St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-20
ONLY A CIGARET.
ONLY q cigaret.


in existence that the rice paper about the
roll of tobacco appeared to be worn out and
stained with it's contents. At the very bot
tom OF my trunk, between fold of the
lining of that long and hard-used adjunct
OF my wandering, [ found that which is
seen daily in the show windows of every
tobacco shop and stand, and in the mouths
and hands of nearly every man whom you
meet.
A tiny strand of blue ribbon encircled it,
The ribbon was tied in true lovers knot.
Time had made itself manifest on the ribbon.
It was faded.
But this faded ribbon, tied with it's true
lovers knot, was not the only thing that
made the little cigaret so different from the
! thousands and thousands of cigaretS seen
every day. The smoker of such articles
would no doubt have thrown it down in
disgust as being too dry to smoke. He
| could not see anything in it save an old
| To me the tiny roll of tobacco the faded
blue ribbon and the knot were associated
with the happiest days of my life. AS 1
| look at it the past comes before me as in
dream and once again live over my first
and only love affair. / am oblivious to the
rainfall that patters against the windows of
| my bachelor room-l am no longer the
| quiet and lphlegmatic man-sO busy am
with the days agone when | reveled in the
ecstasies OF my blissful knowledge of the
fact that / loved and was loved in return.
pick it up and hang the loop of the rib
bon on the button of my coat just as Nellie
hung it twelve long years ago. I see her
now with her great blue eyes. her wealth of
light brown hair, her peach-like complexion
and her neat-ftting and becoming white
gown. just as she appeared when the
cigaret was given to me. It was at an aft
ernoon archery party. We had taken part
in the contest and for the first time got off
by ourselves at the hammock. Some little
| coaxing on her part and was in the ham
mock, while she swung me to and fro.
AS she stood between ME and the fast de-
scending sun the sunbeamS cast a halo
about her head, and made her look divinely
beautiful. Of course L mentioned the fact,
and intimated that the only thing necessary
for my happiness was something to smoke.
She said that l should be made happy, and
forthwith fastened to her brother and bor-
rowed from him three cigarets. I smoked
two of them, and while so engaged she
took piece of blue ribbon that was tied
about her wrist, tied it about the third
cigaret and tied it to the button of my coat.
l was young then, just out of college. and
the world seemed full of happiness. Only
short time before I had discovered that
this beautiful young girl cared for me. AS
she tied it on my coat she said something
about not smoking 1t until and fin
ished the sentence by saying s.until we are
married." 1 can see her blush now. Sup
per was announced, and, reluctantly, we
entered the house.
put the cgaret away.
Journalism was my chosen profession. I
so wrote it when the class historian asked
for my profession, with other of my indi-
vidual characteristics. in connection with
his class-day history. l expected
to be an editor of some great
and growing daily paper within year at
most. In the meantime had secured the
position of city editor of the only daily
paper in the place in which had been born
and bred. was poor.
Loves young dream went on. Suddenly
Nellie was enveloped in sorrow; her brother
was taken sick and died and her father fol-
lowed soon after, the latter death being
very sudden. Our engagement was not
known, so it was deemed best for me not
to escort Nellie at either of the funerals,
although [ had charge of each of them.
Nellie's mother made the decision and we
had to acquieSce on the decision. The eS-
| tate was badly involved, and Nellie and her
mother found themselves with no property,
when they each supposed that the estate
would enable them to live in the style they
| had been accustomed to. Under these cir
| cumStances a visit to a rich relative in
| the East was decided on.
| 1t was plain to me that Nellies mother
| was averSe to me as a Son-in-law because I
| was poor. She was old in the worlds ways
and knew how much misery is caused by
| poverty. and was therefore determined that
| Nellie should marry rich husband And
she succeeded. For something was said in
one OF NellieS letters to me at which I
took offense and the engagement, as re-
| suit of the quarrel, was broken off. Nellie
| married rich man. L have never seen her
| since her marriage, as often she had said to
me that if anything did happen to break
off our engagement she never wanted to
see my face again. [ respected her feel
| ings. l never have nor never will see her.
The cigaret with its blue ribbon disap-
| peared. l suppose it mast have got down
| in the fold of my old trunk, for in my trav-
| els have unpacked my trunk many times,
but never discovered it until tonight. But
now it has come to light.
toy with it as fond memory brings me
| back to the happy days when Nellie and I
! were dreaming and planning for the future.
The Thought comes TO me, what right have
| to keep souvenir of part in which the
wife of another man played so important a.
part? AS play with the old cigaret the
ribbon comes off and drops to the floor.
pick it up and some way or another it
falls over my finger. The next thing the
cigaret is in my mouth and 1 have a
| lighted match at the other end and am
| smoking it. The cigaret and the past dis
J appear in blue-White smoke
AS 1 watch the smoke issue forth, hear
the rain and the wind. For it is a buster
ing night. throw away the old cigaret.
as if half ashamed that the three middle
aged men, who have just entered to play
a rubber of whist, will discover something
of my secret. The ribbon band about nv
finger-the faded blue, is hastily put into
my overcoat pocket. UNCLE GRUMPY.