The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-04-26
over to herself the endearments her lover had
used for Mrs. Charleton.

over to herself the endearments her lover had
used for Mrs Charleton.
Aubrey has been talking to nae for at least
two hours, and would be talking still if l bad
not sent him to bed. He is in a regular lovers
" Inferno" and does not know what he means
or wants, or anything else, except that he is in
love with Mrs. Charleton, and that he ought to
be in love with Duleie.
"What am 1 TO do?" he kept on repeating;
" I won't be di5honorable If l can help it. She
Mrs. CharletOn l mean-says ! ought to pro-
pose to DulCie So l viii. But don't suppose
she cares for me any longer. How can she2
If she does have me I'll be good to her, on my
honor | will [ am not such 2 selfish devil az
to go and wreck her life because made 3 mis-
take myself"
"All right then; for goodness sake, do pro-
pose to her, and don't make a fuss over 1t, l
said rather irritably, for I was getting sleepy
and felt cross with the fellow for Dulcie's sake.
IF she does have you you are lucky dog
and you have my congratulations. Don't make
q martyr Of yourself"
Not I; at least not to her. She is a duck"
he said; and / think he meant it,
Who would not call Dulcie duck?
SEPT 16-MoRNIEG.
The poet has done #; proposed, I mean. and
has just come to tell me OF it, But she has
SuuDOeu MIN anu gwen q iLu5L uStiuSl NO
Brave, true, unseltish little DulcIe AS *
did not know what it has cost you.
Yet l believe there is a little element of con-
tempt for the poet in her straightforward heart.
/ hope so. 1t will help her to get over it the
quicker; and, to tell the truth l think she
would soon have been disillGsioned If she had
married Aubrey.
Well it is over, this play which have been
watching, or rather acting ia.
Tomorrow Dulcis goes back TO lessons aud
! detestable little boys and girls, who will make
her grow old and faded before she is 80. The
Fates order it so, and none may alter their de-
| cree.
wish could help her. How can n If she
| had married Aubrey / would have left my
| paltry fortune TO their son and heir, and 50
/ have done her good in that way.
] What can l do for her? Would it Insult her
| if l gave her new froCk and hat, 1 wonder
! Surely not, coming from an old boy like me,
| Yet that won't do her much good. Nothing
viii help her, unless ! adopt her, and l ami not
so old as all that People would want me ia
marry her next.
Marry Dulcie? We'll, why not Would she
have ne? She says what she wants is some
one to love her, and 1 can promise to DO that.
| would make her life ono long holiday, and
give her pretty things to her hearts content.
Forty years old; it is not such great ag'
after all Others have waited till then; why
not II nave GOT rusty anu olu- taSHiOu5u
Dulcie would brush me up, and l would be hel
slave. No fear of my running after lovely
widows and naughty sirens with eyes like Mrs
CharletOn.
What shall do? am like the poet, witt
his eternal What shall doY'
I know what I viii dol viii 20 and set
what Dulcie ia about If she is very unhappy
will try and comfort her-and perhaps '
SEPT 16-EyEgINe.
I went to the public sitting-roOm that no on
uses in the morning but Dulcie and opened
the door quietly.
There she was, my little girl standing by th'
window in her shabby brown frOek, looking
50 lonely that my heart began to ache for her
Her child face was downcast, her blue eye
hidden by the long lashes that curled on TIT
soft-tinted cheeks.
When I came in she looked up at me with
pitiful little smile; sad, imploring, depreca
ting, shy, all at once. / could fnd nothing Il
say to comfort her. felt tongue-tied, as con
fused as any foolish boy.
So we stood silently looking at each othe
for moment; then my love and pity over
came me- I don't care if you laugh at ms.
could not help loving and plying Dulcie, an
at that moment there seemed to be no doubt q
to what / ought to do.
"Dulcie,' 1 said, and held out both my arm
toward her.
OaGErHu's M1Josfss