The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-06-06
THE SHADOW OF FATE.
How 1t Darkened the Lives of Two Fond
Young Creatures.


"Did not drop down on my knees
properly, Miss Black?" he asked with
wild, yearning anxiety in his voice.
The young woman took q lace-bor-
| dered handkerchief from her pocket
with a graceful sweep of the hand,
| drew it in a correct geometrical curve
across her lips, and returned it to her
pocket with the same careful accuracy
of ourvilinear motion.
"While not strictly correct from a
Delsartean point of view Mr.. Savage"
she replied, 'and not wholly pleasing to
an eye and intellect trained to what is
known as the philosophy of expression
yet the evident sincerity OF your feel
| ings might lead me to overlook the
crudity, if l may so express myself, of
their outward manifestation.
"And l may dare to hope?"
81 have not said so much as that, Mr.,
Savage; yet"
Miss Black-Etta-hear men he
pleaded. 81 do not claim to be posted
in this Delsartean business. If had
practiced on a graceful-um-fop for a
week don't believe l could have got
down on my knees in any better style
than did. I haven't had any instruc-
ton. You can't expect green hand to
take hold of new wrinkle in science
the same as irregular journeyman scien-
tist. Is there anything in the text
books that tell how to do this kind Of
thing?"
"There are certain clearly-establish
principles, Mr.. Savage" said the young
woman, regarding the outward ex-
preston of the inner nature, and the
careful student Of"
Certainly, certainly, Miss Eta"
cordially assented the young man, but
may ask if you have any objection to
me personally, aside from my-hum!A
crudity?"
A faint, decorous, Delsartean blush
passed with a graceful, wave-like mo-
ton across her face.
"Why, Mr.. Savage" she answered.
possibly might waive certain high ar
tistic considerations if-if ! could si-
lence a voice that seems to rise from the
depths of my inner consciousness and
bids me beware Of taking any irrevoca-
BILE step in this matter"
count, Miss Eta, let me assure you"
"Mr. Savage, beg of you to believe
that no sordid considerations influence
me in hesitating to consider the fiat
tering proposal you have made me. Do
you not seem to hear warning? Is
there no impalpable shadow that seems
to rise between us? o, Mr. Savagep'
she exclaimed, do you not see it?"
''See any impalpable shadow? Well,
1 should rather say"
so Mr.. SavageH'-aud the young wo-
man shuddered in slow, geometrically-
correct shudders as the full realization
of the awful truth was borne in upon
Der mind-'it is fate! 1t is fate! Do you
not see it?"
'See what?"
"The utter impossibility of my ever
becoming your wife"
"Nol How? Why? What do you
mean?'
"Mr. Savage" said the young woman,
rising up, pale but strictly correct, and
speaking in calm, inexorable accents
that smote on his ears like hammer
strokes of destiny, sit is impossible, If
/ should marry you"-and again a Del
sartean shudder decorously agitated her
frame" if should marry you 1 would
/ be-"
"What? Don't keep me in suspense,
for heavens sake! You would be what?"
81 would be Eta Black Savage
1t would never do. The young man
saw 1t. Under cover of the thick shadow
that fate had thrown across the path
way of these two young persons, Mr..
Savage hastily brushed the dust off his
knees, picked up his hat, cane and
gloves and made his escape. Chicago
Tribune.