The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-07-20
ONE WAY OF LOVE.

She was a clerk in the Treasury at
Washington on salary of nine hundred
dollars year; he was in the post-otfice
enjoying the privileges afforded by an
income of twelve hundred. Once in a
while there was q holiday, when they
would take the boat down to Mount
Vernon, if it was warm, and spread
their luncheon in the shade of its his
toric trees and patroniZe nature as sue
cessfully as if they were nabobs. Some
times they had tickets given them for a
comedy or tragedy, when they laughed
or cried with the discernment of mill
lionaires and the old families. On Sun
day mornings they sang in 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's landlady told every
new boarder that Mr.. Van Week "was
going with Miss Hildreth, but Miss
Helen always protested that he was
merely a 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, eff he's nothing
but friend l should think there'd be a
later"
One day when they were rambling
about Mount Vernon together Helen fell
into romancing vein. Suppose this
is my country seat" said she, land l
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 am
the poor poet, ehs''
"All but the poetry" Knocked Helen.
Now suppose this is my 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
say?''
Il should put my lessons in gymnas-
tics into use and jump at the chance"
''And if l 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''
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 l don't marry you some other
fellow willn'
Nonsense; penniless girls are drug
in the market. I've seen misery enough
from marrying on small salary; I've
seen people living in two rooms, on
water and a 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 of, but
the quicksands remained; reproaches
set in; she grew bitter and unlovcly, and
he morose and neglectfup'-
"Then you think love an hallucina-
tion?n
81 think marriage is a mistake on
twelve hundred year. If | became
dowdy and hadn't time to cultivate q
taste for estheticS or whatever was the
fashionable craze, and grew jaded and
spiriuless with the uncongenial task of
washing pots and kettles and Stewing
over range, and if nobody turned to
look after me as l passed, one day you
would find yourself disenchanted. Then,
supposing the new administration should
| push you out of office, even for q month,
or you should fall i'll? 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, M. c., were hand in
glove. heard him ask her to 60 and
hear Iohengrin' tomorrow night"
''Mr Sterling is in luck, was all Var
Week ventured 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 a man hat
been bewitched by her before this elder
ly congressman, only Theodore forgo
that they had all been needy suitors
and as for Helen, he felt as sure of he
as of seed time and harvest.
| hn Inff
early and fastened to see her; q clout
of ugly rumors had assailed him and in
terfered with his tasks; she shoult
brush all tho cobwebs out of his heaven
He met her coming down the staircas
: in white evening dress, with flower
in her hand-costly exotics, such a
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.
Where did you get them, Helene"
'You are inquisitive, Mr.. Van Vlech
They were sent me-"
"By Mr.. Sterling?"
you do credit to your nationality
you're capital Yankee. Yes, by Nh
Sterling, of COURSE"
"Helen," he cried, beneath his breat
Helen, are you going to marry MI
Sterling?''
"I-1 believe am," she said, droI
ping her eyes.
Theodore never knew exactly how
found his way out of the house; he wa
vaguely aware of brushing against
stout gentleman in a fur-trimmed ulstt
as he shot into the street, of a statel
= carriage and pair standing at the doc
and dark-browed lady leaning out
\ look after him.
! The next day he resigned his positio
in the nnst-office drew his SAYINGS frol