The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-03-12
A COMEDY OF TWO.
A Broken Courtship Mended After
Many Years.

| Scene Pennsylvania Railroad station. cor
ner Broad and Filbert streets. Ladies waiting
room. Usual occupants, obliging matron in
] charge, many small children, anxious mammas
careless nurses pretty girls, elderly party in
southeast corner studying surroundings from
| behind glasses
Enter handsome man, curly hair, slightly
| gray, dark eyes, carries small aliigator-skin
travelling bag marked with silver letters III. L.
! D., linen shawl case embroidered with same
! letters lady'S umbrella bask ct of rose buds.
Following him: Pretty woman, dsrk-biue
eyes, lots OF dimples, carrying q book. Seats
| herself in a rocking chair placed directly in
| front of elderly party in glasses.
! Knight of the bag, shawl-strap, etc. places
| them on neighboring seat and says:
"Tll go snd telegraph that you missed the
wait for it here, its sneWing too fast to go out
! again.
| Lady {thougbtfuily il might take hanson
| up to BIS. l left my watch there last week
still, / might be delayed and miss another.
| 1 can't think how l happen to blundcr SO. l
am sure Edward said . and it wanted six min
utes of it when got out of the carriage. Find
out how soon l can go, please.
| tknight goes out. Voice Of usher in the dis
tancc: Frankford, Hoimesburg, Bristol, and
| Trenton" Lady arrangos her skirts, takes fan
out of bag. Slsnces casually at L. p, takes three
or four roses from basket, fastcns them on her
| dress, leans back and opens book. Knight re-
! turns)
| Knight-Tho train will not be ready for an
| hour. You do not mind, hope (after pause).
| How many years it is since we have travelled
| together / was thinking about it while l was
waiting for you
| Lady-{qaickly)- waiting for me?
Knight mean before you came. This sta
ton was not built then, and we used to have
such droadiuliy long hoTse-car rides from West
Chester to West Philadelphia.
Lady--Gou did not think them so dreadfully
long then. (The speaker colors slightly and
changes The subject l have half promised Ned
and Alice to be with them on Christmas Day in
New York. They go there Monday
Knight think you said last night that you
| were coming back here from Trenten7
Lady-Yes, for little Dora Smyth's wedding,
Thursday. Isn't it too fanny to think that
baby is old enough to be married?
hnight-Not when / Tecolect that my
nephew Walter has fiae little shaver of his
own, my first namcsake.
Lady-You don't say SO! Why, / remember
nc was in knickerbockers when we-whom did
he marry?
KnigSt-Grace Biddle, the fair-haired pretty
enc; they were married in Rome nearly three
years age: the boy is quite fellow now, has a
tooth or two and is supposed by his fond pa-
rents 10 say, Papa" Time moves.
Lady-fes, indeed. Why, my boy is taller
than l ana, and Nelly -
knight-Ah, What is this you are reading2
] might have known Well, what do you think
of it? Is it worth wasting time over?
Lady-You haven't read Z" Mr.. ISaacs?"
Knisht-Not /? / read Dr. Claudius" and
Lady (eSgeyly}--po tell me, what is Philis-
tine?
Knight-Aren't you ashamed to bctray such
ignorances
Lady-But what is it?
knight (solemnly)-Have you never heard
of Matthew Arnold.
Lady with assumed petulance}-I will not
be laughed at, Mr..
Knight rupting)-Nonsense, Helen, 1
don't intend to call you Mrs. anything!
When was it that Walter was in knicker-
bsckers?
Lady (coloring slightly, but smiling)-O,
when?-a hundred years ago, when we were
young. 1 should so like to show you my boy
and girl, they
Knight (nterrupting again)-Den't change
the subject SO, Helen. "a Hundred years?"
What nonsense! Have you quite forgotten
when we two parted?"
Lady VERY demurely y)-Im sure il wasn't "in
silence and tears"
Knight-Well, no not in silence, most as
snrcsiiy. What a sharp little tongue you had,
Helen!
Lady tstill demurely)-so glad you use the
past tensei
Knight don't believe you ve improved one
bit in all thesc Is years Its incredible, Ellie.
When look at you | can hardly trust my own
memory. 1t can't be more than Is years since
we two hot headed young things almost On tho
eve Of oar wedding day, euarreled about moth
ing and made shipwreck Of our lives.
Lady tspiritcdly)-I did nothing OF the kind.
You've no right TO say such thing. | have
had the happiest sort OF life. My children are
perfect darlings; ny husband was the very
best man III the world; my only sorrow
was
Knight-His death! Exactly I expected
you TO say so. OF course you were sorry about
it. You are good woman, certainly. You
mOurned for him; but time is wonderful
healer, and you soon outlivcd your grief.
Lady trising indignsntiyA-lo shall not
speak to me in such q way; 1 wont listen to
you.
Knight (calmly)-Sit dcwn, Ellie, I'll apollo
gizc; it wasn't soon, bat you have outlived it.
Why, child its the way of the world, one out
lives everything. Ellie. how young you are,
in spite of your-how many years. When
you throw up your head in that old way fancy
myself back on your uncles old porch in Chos-
ter; you were a very wilful girl, Helen.
Lady with heightened color)-i am a very
wiiifal woman.
Knight (laughing)-I haven't the slightest
wiliiulness-and you-bottcr than did in my
callow days Seriously, Helen, l have some
thing 60 say 10 you; we didn't meet by acci-
dent | was waiting for you, waiting TO say it.
Your train hadn't gone; | lied to you. Yes
did don't look angry; listen and hear the old
story. Ellie, answer the old question: came
| to-day to ask it.
Lady (hurriedIy, elancng about distract
cdly)-0, hush, hush; do hush some one viii
surely surely hear you.
tDHring the last few sentences elderly party
iii glasses, torn by the conflicting emotions
feminine sense of honor always weak, feminine
love Of romance always strong, has alternately
fidgeted to proclaim her presence and remained
bfeathless TO conceal it, At this appeal honor
triumphs, aud she heroicaIly aud nosiIy drops
returns with polite bow. Thus admitted to
his confidence, f. =. casts honor to the winds,
and, leaning forward, shamelessly, anxiously,
eagerly, sympathizingly listens)
knight with perfect calm Let any one
hear; let the whole woald hear; | told you
honestly years ago. | repeat it as honestly
to-day love you; Helen; viii you be my
wife?
Lady (blushing painfully you don't
know what you arc saying; you can't mean it :;
yea can't be serious; you haven't loved me all
this time.
knight (stili calraly)-No, my dear,
haven't
Lady Indignantly why do you want
TO marry me? You only saw me last evening.
| You hadn't chance TO fall in love with mc if
for fl.., ,tnx .,I