The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-18

I1uScly outcH ue1 my ~
know. .,,o ,,d die
He pointed out very miserable ana u,s-
cGnsolate looking young man VINO was hal
rowly watching Susie and Ion with !ne re-
mark that Sim pears to be a-taklh II pui-
ty hard already" , rx,
whisper to Susie and ask if he might walk
home with her A look of pleasure swept
over her earnest fact. go
Il came with SIM mean Sim ltldge-
w." she said half apologetically. and he d
he mad if | left him. Next time you may
go. and won't you come round? We live
about half way tween the HeSters and the
station Tom promised that he would be
around. and as we walked home that night
he was in jubilant spirits and told me that
he would have picnic now, that he had
found his mountain maiden.
The next day we saw Susie at church.
looking even more charming than on the
night before: and Tom walked home
with her, much to the evident discomfort of
Sim Ridgely.
After making Susie's acquaintance the
days seemed to pass easier for Tom. He
was with her nearly every day. manag-
ing in his ingenus way to find an oppor-
tunity to call or to meet her somewhere.
Tom has the happy faculty of making him
self the friend of nearly everybody with
whom he is thrown and be was soon a
friend Of the Ricketts, family and wei
Every night Tom would tell me of the pro-
gross he was making i'll his suit for Susie S
favor.
Il haven't got to the point of proposing
yet he told me. But you just give an me
Simeon Rdgcly sorry he ever was born
and then We'll go quietly away, and soon
after we are gone she'll forget me and mar
~ Simeon and live happy ever afterward.
It's some diversion. anyway
The picnic at Haunts Bend was the event
of our summers stay in that section. Peo-
ple gossiped Il good deal when Tom appear
ed with Susie and | heard many such re,
marks us that dudis htoWn Teller hey laid
Sim Ridgely in the shade with Susie. y
Tom didn't give the wretched idgely q
single moment at Susie's side during the
entire day. and the poor fellow could not
conceal his jealousy and disappointment.
That night he called on Susie and began
to chidc her for her fickleneSs. She flushed
up and made Il sharp reply. Simeon. very
much hurt and quite hcartbroIen, said:
''AlI right, Susie, go an marry the teller
from town. You're tired Of me, an | kin
see it, non't let me stand in the way, SUI
Sic You amt mine. an haint been since
you seed him. but I'll be always your
friend.
And so they parted. Susie was so hap
py 10 shed Il single tear, but poor Simeon
wept copiously on his pillow that night.
and after dropping into tiiful sleep, dream
ed that it was not so ut all, and that St-
sic was the same to him as she had been
before she saw Tom Sanderson; Susie
told Tom. and the night after that he came
in rather late laughing.
Eve done the grand act. old boy. he
said bcaming- at me as happily as a fellow
might who had made love contract which
he intended to keep, I've proposed to ST.
sic. and she wilted right away and fell
into my arms. She told me afterwards
hoe .hn / lnrnI t,p fret fiD1n
saw her. It's funny, amt i. how little it
takes to fool woman" We had many Il
hearty laugh over Toms engagement and
roared when we thought of the rare stories
we would have to tell the boys about it.
few DAYS later ! felt twinges of re
Tom together and noticed her absolute faith
in him. | saw then that Toms diversion.
rs he called it, would have lasting results
SO far As Susie was concerned. She loved
Tom Tint night 7 cautioned Tom of the
seriousness Of his position and advised him
to give it up.
Il thought it was very funny like you.
/ said to him, ''but with Susie it is fright
fully real. You'd better stop, Tom.
pshaW" laughed Tom, you are foolish;
she viii soon forget when am gone.
Women are quick to forget. Anyway, you
suggested the joke and since ! have begun
it | am going TO carry it through.
| told him II would be a sad thing to
break girls heart just for idle pastime,
and painted Il very graphic picture OF Susie
all alone weeping her very eyes out for
him. His face grew q shade more seri-
Gus.
1T would be bad, mean, wicked to really
break her heart he said. Susie is Il
good little girl. She's not like the rest Of
them UP here-she's different. If | thought
she really cared ! would leave here tonor-
row. But | will wait and hope that she
will get over it all right"
\ day or SO later ne repeated to me II
conversation he had had with Susie. She
told him that her friends feared that he
was only foolns her and did not intend TO
marry her at all Il don't think that at
ALL she said. Il never doubted you,
Tom. But | wanted to ask you since we've
set day for our wedding and all has
beer fixed. that you buy the marriage IL
cense so | can tell them and they won t
doubt you any more"
Like fool to humor her | bought the
license: There can't be any harm, can
there?" Tom went on. People are not
obliged to use license when they buy them,
are they?"
The joke had indeed grown serious. Tom
had not only appointed a day for the we'd
ding, but had purchased the license, and
we had not yet been in the mountains five
weeks. And the worst Of it WAS that the
wedding was to occur Cd the following
Wednesday evening at { O'Clock. 1t took
boz little argument from me to convince
Tom that he would have to leave the noun
tainS before that time. of course, We'll
slip ont quietly on that very day. Susie
will soon forget"
Toms wedding day came around re-
markably quick, il appeared to me- I made
all the arrangements with Hank Hester for
our baggage to he carried to The sta ton
late that afternoon and cautioned him to
say nothing of cur intended departure
Tom went over to see Susie the last time
while | was packing the trunks
Phi " said lie coming in just at twi-
light. IFS tougher than had any idea
that it could be. Susie is thinking Of moth.
ing else but the-tonicht she has all her
things ready and would PIT on her dress
for me TO see. 1t gave ne the cold chils
! kissed the little girl AMI left with some
thing like fear in my eye. Poor little
thnc--she didn't think it was tlle last
kiss
Darkness settled over the mountains and
the vicinity of ilaunts Bend was wrapped
in a dreamy Stiffness Our train passed
Il I-f. O l.