Little Falls transcript., 1885-02-27

| . widow with two Chi ddren. ii supposed,
Lot course, you were Old and faded |, q
Lad indig ignantly u Old land fad
knight lmost adjectly 81 dearest
Eilie,1 said opposed, ed |; you did not
Iperhaps notice the !. ca II. had,
ithought il possible you could still beso
dsliciously pretty lad j blushes most
eharmin,,gly :, y 3 why, % ID haye flown
Lad And last winter a.
| Knight I'll saw Jim the other day sc
| the Philadelphia Club, and he hap-
pened to say, l met your old flame,
Helen, Thanksgiving, when + was over
il New York. She's Is pretty IS .
picture and looks about the same age
as her tall boy and girl. Cd ddly enough,
while that was fresh in my mind Icame
across q photograph q .of you ID some old
traps. n. .s5 III
Lady Sitting by . window p
Knight & d, standing with your
hands behind you and your head
turned. 3s.. s,s35S s,.,5
! Lad 70, yes, in 8 blue silk dress
made with peplum. ! had quite for
gottensit! I must jock awfnlly old
fashioned. It was one Of Saronys be-
fore be. was the rage.
Knight 4 stuck it In my glass and
you looked at me SO saucily while /
shaved that felt quite young and rath-.
er lonesome; there's not much in mans
life when he's over 40 and without q
home. I thought it all out, and when
Ned told me you were hereI made up
my mind to call and if you we're -" -
Lady" Not too old and faded, - r.,
Knight Thanks; I; 7 dared not put it
so plainly" .s.5 s. ,5 . .:1s IL.
Lady-"And if you had found me
gray haired and wrinkled !" !,
Knight =" Gray hair IS charming on
woman; wrinkles I do not like"
Lady-"If had been unattractive in
the eye no matter how good and sweet
and clever and loving / might have
been you'd have bowed yourself out.
That is mans honest, unvarnished
idea Of love!" .z% 22# .. ..-.
Knight Helen, be merciful. You
women are born missionaries; the poor
er, sicker, forlorner man is the more
you coddle and love him; but I'm man,
and we are so made as to enjoy bright.
healthy, happy surroundings. Itwould
be hard to give you up now if you broke
out all over with wrinkles, but last
evening" .@
Lady (pensively)-"Why do I sit
here and listen ?" a: q. :-5s
Knight-''P erhaps because your train
isn't made up. CA slight pause.) Ishall
take you abroad in August" .
Lady (sitting suddenly erect and
gasping out word)-'''In-" -
knight (very politely August"
u: Lady CLOSING and opening her fan
nervously -"Tom, you must be crazy.
You are joking. Why. the children
I and you forgot-" s
| Knight-"Forgot the children, oh no,
] don't; only wish I could; but I sup
pose they are too real to be forgotten. "
i Lady--Why, Toni" - T.. +. T.
Knight-''W ''What?"
] Lady "Won't you love them?" =
1 Knig ght "Them?" ~" .s. l..
Lady Gmpatiently)-"Yes, them,
them, the children, Fred and Nellie. If
should mean if We should Of
1 course It's all nonsense. 2 @a$ $t4ss gs
| Knight whats all nonsense 2" i
| Ladv-"Well, if we should, wouldn't
you love the childreny" ,..',"@ L
| Knight (stolidly)-'"No."
! Lady (horrifed MOP" 4.
| knight -'Now look here, Helen, be
reasonable about; this. I'll agree to
love you all the days Of my life; but
| when you ask mo to love couple OF
children / have never seen-children
that ought to have been mine and are
not, children that will constantly re-
mind me of the very unpleasant fact
that you were for years the wife Of an
other mani positively refuse to make
Il any such foolish promise. I'll tolerate
Il them in our house when they must be out
of that excellent place-schoo I'm not a
brute dear. Don't look 80 grieved il
they are nice children.
i Lady They are very NICE"
| Knight -"Very possibly in time ]
! may, when forget they are yours grow
fond Of them. Now, sweet one, dc
something for me. Take off your
gloves q minute" .a$ y
| Lady-"Eere, in the station ?" 55
i Knight-"Here, in tho station
quick dear, its time for your train. " . 81.
Lady drawing off gloves slowly and
barring two pretty, dimpled, white little
hands, the right wearing solitaire di-
amond ring; she looks wonderingly on
the Knight "'What in the world . - "
i II Knight--"'Now put that Kohi-noon
in yonr pocket for Nellie, and put this
1 in it's old place." (Takes from his
waistcoat pocket velvet ring box,
somewhat faded, which he lays III the
4 lady's lsp.) @... +. !.
Lady (whose eyes suddenly fill with
tears, as she opens box and takes out q
4 pearl and sapphire ring My little
ring; my dear, dear little ring after al
/ these years." /" s.5 .,.i .ssi .,S.i
i Knight Put it on" MI.
Lady Here, now II can't, Tom.
/ You must put it on as as you did be.
fore. 7# ..ss ss5. .sl553 ss3
Knight (rising and standing 50 as to
4 shield her from the rest OF the room)
mo, Helen, dear, you ask toe
much, w is too late for that. From my
heart = love yon, and Il believe
can make you happy, but T. Id world
worm man now, cynical, unbeleiving il
most things. I believe in you, my oar-
II, only love. I believe you can give
me the missed hap ppiness, the lost COM
tent, but even you cannot make me
young again! As i did thenl i had
wooed U fresh, inocent child, with boy
ish VOWS and protestations ] put On that
ring with my first kiss, it was moonlight
4.