Evening journal., 1891-08-21
CUPID'S SERVITOR.

eschewed Love, made his bread and butter
| by serving him. But like all who wait on
| Love with interested motives, he received
nothing but dross for his pains
Yet one day il happened that his tickle
master had placed before his eyes those
Illuminating glasses which turn the com
mon sky into heaven; which convert life
into a lyric and woman into a creature OF
| perfume and melody and light.
But the next day, as one may say, these
glasses were taken off again, and Clymer
Ames had never looked through them
since.
Yet every day from ia the morning till
in the afternoon this man, who could
have killed Eros for his perhdious con.
duct. was Obliged to toll in his behalf. He
was, in short, the clerk who issued the
marriage licenses. When he first went
into the service Of the greatest Of cosmo-
poltans, Cupid, he dedicated TO him
very bad chirography, totally unedu.
Gated perception and an interchangeable in.
dustry He was a good looking young
man, or, 10 speak more correctly, his an.
cestors had given him very few incon.
venient heirlcoms in the way Of vicious
features or disagreeable tendencies He
had not in fact, many Distinguishing
traits. He was simply young fellow
with n slight disposition to biliousness
and a matter OF fact determination To earn
his living honestly.
But then, OF course he was honest II
requires a certain degree of originality 10
be dishonest And Clymer Ames would
have therefore satisfied Diogenes.
In the course OF few weeksspent behind
the little window in the county court'sspa-
cious apartments, the chirograpby Of this
young man began to improve. So did his
perceptions He could tell, when a man ap
preached him, whether be had family pride
or not; whether or not he was sentimental
and impatient; whether he was inclined
for hymeneal display; whether he was
happy or fearful; whether he WAS going
to marry woman OF whom ne WAS proud
or only one with whom be Was in love.
Sometimes worried looking woman &c
companied the applicant for a marriage
/ license, and then the clerk knew how eas.
/ lily the ties OF love could become chains, and
he felt it incumbent upon him 20 look
with dark disapproval at the unwilling
| bridegroom Indeed, when one is. in the
business OF issuing marriage licenses one
is almost certain to grow an imagination.
| One is no more responsible for II than foI
| ones beard There is, however, this diff
| ference After an Imagination is grown it
| is impossible TO get rid Of it.
| Clymer Ames, who at first saw only tht
stage carpentering and scene shifting in
this drama Of the emotions, began toiwon
der how II would look from the front. Ht
found himself getting very curious ~ g
what a man did and said before-armed
with the age, name, maternal and paterna
parents names Of his bride-he came Z
ask for legal permission TO be foravel
happy.
1t would be very easy, of course, fol
Clymer Ames 20 get that legal right Ii
his capacity Of lover he could appronel
himself in his capacity as clerk, aud with
out unnecessary embarrassment or hesita
ton ask for a license and getit. 10 b
sure, he could not well be on both sides o
the window at once, and he had som
doubts about the complete regularity OF
license granted under circumstances il
which the applicant associated with sue
unseemly familiarity with his superior, tn
clerk. This, however, was a difficult
which he felt could be overcome. Bat tina
was the fifth act. What led up to II
What did lover do through the four PR
ceding actsf
! Clymer Ames determined TO find out
Fate, which is sometimes kind only 20
(. ! cruel, aided him. Il went further, an
\ abetted him.
1 Lydia Eastwater lived in the next bloc
but one to where Clymer Ames boarde'
Il and she came down to see the daughter
! the landlady and play tennis with her ON tn
q lawn. Clymer, who had hitherto deteste
tennis. felt convinced as soon as he az
! Lydia Eastwater on the green that exc
\ else was the only thing for him after a
Y long Office hours
4 The rest Of the summer he put on whit
! flannel as soon as be got home, and he a
but slept with tennis bat in bis hand.
Il guess il must be pretty dull stayir
y in the Office all day this.hot weather" sa
:, Lydia EaStwater one night when tn,
= stood together on the same side Of Il
white tennis net.
Its dull enough. Bun nothing TO VIII
- it used to be, You know have somethiI
u to look forward 10 now"
e "Have your" said Lydia Eastwater /
nocently, picking a bug off her red al
II white skirt. Pm sure I'm glad Of it."
IS TITS the tennis at night look forwa
TO. II brightens up my whole day. Dor
" you care for Il toog"
IN "Mep calculated Lydia with ungraI
Sc NAUTICAL nonchalance. "Oh, YES, like t.
mis- well enough. wish, though, th
n these people would come back aud 90
It playing Standing around on tenn
les ground till you are ready to drop isn't a
pleasanter than standing around anywhs
at else" She hirted out one foot as s
eli talked, and revealed marvellous stockir
.er Clymer wondered II the twenty-five
he lows who had that day applied to him
the sanction OF the law to their bliss
experienced such difficulties in the Fl
act-he felt himself to be nearing the {
~. of that part of the drama. II Lydia Ea
m water would only show by some sign, he
ever slight, that her heart throbbed as
did, he would be willing TO have the c
tain rung down for the entre'act and
'no the orchestra play while.
st is not because play tennis shat /
nit happy" he cried explosively but becal
ain play tennis with YOU"
one ''Oh," cried Miss EastwateR, as she
,rts tied the yellow bow on her hat, "isn't it
emit bad then that am going away tomorr
are for the rest OF the SUMMER
ure Going for the rest Of the SUMMER {
lore mer was sure none Of those twenty-i
rea- happy men with licenses ia their pock
aims had ever known such suffering as this.
ling leaned against tree He could not rem
the Der feeling so strange since that day
kets tainted in the Office, after being up all nj
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