The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-19

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and then would take down from my
boOkshelves some highly philosophic
treatment upon personality and prove
to my own satisfaction that | was and,
as responsible human being with an
ever lonely soul could not be expected
to submit my life to the conventional
ideas of any woman. suppose those
old burners of the midnight oil little
realize the possible applications of their
laborious conclusions.
My correspondent signed herself Gin
connue,' showing pretty knowledge
of French classic literature. The adj
dress that she gave was lock box in a
little town in Rhode Island that 1 had
never heard of. Jim's letters went to
the same box.
Anyone seeing the way we hung over
our desks the rest of that summer would
have thought us two hard worked
authors. Jim had double duty to do be-
cause his sweetheart, of course, demand
ed her share of epistolary affection. A
woman thinks a man has nothing to do
but write love letters; that he ought not
to want to do anything else; but the fact
remains that he can find occupations
equally congenial after the first glamor
has worn slightly away, and left wom-
an instead of goddess. Julia had
reached that calm matrimonial level,
where a small letter and large check
answered all the demands of her heart.
believe even the most intense woman
could carry on the most desperate love
affair at a distance of thousand miles.
All they seemed to want is to be told
that they are worshiped; but a man
wants to see with his eyes even where he
| cannot tOuph with his hands
felt something like a scoundrel, but
l made up my mind that was going to
see the girl who was writing me those
love letters; make clean breast of my
situation, and ask her to let me be one
her friends of the distant platonic vari-
| ETY.. had barely reached this decision
when Jim announced to me that he had
| reached one very near like it.
II am going to write and ask if l can't
come up there and see her somewhere"
he said. 81 have found out that the
place is somewhere near the Pier, and l
can kill two birds with one stone by go
ing down to see Madge."
l hesitated for a second, and then 1
said,-
"I'll come along"
We had rather hard work to manage
it. Neither of our correspondents
seemed inclined to give us personal In
terview, (which certainly proved that
they were ladies all through" Jim said.
1t is a curious fact that a woman often
seals her hold on mans heart by deny
ing him his hearts desire.
But we were strong pleaders, and they
eventually capitulated and arranged a
meeting. We were TO come to the town,
and at l o'clock on Tuesday, the Dist of
September, four people were to meet on
the lonely, uninviting beach of the little
town. 1t sounded very romantic.
We had thought of going to the Pier
at first. and then making an excursion
over, but Jim very sagely suggested that
there wasn't any use in doing any more
lying than was necessary and that we
should certainly have had to weave
web to get away from our woman kind
after we were once iu their clutches.
81 wonder if we can tell which is
which," L asked nervously.
had a picture in my mind of the
sweet, tender-hearteU girl, who had writ
ten me those violet.like letters. She was
tall and willowy, with soulful blue eyes,
and fluffy bonde hair about peachy
cheeks. Julia had blue eyes, but they
are of the intellectual variety, and her
made woman. "Inconnue' wore soft
gray gowns that chung about her feet,
slender and arched and shod in gray. All
the elegancies of life appertained to this
picturesque element that had found its
was into my dull days.
/ did not ask Jim for his mental photo
graph. He was rather savage over ques-
tiOns these days.
We found the hotel 1.-THE only one), in
the little town very stuffy and damp and
and by no means inviting. From the
look the landlord gave us, he was evil
IDENTIFY unaccustomed to visitors who
patronized our tailOrs. The food we
were obliged to swallow did little to
Tighten our spirits, and when we started
out to the beach l suppose we were as
badly ''rattled" pair as ever fastened
to rendezvous.
We strolled nonchalently along, how
ever, switching at the weeds and stunt
ed pines, along the beach road with our
sticks and wondering whatwe were 60
ing to say, and how we were going to
separate. meant to see my 'Inconnue'
alone. had great deal to say to her.
The sun was hot for September on the
coast, and we walked very, very slowly,
getting glimpses of the beach and the
tumbling ocean now and then between
the rocks and dunes. Suddenly, Jim
gave my arm savage grab.
'For Heavens sake, look therew he
said.
We both stood still, and 1 followed his
stick with my eyes and saw sight that
made me decidedly faint. Not twenty
five yards away, strolling idly along was
my wife and very pretty young lady.
of all days and hours to strike this one,
to visit this uninteresting little town
1t was trick of fate.
"That's Madge," Jim said weakly.
We looked at each other like pair of
idiots and then we laughed.
whats to be done? We can't go up
and face them, and then we have the
the others meet u.s.
Whatever we are going to do, let's
get out of this!" and we ANONYMOUSLY
turned and fled.
We waited about the little hotel, in
our own rooms, and smoked cigars for
an hout or two and then interviewed
our landlord as to the best way to get to
the Pier. We found that the little boat
had gone, but we could 60 over in a way
train about o'clock.
We wrote notes to our disappointed
correspondents, and lamented the fact
that we could not keep our engagements
but promised faithfully to be at the tryst
the following afternoon.
''These lies will have to be told," Jim
1 said,-
''Tm coming, if have to give Julia a
e1a