The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-11
A GAS-PIPE ROMANCE.
Why "TedIv Jones" Is "Set
Against" Literary People.

Literary people, Faugh, don't speak
of them. If there's any thing detest more
than another, it's 4 man or woman who
writes"
looked at my friend Teddy Jones and
smiled What in the world could have
caused this outburst against the fraternity
to which it was the height of my ambition
TO belong. from Jones!
Jones and literary people! What could
be more absurd: Fancy it. Jones and
men and women who spend their time
reading Emerson, wondering at Carlyle's
'.immensities'' and ''eternities," and asking
how far George Eliot really went in her
following of Comte! The idea was so pre-
poSterous!
But | must introduce Teddy Jones' He
was in the dry-gOods trade. Originally he
had been what people call a counter
jumper" Now he was the principal buyer
of one of our largest dry-goods ''empOri-
AIMS" q quote Ted in using the word; it
was big and imposing and delighted him. }
But as for reading-certainiy he had never
read anything but newspaper since | had
known him. His converSation-and he
vas as gaTTulous as Tennyson's brook, go
Eng on forever and forever, until some
strong force usually a reprimand from
bis wifeD stopped him-waS always about
one of three things, his business. the next
election, and what was going on at the
theaters. What could Jones know about
literary people! Where had he ever met
any such, and what could he have had to
do with them! | was anxious to know
and the only way to crafty my curiosity
was to ask. did ask. The first answer
got was a suppressed litter from Mrs
Jones.
''Oh he II tell the story fast enough, - said
Ted's loving spouse, ''if you'll only listen"
Let's have the story, by all means" l
cried, IF there is one.n
Jones looked half pleased, half mortified.
Evidently there were features to the story
which disinclined him to its relation. Yet
between his own fondneSs for talking, his
wife's urging, and my evident interest in
what he had to tell, there seemed to be no
escape for him. After little more parley-
ing we both took cigars. and he began:
''You see, Bradford, 1 was brought up to
trade'-as if every cubic inch of his BODY
line of his face, the set of his collar, and
the fit of his trousers had not borne testi-
mony to that fact from the beginning.
-'Never in the course of my life did have
anything to do with people who live by
their wits, l take it, which means stealing,
or by their imaginatiOns, which / have
since found out means writing, until had
got married and come to town to live.
You must know that at that time l was
not as well off as am now. Eliza and T.
Ga theatrical gesture of Ted's right arm
the Eliza alluded to- ''were obliged to live
in a boarding-hOuse
''The mansion in which we sought refuge
was kept by a Mrs. Smith, and we arrived
at her establishment one evening just in
time for dinner.
''When we stepped into the dining-room
we saw a long table with about a dozen
people ranged around it. First came MI
and Mrs. James Sterling, two sons and q
daughter-Of no interest whatever. Then
there were two young men, clerks in a
neighbOring drug store; the last two were
utterly unimportant. But at the left hand
of one of them sat young lady"
At this point Ted glanced at Mrs. Jones
But apparently that bright little woman
had no idea of being jealous. She smiled
back at her husband.
We'll, Bradford, if ever l saw a beauti-
full woman, there was one. You know
am judge of women"
thought of Jones' experience behind the
counter. and asSented.
''Such blue ewes. Such head of golden
hair!'' tAnother surreptitious glance at
Mrs JoneS.) well, | won't go on. She
was just the very model of that woman
with the baby up in your room"
q deari oh deari That was the way in
which Jones alluded to my photograph of
Raphael's Madonna del Granduca.
ne very moment looked nj her began
to think of angels But did not dare look
long, for there, right at her elbow. sat the
most bideous old woman you ever saw in
your life. How could it he! Was that
dreadful old woman the mother of that
beautiful girl! She was. Our landlady
introduced us to Mrs. Marvin and her
daughter, Miss Emily Marvin. Oh how
beautiful Miss Emily was when she lifted
her eyes! l actually felt my heart go pit
a-pat"
What a woman Mrs. Jones was! Even
ShiS did not disturb her.
''Well, We had not sat at that table long
before L began to feel that we were in an
atmosphere of romance. At our landlady's
left hand, and just abo5it as far from Miss
Emily as he could be put, sat a young man.
He was handsome fellow, too. His ewes
and hair were dark, and he had a strong
solid look, as if he had been brought up in
the country. de was Just the kind of man
I'd sell bill of goods to and send them
home without any c. o. d. mark Our
sandlady introduced him as Mr.. William
Graham.
1t did not need very sharp pair of eyes
60 discover that Mr.. VIII Graham was in
love with Miss Emily. Eliza and l both
understood it fully before the evening was
out. When we got TO our own room we
talked it over, and we also decided that the
two young people wSre very unhappy.
Eliza said it was because Miss Marvin's s
N. naQ
got got quite as far as this but in the course
of a few days, when / had seen consider
ably more Of the young couple, / felt sure
she was right.
lone day when 1 came home from the
store little earlier than usual, Eliza said
70 me, Ted, | think there is something very
mysterious about Miss Emily
'''What is it!' | asked.
''Why, she is always so preoccupied. /
rpuke to her to-day at lunch, and she
sn:wered me in such way that l felt sure
she didn't know in the least what had
said Then she is always so busy! Our
land.ady asked her to go out for little
walk to-day, by way of recreation, and she
made some hurried excuse, saving she
couldn': go anywhere, she had SO much to
do
II told Eliza that women in boarding
houses were always hunting up mysteries
TO gossip about. There was probably moth
ing more remarkable about Miss Emily S
preoccupation than that she was busy over
some new dress. and couldn't make the
over-skirt hit. But the next night when
came home Eliza had a new story.
Ted she exclaimed, as soon as we got
up tn our room after dinner. 4 tell you I'm
sure there's something very wrong about
that poor girl
."'What now!' inquired
"'WeIl,' said Eliza, I was going past
their room to-day after luncheon, when
heard great noise. Somebody was scold-
ing, and somebody was crying. Then the
door opened and the old lady came out.
happened to look into the room, and there
sat Miss Emily at her writing-desk. The
tears were streaming down her cheeks, and
her pen was going like wild-fire. The room
looked very queer. 1t was full of books
and newspapers and magazines were lying
all over the floor. heard Miss Emily talk
ing TO herself. What she said ! COULDN'T
make out. When got upstairs lay dcwr