The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-11

/ forget-everything. Well, 1 went to Europe,
and if | hadn't been afraid of your laughing at
me, I'd have come back on the same steamer"
Lady-"Oh, Tom, if you only had"
Knight-"So / wrote you a letter.
Lady STANDARDIZATION, never got it."
knight (composedly)-"I never sent it; the day
it would have left fathers letter came from New
York, telling me of your new betrothal.'
Lady-"You might have saved me-"
Knight-''From marrying the best man in the
worlds What do you take me for2 had known
your most excellent and respectable husband
for many years. The same woman could not
love him and me. If you intended to marry
him without loving him, why it was a poor look
out for him, but that did me no good"
Lady (pleadingfy)-'Tom, l was so very mis-
cradle. and he was really very good to me. and
You had left me, Tom"
Knight-''Helen. you said you never wanted
to see my face again. We'll, / spent my miser-
able quarter of an hour, then / braced up, had a
charming trip. went everywhere, saw every
thing, stayed four years, came back-cured!
Fathers death had left me so rich as to be an
idler for life. l am an eligible petted, made
much of. I've got q good deal of pleasure
out of life. 1 never quite forget you, Helen,
but | didn't grieve for you any more than 1 did
for Jack. You remember Jack, Ellieqo
Lad, (eagerly)-"And how you held me on
his back, Tom
began to trot."
Lady-'But | hung on; that was the first time
/ ever saw you"
Knight Hooking at her thoughtfully)--
You've changed stree then; you wore your hair
in a pigtail."
Lady-"Wh:ch you and Jim used to pull
Knight-''You were badly freckled then. I
never saw you looking prettier than you do to-
day."
Lady with a pleasant little laugh)-"Absurd.
In spite of my how many yearsY and allf"
K~night-"And all? Now, l suppose / should
say that when l heard you had ceased to be for
hidden fruit all the old feelings came back.
That was about eight years ago, wasn't it9'
sadl--'.Yes, last February. What did you saya"
Knight-"You won't pe angry againg l think
l probably said Poor old duffer! Well, he
wasn't a chicken or words to that effect"
Lady (disgustedly)-'Is that the way men
talk of each other?"
K~night-'That, Iregret to own, is very much
the way in which men talk Of each other at
clubs
Lady-"Then I wouldn't go so much to clubs
only go where | can take YOU
Lady ignoring last remark)-'Were you
glad when you heardW
Knight-'No-not until last winter"
Lady-"East winter"
Knight-"You see, Helen, you were a widow
with two children: supposed, of course, you
Lady (indignantly)-"Oldl And faded!7
knight (most abjectly)-"My dearest Ellie, /
said supposed, ed, you did not, perhaps, notice
the eda If l had thought it possible you could
most charmingly)-Td-why, I'd have flown to
you'll"
Lady-"And last winter9"
Knight saw Jim the other day at the
Philadelphia Club, and he happened to say. I
met your old fame. Helen. on THANKSGIVING.
when 1 was over in New York. She's as pretty
as a picture and looks about the same age as her
tall boy and girl Oddly enough, while that
was fresh in my mind / came across q photo
graph of you in some old traps"
Lady-tSittingb by a window"
Knight-"No, standing, with your hands be-
hind you, and your head turned"
Lady-"Oh, yes, in "a blue silk dress made with
a peplum. | had quite forgottenit it. must look
awfully old-fashioned; it was one of Sarony's be-
fore he was the rage"
Knight stuck it in my glass, and you looked
at me SO saucily while l shaved that | felt quite
young and rather lonesome; there's not much in
a mans life when he's over forty and without a
home. 1 thought it all out, and when Ned told
me you were here l made up my mind to call, and
ii you were"
Lady-'Not too old and faaed."1
Knight Thanks; l dared not put it so
plainly"
Lady-."And if you had found me gray-haired
K~nieht-"Gray hair is charming on a woman;
wrinkles l do not like"
Lady-'If 1 had been unattraetive to the eye,
no matter how good, and sweet, and clever, and
loving l might have been, you'd have bowed
yourself out. That is a mans honest, unvar.
nished idea of love-"
Knight-"Helen, be merciful. You women
are born missionaries, the poorer, sicker, forlorn-
er a man is the more you coddle and love him;
but I'm a man, and we are so made as to enjoy
bright, healthy, happy surroundings. 1t would
be hard to give you up now IT you broke out all
over with wrinkles but last evening -
Lady (pensivelyl-"Why do I sit here and
listen?'
Knight-'Perhaps because your train isn't
made up. "a slight pause l shall take you
abroad in August
Lady Sitting suddenly erect and gasping out
Knight (yery politely)-"August.o
Lady CLOSING and opening her fan nervously)
Ton you must be crazy. You are joking.
Why, the children-and you forgot"
Knight-'Forget the the children, oh no, 1
don't; / only wish | could; but L suppose they
are too real to be forgotten"
Lady-"Why, TOMB
Knight-"What2"
Lady-"Won't you love them?n
Knight-'SThemqD
Lady (impatientlyl-'Yes, hem, them, the
children, Fred and Nelly. If 1 should-I mean
If we should-of course, it's all nonsense"
Knight-"Whats all nonsense9'
Lady.-,"Well, if we should. wouldn't you love
the children"
Knight (stolidly)-'No."
Lady (horrifed(-"No2"
K~night-'Now, look here, Helen, be reason
able about this. I'll agree to love you all the
days of my life, but when you ask me to love a
couple of children I have never seen-children
that ought to have been mine and are not, chill
dren that will constantly remind me of the very
unpleasant fact that you were for years the wife
of another mani positively refuse to make any
such foolish promise. I'll tolerate them in our
house when they must be out of that excellent
place-school. I'm not a brute, dear. Don't
look so grieved, if they are nice children?'
Itady-.'They are very nice"
Knight--"Very possibly in time I may, when
1 forget they are yours, grow fond of them.
Now, sweet one, do something for me. Take off
your gloves a minute"
Lady-"Here, in the ~stationp
Knight-"Here in the station, quick, dear, it's
time for your train"
Lady drawing off gloves slowly and barring
two pretty, dimpled, white little hands, the
right wearing a solitaire diamond ring, she
looks wonderingly on Knight)-'What in the
worldm
-Knioht-iNow mt that Koh-i-noor IN VOW