The Dickinson press., 1893-04-22
CHAPTER II.
lNToNlCATIoN.

A&sASsS SAS SRSAS SaS NSAAAA
in a whirl OF mental intoxication.
And she went home by herself in
mammals carriage, and lay awake
half the night through, thinking OF
Jose Mansfield.
He was thirty-five, tall, handsome,
brilliant. What had he come to
Washington for if not to marry her?
Hitherto Maisie's thoughts had been
but OF Nanderbilts and Astors. She
scared no higher than mere million
aires; she meant to marry money,
diamonds, dinner parties; a house in
Fifth Avenue, nea Central park; a
villa at Newport; IL summer home
among the trees at Saratoga. But
now, as far her nature permitted all
that was altered. She felt her wings.
In her coldly egotist way, Maisie Bow
man had fallen in love at first sight
with the poet. A new ideal in life
opened up before, This rhymer, lie
had more, after all, than millions; he
had b%rilliancy, originality, genius, wit.
All the worldmade much OF him. Mai
81 edidn't yet know owshort-li lived was
that fame-the fame OF the last lion,
of the comet of a season. Ii only she
could marry Jose Mansfield, she
thought, why, all would go we'll with
her. Provided only she had mammals
money. Better ten thousand a year
with that king among men in a WASH
ington avenue, than all the wealth of
Vanderbilt with an empty-headed
person immersed in Erie AS and the
rise and fall OF New York Centrals.
1t was Maisie's nearest possible ap-
proach to a higher ideal. Jose Mans
field had touched the finest chords
within her-auch rs they were. And
it's something to have reached ones
own very best. However poor that
best may be, it gives the internally q
strange sense OF elevation. In that
FOOLS paradise OF young love Maisie
Bowman was now revealing.
For the next few weeks Maisie saw
much of Jose Mansfield; saw much,
and thought much of him. The feel
inr deepened upon her that he'd come
to Washington in search OF a wife. A
poet must have money to hold his
own in the world. How degrading to
genius, acknowledged genius, this
sordid living in a hotel, instead OF in
habiting his own palatial, artistic
home; this receiving of hospitalites
which he couldn't possibly reciproate!
For Maisie moved entirely in the at.
mosphere OF that overrich American
city world, where ten thousand q
year passes for comfortable medioc.
rity, and where people count wealth
not by hundreds, but by millions.
II only she had Mammals ter
thousand a year, though, all of hel
own! Perhaps, considering his ply
steal and mental admiration for her
Jose Mansfield might consent to &C
cept her at that figure!
For Maisie Bowman knew well sh,
was exceedingly beautiful. She knew
we'll she had a perfect body, faultless
and well-proportioned from head t.
foot, sculpturesque yet lissome il
every act, gesture, and movement
She knew, too, Jose Mansfield ad
mired her much. She could see hin
running v her good gifts in hi
minds eye, in observant catalogue
every time he met her. She could se'
him summing her up as a grand fin
creature, physically and intellectual,
his natural complement.
After about a fortnight's time, tn
poet, quite abstractedly, and as if il
q fit of forgetfulness, addressed hel
one day all on a sudden as "Maisie.'
The color came up once more into
the proud girls face-not into hel
heck alone, but flushing her rosy red
crom neck and ears to forehead.
"You like me to call you Maisie.'
the strong man went on, looking down
on her, and smiling that curious
smile of his as of inefable condescen-
sion. "Well, you're right; quite right.
And you may call me Jose. if YOU
,like-when there's nobody by. Soul
comes nearer to soul without these
tlimsy barriers. Mr. and Miss are
mere stockades invented by conven-
tlonality to guard the outworks of in
dividual life from hostile intrusion,
But when friendly forces advance to
q tune like our own, we may hang out
La white flag, and draw up the portcul
r Uses. Why these walls and obstacle.
Q between you and me, Maisie? w,
p both belong by nature to the free ant
= open prairie. The vast horizons q
- the West are ours. Let us haul dow
our pennons and demolish our fort
y fcations."
A tenderer flush came over Maisie'
III face.
GAS you will, Jose," she answere
low. "You see accept your tern
TO- without reserve. l begin the disarm,
y ment."
For ten days more, Maisie's life ra
more tremulous than she herself ccu'
easily have imagined it beforehan
~ Almost every afternoon or evenil
ID she met Jose somewhere. The pc
% managed that. He was attracted /
the girl. He made it a halt.yecognis,