The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-07-31

covered from the frenzy which blinded
me to everything but the rapture of the
moment. / liked to hear Mr.. Dale talk,
and without an affinity of ideas our in
timacy must have died natural death.
But we found common ground of SYM
pathy in our revolt against the subservi-
ency in modern life of romance to mat
| ter of fact considerations He harped
upon this string, and awoke correspond
| ing chord in my breast. His ideas were
a correlation of the dreams of my girl
hood. | felt that was understood.
| There was such a thing as the love had
imagined; Mr.. Dale had pondered over
it, fatholned it, and could talk about it.
! Not that | considered myself in love
with him. or him with me. We simply
We're friends-that was all. But exist
ence seemed nobler when illunined by
his theories
He declared that the Puritan fathers
and their descendants lacked the power
of expression. People were afraid to ac-
knowledge they loved. The ardor that
distinguished the passion of other races
and made it beautiful was nowhere to be
found, for if it ever dared to manifest it.
self the breath of ridicule wilted its
growth The expensive ''foral Offering"
was more priced than the single dewy
bud of the true lover, and the zeal and
sentiment of chivalry had yielded to the
bhghting prose of commercial age.
My Aunt Helen was the first of the
family to comment on my intimacy with
him.
"What does your friend Mr.. Dale do?'
she asked one day.
"Do?'
Eyes. | mean what is his business
down town.
81 don't know, Aunt Helen" I an
swered, and | spoke the truth. had
never thought to inquire.
'sThe Dale blood is not the very best
in the world" she continued presently,
with her head bent over her work almost
as though sohloquizing "As regards
position they are well enough, but two
of this young mans uncles were ex-
tremely dissipated and l fancy that the
father was not much to boast of. He
died early, just after | was grown up
,, I remember him though. He was a
handsome creature"
| listened with glowing cheeks, but
made no response.
"They have very little to live on,
imagine" she observed nearly five min
utes later.
"Of whom are you speaking?" in
quired with dignity.
''The Dales, child, of course. 1t was
generally supposed that Mrs. Dale was
left very poorly off. I believe her hus-
bands life was insured fop something,
E aud they own their house. Pussy al
ways looks well dressed, but they must
have to scrimp in other ways"
Pussy Dale was Rogers eldest sister,
. girl of just my age. They were q
= family of five, four of whom were
daughters
. 81 don't see that their being poor il
y anything against them," I said, little
: holly.
"No-o," replied Aunt Helen reflective
ly, perhaps not But don't know
what your father would say to him as ;
son-in-law."
"a son-in-law? You have no right t.
make such insinuations, Aunt Helen"
protested. 'sMr. Dale and | are friends
and nothing more"
81 am glad to hear it, dear, for though
should try to reconcile myself t
whomever you chose, believing that
girl is the best judge Of what will con
tribute to her own happiness, l owl
frankly that | should be better please'
with some one whose antecedents wer
little more creditable."
Igrated my teeth and sewed indus
triously in silence for the rest of tn
evening. | felt injured without scarcel
knowing why Aunt Helen's accuse
tons were vague at best. 1t was i'm
possible for me to doubt Mr.. Dale. Blu
on the other hand the idea of our mar
riage was not serious consideration
Still felt annoyed and troubled, and
could not help thinking of what m,
!" father and Aunt Agnes had said by wa
of warning But though | lay awak
r. long that night, fell asleep at last, cor
1t WINGED that Roger Dale was the mobiles
% and sincerest soul alive, and that t
le doubt him would be to wrong the sacre
d name of friendship.
|. This conversation took place in March
It but in the next two months Mr.. Dali
d was SO much at our house that wa
If not surprised when my father asked on
evening the same question put to me b,
If Aunt Helen. Our intimacy had con
n tinued without further developments
d except constantly increasing devotion
| on his part and corresponding pleasur
e in his society on my own. | did no
:, make my infatuation conspicuous b.
u walking with him in the streets, bu
otherwise did not attempt to disguis
d the partiality felt for him. Had
?, mixed more with other girls before en-
J tering society l might have been les
IS guileless But as it was, never though
of tempering by coquetry the satisfac
r ton visible in my face whenever MI
L Dale appeared.
IS This time was prepared with an an
e swer to the question concerning his oc
# cupation down town:
It "He is in the wool business, and doin:
It very we'll"
r ga wool broker?"
b II think So"
f "Humphp