Smyrna times., 1892-03-23
A PASSING ACQUAINTANCE.

walk down this avenue. past all sorts
of pretty garden surrounded Queen
Anne's, until you come to the one
where rose. bushes have been arched
to the house from the gateway
On the lawn inside, late in the after
noon of an August day, in a hammock
swung between two naples, sat Rose
Harrington reading. She was dressed
in white, and had that strong person
ality that attracted attention.
On the piazza back of her sat her
younger sister, also reading. No sound
broke the stiffness save the swish of
of the lawn mower as the gardener
pushed it back and forth.
Ding dong!
There's the train" said the young
lady on the piazza, yawning.
May" said the other, joining her
sister on the piazza, didn't papa say
he was going to bring Mr.. Rushmore
out to night ?'
Jack Rushmore The writer Yes!
why ?"
Nothing! Only I've just read this
story Of his in the Universal. 1t ends
sadly. 1t tells how two persons, in
one brief meeting, conceived as they
supposed, true love for each other,
then separated and never met again.
He calls it a Passing Acquaintance.
There's Mr.. RushmOre now. He's
taller than Papa"
They could see the passengers COM
ing up the avenue. Screened by green
vines that hPmmed in the piazza,
they could see without being seen.
As the two men turned in at the
gate she heard her father say: "My
girl Rose rugged up that AOwery arch.
DOtes on flowers, that girl does. She's
perfect Rose herself She calls that
the Arc de Triumph" And he laughed
heartily.
The young man smiled and said in a
low but manly tone: The architect of
structure so imposing is certainly a
genius"
Mr.. Harrington had that appearance
of what some people call "wh Die soul
ness" He spoke in loud heavy tones.
Ascending the piazza steps he said
Hello, girls Here's Mr.. Rushmore.
| Brought him out for you to entertain
Make him feel perfectly at home.
Phew it's warm. Where's your moth
er? Has that new lawn mower come?
Oh, yes There tis ! How does it work
Jame?" he called to the gardener,
and hustled across the lawn to try it
himself.
He evidently gave no further
thought to the young man whom he
left standing on the steps, hat in hand,
in the presence of two strange young
ladies. The young mans face was
brOnzed as though from long exposure.
In repOse, his face was suggestive of
sadness but when he smiled, as he
did now, looking up at Rose, it was
wonderfully y open and happy.
Rose looked down at him their ewes
met, and the two seconds which fol-
lowed was, to them, two life-times. In
that riveted gaze they looked each
other through and through. Each
measured, understood, and appreciated
the other. The result was a sensation
in each of rapturous pleasure. 1t
seemed to them as if an infnitude of
musical instruments were filling the
world with the most exquisite music.
1t was really the harmony evoked by
two true hearts vibrating in unison.
Perhaps it was what we call love at
first sight" Why not? True love is
not a mathematical calculation. Like
certain kinds of wood, once ignited, it
flares Up in a moment without tanning.
1t was all very sudden, but they un-
derstOOd each other fully. As ifrudely
awakened from a heavenly dream
Rose emitted little gasp, and then
said
Wont you come up and be seated
Papa is so unceremOniOus. We are
continually obliged to account to our
guests for just such eccentricities."
He thanked her. aud sat down in a
basket arm chair.
"YOu were cruel to criticise nv
arch, continued Rose. you see was
eavesdropping. Well, May" she said
to her sister, Il seem to be the self
elected Speaker of the House. Allow
me to introduce to you Mr.. Rushmore,
Of
"Of the Csnnibal Islands," he said
rising and bOwihg with a mischieVous
expression. Don't be alarmed. !
don't devOur human beings l devOur
the dOings of humanity"
you speak in riddles" said May,
rising. But I'll tell mamma to pre-.
pare you a nice mess of humanity fol
your supper" She laughed gayly ,and
left the piazza.
81 suppose my speech requires elu.
cidatiOn," he said to Rose. Its this
way. AS correspondent for the Uni
verse, I've travelled so long among the
islands of the Southern Pacific, that !
hardly know what place am of. So
said Cannibal Islands. get the news
in the ports and send it to the UniUerse
That's why l say devour the dOings
of humanity"
"a rowing life," said Rose. "Do you
prefer it to the routine life of a stay at
home? Are you ever lonesome ?"
II don't exactly prefer it to New
York life, but for newspaper man the
field is a good one. Lonesome? Yes,
often. Especially after l have taken
leave of some fellow traveller whom
liked, and whom l shall never see
again. He paused. Sadness gathered
in his fece.
DO you know" he said slowly,
"that / am booked for Australia fol
four years? sail Saturday.
NO" said Rose in very low tone
II did not know it. am sorry"
They passed to other subjects, and
exchanged their best thoughts as con
fdentially as if they had associated in.
timately all their lives.
This is not extraordinary. With
some people we clash the result is {
jarring discOFd as constrained conver.
satiOn. With others. we strike a per.
feet chord, and the resXlt is harmony
Thus it was with Rose and Rushmore
When two persons harmOniZe so per,
fectly, all that is best in each come.
out, but at the time they are apt tC
fancy that love is the cause.
At last May re-appeared with Mrs
Harrington, and the supper bell tin.
killed. merrily through the hall. After
supper Mr.. Harrington ordered hii
buggy and took RushmOre for drive
When they returned II was dark
Rushmore jumped out at the block
and Mr.. Harrington drove round Il
the barp. A white figure was comlns
across the lawn. II was Rose return
ing from a call next door.
1.-THE ghost scene from Hamlet,
said Rushmore, as she came toward
him. "You are the ghost and / au
Hamlet.
mo, no." she said, "I cannot bs th,
ghost. am too fond of what is real
/ read Mr.. Howells. But you are I
royal Hamlet"
J "WhyP ?"
Because you have sad face. Yo,
.raollv ora sod oranit 49,, oy1