Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-11-12
THE RICHMOND DISPATCH SUNDAY. NOVEMBER IT, 1888


whose name was even unknown to me,
should settle down In my rooms. But you
know how impossible II In TO get rid or
thing like that when II has made up It's
mind to stay.
tried TO lose her among my unpaid
bills and invitations on the manteipiece-
But she always turned up on the top
every morning, and was the first thing
I caught hold OF when / wanted paper
knife. One evening man came in when
I was cutting a new book with her. and
saw me holding her In my hand. He
laughed. and i threw her across the
room. The next day a note Of my piano
stuck. 1 found her wedged In between
the hammers hardened my heart.
1t was In the morning. and / was Inn
pervious TO sentiment. Looking the
other way to avoid her plaintive eyes,
dropped her into the waste-basket.
THERE SHE WAS.
After breakfast the next morning. /
had lighted a cigarette. and was try
ing TO think OF an excuse for not work.
ing when I wanted an ash-tray. l looked
rosnd and there she was lying calmly
on my writIng-table. The housemaid,
her woman's heart ever ready to rescue
a fallen sister, had picked her OUT from
the rubbish and reInstated her For a
moment ! hesitated. Then 1 dropped my
cigarette ash over her. and We were one
i couldn't turn her out after that Ever
since then she has lived In my pocket.
was all the more willing to cultivate
an affection for the ideal. as ! thought
IL would protect me against assault from
the real. My idea was TO congratulate
my sentimentality. so 10 speak, and put
IL IN a cool place, where II couldn't eX-
plode. One would imagine that. having
concentrated by tenderer emotions on a
bit OF pasteboard, / could move about
the world with some security. And so L
did until yesterday.
went up the river TO spend the day
with some people / knew who are stay
ing at NARROW. F'lorrie st. Clair was
with them. There was some rather nice
girls among the party. but / make 1t a
rule never to go on the river with girl
l like. There Is something about the
river which induces condolences, and |
prefer not to be over confident SO | got
Florrie st. Clair TO take me in her Ca
madam canoe, thinking that as l rather
dislike her, should be moderately
safe. especially IL could get an oeca-
sional glance at my talisman. All the
way up to Hurley ! smoked a good deal
and talked not much. What little l did
say was about lunch.
1t was not till about o'clock that the
real danger began. Up to then the party
had kept together. But at about F'lorie
Sinclair began padding around among
the backwaters. I could not object for
she was padding her own canoe. After
bit the nose OF the canoe dug Itself
gently into a bank. We swung round
with the stream and lay hidden from the
rest Of the world under a tree. 1t was
to- H. 20 %
look at us, and the fish began jumping
under our very gunwale. For a long
time we scarcely spoke, but the magic
OF the summer evening was sliding into
my SOUL for the influence of the river Is
quite irresistible.
TELLING HIS FORTUNE.
BY G O'Clock Florrle Sinclair was holding
my hand and telling me my fortune. she
found out that was in love with some
one who returned my affection, which at
the time struck me as absurd. Then /
told her fortune. | said there was one
young man very much in love with her.
which seemed at the time more than
likely to be true. Then we both lay back,
and she told me in confidence several
things which had happened to her. and
which she had never told any one else,
and told her several things that had not
happened 10 me.
The sun was getting low and shot n
broad CLEAN of gold down the backwater.
Just catching her hair and lighting 1t into
an aureole round her head. Ii struck me
ten years ago she might have been very
pretty girl. And then | began to think
how pleasant 1t would be If l were with a
girl | really liked. II only | were alone
with my girl | took her carefully out OF
my pocket-in my pocket handkerchief
and took a look at her. What a guile
less face? And yet how noble. How
commonplace Florrie Sinclair seemed be-
side her.
Whose photo is that?' said FlorriC
Sinclair.
She had detected me.
| concluded It was better TO tell the
truth. could then talk sentiment freely
and without prejudi e, for Florrie Sin
clair would know II was all meant Tor a
third party.
That" / answered, us the guiding
star of my existence, the girl I love.
have never told her so. She proba bly,
wouldn't care to hear II. But her face Is
always present with me, and l shall
never love another"
Let me look" she said.
| handed It across TO her She looked
at It for a moment, and smiled gently
II don't think it's much like me now,
she said 1T was taken some years
ago. lust before | went on the stage
at some amateur theatricals. | Will give
you better one tomorrow. And-anc
don't think any girl ever had better
proposal Teddy"