The Princeton union., 1892-02-04

Der, these ten years are q blank.
Her mother tells me that she is fret
ting and pining because you have
not been to see her.
"But-"
'Of course, understand your feel
ing," Marsh broke in. s'but after all
she is your cousin that you were
brought up with, and it is only q
temporary thing, and ifyou could
humor her for a little while
"Humor her! Do you think she
she would see the Dick Edgar of ten
years ago in me?" l asked almost
angrily,
Marsh looked at me critically.
swell, don't know" he said. cit
is your beard that changes you and
the way you brush your hair and
your clothes. If you could change
all that :
A momentary picture Of myself OF
ten years ago came up before me.
And I think Marsh saw. it too, for we
both laughed.
There is no use in going over the
rest of our talk. Suffice to say, that
before the iced beer was gone I had
promised for the sake OF humanity
and the love bore my sweet aunt
and afflicted cousin to do my best to
turn back the wheels of time for ten
years and go out to the Beeches the
next day as the rather dudish young
lover of my pretty cousin.
After | went up stairs I stood at
the mirror in my dressing-case long
time. Was it true that Dick Edgar
OF ten years ago WAS only hidden un-
der suciperfal layer of hair and
dress? I took up the comb and drew
part down the center OF my head.
1t was becoming. had only given
up wearing my hair like that on
Julia's account. She thought it fop-
pish. Her little basket stood on a
table near with the scissors cleaning
temptingly. I had promised, and it
had to be done; but I didn't half
mind seeing my cherished whiskers
drop. I felt oddly, as though 1 were
getting rid of some sort of a disguise,
and in the course of a half hour I
stood before the mirror with smooth,
plump cheeks and little upward
curved mustache.
l undressed and got into bed with
the nimbleness of 25 and forgot to
wish for Julia at all.
The next morning I spent an hour
in combing my mustache down and
parting my hair very much on the
side before I could muster courage to
go down to breakfast and face the
servants.
II hardly knowed ye, sir,' old John
said, with the familiarity of long SER
vice.
"It is cooler so," I said. "And, by
che way, John, take this. telegram
down and have it sent off at once"
1t was to the tailor who had ar
rayed me in the gorgeousness of my
youth, and whom I had cut for
economic reasons since l had been a
benedict. / told him to send down on
the noon train anything in the way
of collars, hats, ties or coats that
was new and suitable for summer
wear in the country And then I
went off for my usual morning at the
factory. The box was waiting for
me at 1 o'clock when I came home.
and | told old John to have the doe.
cart ready at 2. At half-past 2 [
drove out at the gate, and old Mr..
Morehouse, who had the opposite
place, looked up and gave me a sort
of gasp as I lifted my hat to him.
l had on pink and white striped
shirt, a high collar and big white tie,
a yellow and white blazer and a sailor
hat with a polkadotted band. knew
people would talk, but it was no.
body's business how / chose to dress,
SO far as I could see. As drove into
the handsome beech avenue that gave
it's name to the old house where my
aunt and cousin lived it seemed al
most as though I had suffered a
loss of memory as well as poor Nelly.
My heart had quite ayouthful throb.
My aunt had none of Mr.. Warehouses;
astonishment. See had not seen me
since my marriage, and she had been
living among people to whom blazes
OF gaudy hues were as the sands of
the sea. Her eyes were tired with
weeping over her cherished child, but
she frightened with hope at the
thought of my. helping her, to lead
Nelly into the light again.
While we were talking of her she
came in, and then l always thought
1T was the rest of us who were bewil-
dered. Surely ten years had not gone
over her head. She had on short
white frock, with elbow sleeves and a
scerIet sash. Her yellow hair was in
q big golden cable down her back
and waving in a fringe across her
pretty white forehead.
There was the same seasheII color
in her cheeks, the same roguish look
IN her eyes that was there before she
began to think with Herbert Spencer
and get shadowin their blue depths
by looking on the dark side with
Schopenhauer.
When she saw me, she gave a little
cry, and flew straight into my arms.
"You naughty boy,' said she. II
don't think ought to speak to you.
Where have you been these two days?'
And a q IiccoI ho,, c1,,oo4 a,,,~,