was disappointed in Helen's views,
but he refused to confess it even to him
self; all women felt so, he supposed,
cared more for shadow than substance,
or mistook the one for the other; it was
their poetic temperament which made
poverty hateful to them and splendor
their natural atmosphere, and he ap-
piled himself more diligently than ever
to his idea, working far into the night
at times.
"You were not at the Presidents last
evening"" one of his fellow clerks said
TO him LATER
Il? No; l should think not.''
But Miss Hildreth was there; she
and Mr.. Sterling, NJ. c., were hand in
glove. | heard him ask her to go and
hear Lohengrin' tomorrow night
Mr.. Sterling is in luck, was all Ivan
yleck yentured to- say; he did not
choose to carry his heart on his sleeve
for every clerk to peck at. If Mr.. Ster-
ling was fascinated by Helen, it surely
was no fault of hers; many man had
been bewitched by her before this elder
ly congressman. only Theodore forgot
that they had all been needy suitors-
and as for Helen, he felt as sure OF her
rs of seed time and harvest.
But on one occasion he left his work
early and fastened to see her; a cloud
of ugly rumors had assailed hin, -
"4.n ms tasks; she should
brush aii the cobwebs out of his heaven.
lie met her coming down the staircase
10 white evening dress, with flowers
IN her hand-costly exotics, such rs
wealthy lovers send their sweethearts.
such as he had never dared to buy.
where did they come FROM" he de-
manded.
They grew, 'spects- like Topsy,"
answered Helen. laughing uneasily.
~ here did you get them. Helen?''
~, 1 on are inquisitive, MIR. Van Week.
They We're sent me.n
by Mr. Sterling?''
on 90 enedit to YOUR nationalitg.
you re a capital Yankee. Yes hv Mr.
Sterling, of course