The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-18
A LOVE AFFAIR.

but | am not certain about that What
can recall among her most pro-
nounced accomplishments l will put
down here later on. l met her so long
a time ago that I have forgotten the
circumstance of our meeting, but |
guess they were of the ordinary sort.
I live two doors from her house, and
| drop. in to see her and Mrs Burke
at least once a week. Even her mar
rage, which hurt me so much at the
time did not separate us for very
long. and I think 1 have lived to for
get my first rash determination never
to look upon her face again. 1 called
the night of the wedding. and I have
been calling regularly ever since.
am beginning to believe that it was
a good thing. after all, that she didn't
marry me.
What l want to tell-and it won't
take long to tell it in my dry fashion
is the story of old Brownies court
ship. make my living by keeping the
cash accounts of big Market street
wholesale house, and Browne is the
man whose desk is next to mine in the
counting room Our salary is about
the same, and although he is two years
younger than l am, l being 81 now, we
both have held the same positions for
twenty years. Browne weighs more
less.
Mrs. Burke, who is Edith's mother,
came to me this summer and had quite
long talk with me about her personal
affairs. She said that her late hus-
bands estate was pretty much en-
tangled, and that to keep her present
establishment on Arch street going she
would have to rent some of the hand
some rooms in the house TO boarders
c11 no rf IN
and of course I deprecated the plan,
but in the end it turned out that we
both had to give in.
Old Browne rented the second story
front room the day after [ told him
about it. He had been living away up
town, and he was glad to get a little
nearer to the Office, besides enjoying
zeal conditions could give him. He
moved into the rooms with a dozen
trunks and a wealth of bric-a-brac
which, to my mind, did not become his
age. Mrs. Burke was glad to accept
the reference to me which he gave
her, and Edith smiled upon him when
she gave him his night key.
/ thought good deal of Edith, and
every night or two we played cards in
her mothers rooms. She and ] played
partners against young Bob Smith and
Mrs. Burke. We were pretty evenly
matched, too, for Bob played a stiff
game of whist, and I--well, you may
remember that 1 was one of the Pente-
cost clubs prize team last fall. Edith
and | won most of the games, though,
for Bob was too Internally lazy ever to
do anything well. And then he never
seemed to mind it if he lost.
The presence of old Browne annoyed
me a great deal, and l don't mind say
IN CO nft or 10 iS
rooms there [ found him occupying my
seat at the whist table when I called.
He was fumbling the cards in his awk-
ward fashion, and Edith was laughing
at him. Bob was engaged in giving an
imitation of me telling a war story, and
even Mrs. Burke was approving the
ridiculous proceedings. / coughed, and
that stopped the game, but L was I'M
comfortable all the evening. But Bob
had the good sense to apologize. but old
Browne simply Uttered for an hour
over what he seemed to consider a good
joke on me.
After that all my affairs seemed to
go wrong. and 1 began to seriously con-
slider whether ! shouldn't rent every
room in Mrs. Burke's house myself.
was actually contemplating this propo-
sition one night in my own apartments,
smoking my last bowl of tobacco the
on the door said that a man had called
to see me. / have few callers, and l
thought it might be Mr.. Phipps, the
managing partner of my house, whom
had invited to come to see me more
than d month ago
With this idea in mind 1 told the girl
to delay the man below stairs for a
moment while I slipped into other
clothes. Then the door opened, and
IA =, To-,
disguised on the instant, but l man
aged to conceal my real feelings and
invited him to be seated. He looked
all around him to see If / was alone,
set his hat on the floor and then ac-
copied my invitation with a kind of
sigh.
"Thank YOU" he said. Il only want
to see you for moment
[ offered him a pipe and he declined
it. I told him my cigars We're out.
ut doesn't make any difference" he
said. I'D rather not smoke. | came
here to ask you some things about the
Burkes.'
The Lord only knows how looked at
him as he hesitated for a moment.
Il have seen enough of them" he
went on, ito believe that they are per
fectly respectable people-otherwis l
would not have taken lodging there.
You and I are old friends, and you will
take away even the slight doubt there
is in my mind. Are they perfectly re-
spectable?"
Somehow or other 1 managed to nod
my head. but his presumption was par
alyzing me.
Thank you again" he proceeded.
THE reason that l asked you is that
am going to marry Edith"
1t took me a couple of minutes to
master my emotions. but / am proud to
say 1 did it. My reply was cool-al-
indeed 1 said. Has she accepted
you?"
No, because I haven't proposed yet
have given the matter a good deal OF
thought, but before | took so serious
a step in my life I wanted some such
wise old head as yours to advise me
/ Now l am happy, and well get married
at once"
He shook hands with me, and the old
idiot didn't notice that I failed to re-
spond. At the door I managed to ask
him this question::
What makes you believe she'll have
your
He seemed astonished
Have met he repeated. why
she's been after me ever since she knew
me. I'll settle it tomorrow evening"
( AS he turned the stairs I noticed thai
/ he had on a suit of new clothes a white
west and a red necktie He said some
thing about feeling like a schoolboy
and rushed back to my room more af
fronted than I had ever been before il
my life I can always think best wher
/ am in bed. and so I undressed and go
under covers very quickly. When I haC
! thought diligently for an hour, 1 turned
over and said this to myself.
THE old fat BEAST The idea of hel
marrying him. I'll propose myself t.
her tomorrow morning. She has beer
expecting it, I know, for a long time.
| didn't sleep very well and arose {
little after o'clock. 1t took me al