The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-06
WHY HE DIDN'T.

He was a newspaper man and q poet.
Still the ombinatfon worked very we'll.
The only trouble was that his work rather
knocked the bloom of the romance OF life.
He found it difficult to be romantic after
chasing around after the stern realities,
the tragedies and comedies Of this mortal
existence for 16 hours a day, but he man
aged to retain something Of the dreamer
about him notwithstanding He lived in
love. Somewhere on this mundane sphere
there existed a woman whom he should
one day meet and love and be happy with
her forever after.
She was to be his affinity, his twin
soul, and they should know it the mo-
ment their hands touched. Naturally it
was all rather hazy in his mind as yet, for
he did not have much time for dreaming.
Newspaper work a lively daily and
dreaming were not compatible. and as the
daily bread, also cigars, depended upon
the newspaper the dreaming was neg
lected.
He had also a rooted opinion that he
should one day commit suicide He often
said much to his chum Jim, who al
ways looked cynical and fell to whistling
softly with faraway look in his eyes.
He would telk about it quite seriously
and discuss the different methods, but his
preference was for the revolver ronte.
When he got tired OF living OF things
went wrong, he intended to try 1T, no
said, and kept a revolver handy.
And so one spring day he fell in love.
It was all in one moment. he at his
desk writing away like mad when the
door opened, and she came ina little
blue eyed, fair haired, childish thing
with Cupid's bow lips and a frightened
manner He looked up inpatiently, and
their eyes met.
They neither knew afterward what they
said, but five minutes later he was at his
desk, she was gone, and between his eyes
and the paper was a fair, childish face,
with Cupids bow lips and blue, frighten-
ed eyes.
Before two days he met her on the
street. Their eyes met again, and they
both spoke. Then he walked home with
her and carried her scboolbooks, and all
the world was suddenly fair and sweet as
a rose garden in June. She understood
his every word, and newell, he lived in
a world of his own. He walked ia q
dream The real thing-the murders,
marriages, divorces, even the men and
women he met, seemed a faro1 dream,
and only Daisy and himself real people.
He was in love and for the first time.
Her mother soon became aware Of the
state of affairs and decided Daisy was
much too young for love or lovers. Her
father told him SO, and also that be and
Daisy must see each other no more except
as acquaintance There was nothing
against him-they were simply too young.
And SO she was to GO to school, but Cor
don could call to say goodby.
That night he went TO see her and came
away filed with wonderful schemes for
the future. He was to become rich and
famous, and when she came back he would
marry her. That was his plan, and from
that day he worked as he had never
dreamed it possible that he could work.
Before he worked because certain amount
of work was necessary to keep grim want
at bay, but now he had an object for
which to work, and he threw his whole
soul into it. 1t was for Daisy, and that
thought kept him going. For TWO years
1t was constantly with him. Each time
he sat down at his desk he peeped at tho
dainty childish face in his watch case and
whispered her name 1t was Daisy always
the alpha and omega, the sum total Of
his existence.
She was to be home in June, but went
to visit friends and wrote him that IL
would be the 1st of July, and her dear
friend, Bessie Thornton, was to come
with her.
1t was evening when she would ..rrive,
and he started to the station to meet her
Instead a telegram met him. Daisy had
been married that morning. She was not
coming at all. The lights ia the streets
danced up and down, and he repeated IL
softly, Daisy married. -
His hand went mechanically to his pis-
toll pocket Only one idea was left in his
stunned brain, and that was to carry out
his old time morbid fancy and put an end
to the existence that he now concluded
was not worth living. He did not take
time to argue the pros and cons, but felt
a slight sense of disappointment when he
remem bered he had left his revolver at
the Office. It would not take long to go
for it, he thought dreamily, and glanced
at the telegram in his hand. daisy mar
ried." 1t must be dream. The train
came in, the train Daisy WAS to have come
on.
The moments were like hours, yet he
did not hurry. 1t was not far to the office.
Daisy married One figure on the trig-
ger, and then
There was a touch his hand, timid
and soft. He glanced down and for an
instant did not sec who it, was. Then he
kneW-it was Bessie Thornton, Daisva
friend There were tears In her eyes, aud
he read pity-and was there something
elses-in her soft brown eyes. Neither
spoke but neither felt the need of it.
Once again he was looking into the awak-
ening soul Of a woman. "a sudden light
sprang into her brown eyes. Unconscious
ly their hands met, and they turned and
walked together. The lights We're golden
globes through the dusk, and far overhead
the stars began to peep out. There was a
subtle softness, a dreary lanquor in the
air they, hand in hand, went into the
gray dusk of the evening.
Next day his friend Jim received the re-
volver q gracious gift. -Claria Lee IL
belle in Cincinnati Post.
The Newspaper Photograph.
A writer in Soribner's Magazine proph-
~. -