Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-07-26
ONE WAY OF LOVE,

She was clerk in the treasury at
Washington on salary Of 5000 year;
he was in the postoflice enjoying the
privileges afforded by an income of
81, 200. Once in while there was q
holiday, when they could take the boat
down to Mount Vernon, il it was warm,
and spread the lunch in the shade of
its historic trees aud patronize nature as
successfully as if they were nabobs
Sometime, they hal tickets given them
for comedy or tragedy, when they
laughed or cried with the discernment
Of miIlionaires aud the old families.
On Sunday mornings they sang in .
choir, and walked ont to Long Bridge
later in the day, or strolled in the Capt.
tol grounds and surprised the first vio-
let in its hiding place. Helen's lanll-
lady told every new boarder that Mr..
Van Week "was going with Miss Hill
dreth, but Miss Hlldreth always pro-
tested that he was only friend, that
they we're neiQhbors at home and had
gone to school together when they were
in their pinafores; and the landlady al
ways shifted when she remarked, "If
he's nothing but friend should think
therc'd be secession Of his love. making
sooner or lat
One day when they were rambling
about Mount Vernon together, Helen
fell into a romsncing vein. suppose
this is my country seat" said she, land
have furnished it in the Queen Anne
style, and I'm entertaining the creme de
Ia creme, just as they do in novels
"A sort of Lady Geraldine and am
the poor poet. eh?"
"All but the poetry" mocked Helen.
Nov suppose this is my manor
house, suggested Theodore, " furnished
In the renaissance, let us say-Pm
making great demands on your imagina-
tion-and I'm entertaining all tbeswells.
I've lured you here on the pretext of
looking for four-leafed clover, but
really to ask if you will share my magni-
hcence with me; what should you say?"
II should put my lessons in gymnast-
les into use and Jump at the chance"
And if should ask instead,
"Come share my cottage, gentle maidi"
Don't r cried Helen.
He looked at her little blankly.
You don't mean that you care SO
little for me?
Il don't mean anything. Don't let
US talk about marrying and giving in
marriage We are happy enough as We
are"
But if I don't marry you some other
fellow will"
Nonsense penniless girls are
drug IN the market. I've seen misery
enough from marrying on small salary;
We seen people living in two rooms on
water and crust so to speak, doing
'neir own work, with no pleasures and
no society and no hope of amendment:
people who thought love would tide
'nem over all the quicksands-and pre-
sently the hallucination wore off but the
qalcksands remained; reproaches set in;
'ne grew bitter and unloving, and he
morose and neglectful-"
Then you think love an hallucina-
tion?"
1 think marriage is a mistake on
we've hundred a year. If I became
uoWdy and hadn't time to cultivate
.aste Tor esthetics or whatever was the
asnionable craze, ana grew iaded and
'p'ritlcss with the uncongenial task OF
'ashing pots and kettles and stewing
,'er range, and il nobody turned to
oA after me as I passed, one day you
'ou'd hndyourself disenchanted. Then
suppose the new administration should
push you out OF Office, even for month.
you should fall ill No. We are
sappy enough just as We are; don't let
uscnss marriage; let us wait, like
NJ hicssesr. till something turns up