St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-11
A sHORT-LIVED ROMANCE.
ssOf Course You Knew Il Was EN-
gaged.''

SaScu'
My name is John Jackson. Soon after
leaving college l secured position on a
great city daily; and, without possessing
any brilliant qualities as writer, but by
quiet devotion to the systematic business OF
news-g gathering, was soon able to make my
services valuable.
Several years passed by, and still re-
tanned my position on the Daily Enlight-
ener, and was as much wrapped up as ever
in my profession. This close devotion to
business began to tell on my health, and
grew quite pale and haggard. So it hap
pened that Mr.. Brown, the managing ed
itor, said to me one day toward the latter
part of June:
Don't YOU think you ought to have
little rest, Jackson? Suppose you take
run into the country for a few weeks"
The place l selected at which to spend
my vacation was a charming mountain lake,
much famed for the remarkable beauty OF
its scenery, and which had the advantage OF
being easy of access, as well as much more
quiet than the ultra-faShionable resorts.
1t was with something of the happiness
of boy let out from school that l found
myself on the train bearing me away from
the sitting heat of the city, with its glare,
its dust and its clatter, into the cool green
country, whose calm beauty, as l saw 1t
even from the car window, seemed almost
like new revelation to me after the years
had spent in the great Babel of humanity,
with no landscape save glaring streets and
towering piles of brick and stone, except for
an occasional glimpse of the trim-kept parks,
which are but poor substitutes for the real
country.
But this vacation of mine is chiefly men,
Orable from the fact that it resulted in the
first and only romance of my life. 1t is by
no means thrilling story have to tell. L
do not pose as tragic hero, or indeed hero
of any kind. My romance, such as it is. is
only very commonplace sort of romance,
as suits such a very commonplace indi-
vidual.
My journey was not a long one. The
next morning after leaving the city | found
myself at the little way station, awaiting
the stage ride of few miles to my deStina-
ton.
There were a number of passengers, and
the stages, several in number, were about
ready to start. These were hugh vehicles.
Of the fashion of the English mail-cOach,
with seats on top. AS usual, most of the
passengers insisted on having outside seats,
and there was a great deal Of scrambling 10
gain desirable place.
had Just selected a seat for myself when
[ observed pretty and fashionably dressed
young lady who was gazing ruefully toward
the top of the stage and occasionally sig
Mailing the conductor with her paraS0l.
That functiOnary was engaged in attending
TO the wants of an angular elderly female,
who was relating some fancied slight in a
loud and angry tone, so that the young
lady soon abandoned the effort to attract
mis- attention and stood looking up at the
stage with an expression of almost childish
petulance on her face.
1t took me only few seconds to observe
that she was really very pretty. with
petite figure, profuSiOn of dark-brown
hair, large hazel eyes. and a delicate pale
complexion. She was evidently alone and
perpeXed, so l inquired if could be of
my service.
She blushed and said: eff you would be
so kind as to assist me to an outside seat.
cannot bear to be shut up in that Stuffy
stage"
Nothing would give me greater pleas
ure," / said, and so soon had her fixed in a
desirable place, finding myself a seat by
her side. OF course that was the end of
all conventionality, and we were soon chat
ting with the freedom of old acquaintance
rs the stage bowled along the mountain
road.
| learned in the course of our talk that
she had just finished her term at we'll
known female college and was on her way
TO the Mountain house, 1.-THE same hotel l
had selected for myself, to join her
parents. This last piece of intelligence
vas quite gratifying to me.
We bowled along under the shade of
many towering height, interspersed with
picturesque gorges and diRgles, while bios
soming wild flowers added the charm of
their delicate coloring to the bright green
of the verdure.
As we rumbled up to the hotel piazza 1
saw my new friend welcomed by her
parents and several younger brothers and
sisters. When L finally stepped up to the
Office counter L noticed the name, Miss
Laura May, New York, in a delicate fem
mime hand, which i correctly Surmised to
be the name of my charmer. she having in
the meantime been borne off in triumph by
her joyous convoy.
l was delighted to find myself seated CD
pOsite Miss May at dinner, and to receive
graceful bow and a bright smile as marks of
recognition when she took her place. had
thought her charming in her travelling
dress, but she was eXquisitely beautiful in
her robe of snowy muslin, with a simple
bunch of red rosebudS fastened at her
throat.
No society can be more free from con-
ventionality than that of a popular resort,
providing that it be not too fashionable; so
it was not many days before l was on
terms of the most delightful intimacy with
Miss May, finding her a highly accom-
plished and altogether charming voting
woman. She sang divinely, played with
the touch of master, and both sketched
and painted. Of these last diversions she
was particularly fond; and made myself
useful in hunting up picturesque spots fol
her, fixing her easel, and, lying on the
grass, would read her some beautiful little
poem or story while she welded brush OF
pencil. Besides this, we danced together
at the hotel hops, took long drives, rambled
along the mountain paths, and enjoyed
many a moonlight row on the lake.
did not ask myself how all this would
end. / did not even acknowledge to myself
that Twas in love, though very deeply in
love certainly was. A number of weeks
went by in bliSSful dream, and / had be-
gun to look forward with dread to the neces-
sity of leaving the spot which had come to
be a perfect Eden to me, when my fools
paradise was suddenly destroyed; and this
is theway it came about:
One evening Miss May and myself had
gone out for row on the lake. l had
dropped the oars and let the boat drift
while she sang tender ballad and l recited
some lines from one of the most exquisite
of Tennyson's early lyrics.
l do not know but she feared that / was
getting too sentimental, for she said to me
quite suddenly, after pause:
81 expect Harry tomorrow"
s'Indeed," / replied, ''who is he, may ]
ask?"
''Oh, thought had mentioned him tC
YOU. He is my betrothed. Of course YOU