Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-06-18
PLANNING.

the situation. No one ever called me
mice girl, :" but they have often said am
clever-and even spiteful. l am.
He is an only son-I am an only daugh-
ter. He has money and position. So have
T. That makes all the difference. 1t would
not be of the slightest advantage to either
of us that we should marry, and yet there
Is an imbecile desire ON the part of our
mutual parents that Algcrnon Buckley
and should hit 1t off together
Algernon and played together as chill
dren. / am two years his senior, though
he doesn't know it. am thorou ghly &C.
quainted with his character, but he knows
absolutely nothing of mine.
Algernon naturally prefers quiet life
and is careful to give her no cause for UNI
bragg as regards other girls, but he dis
courages his mothers plans for me by
carefully studied system of neglect in pub
lic The cold shoulder which Algernon
heaves at me at breakfast, lunch and din
ner is quite unmistakable. His programme
never alters. On Saturday night he hard
ly addresses syllable to me. On Sunday
he goes long bicycle ride and comes home
to supper hungry and sleepy. On Monday
morning he breaks through the Ice of his
reserve-the end Is so ncar-and takes mo
a solemn walk around the garden. Then
he talks 20 to the dozen-and all about
himself!
Oddly enough, this adamantine young
gentleman has heart of the softest, and
1t has been touched several times, as
happen to know. Once in Australia
where he was sent to open his mind-and
once in Hong Kong, where there is girl
he writes to. Then there is an American
girl in Buffalo who sends him her photo
graph once year ever since she left Eng
land These are safe distances.
If his mother only knew! She watches
us promenading among the roses, and hope
springs anew In her withered heart, and
she expects great things. Algernon and
/ know better
There was a second rate sort Of musical
girl with banjo staying at Buckley last
time 1 was there. 1t may be taken for
granted that she was not eligible, or Mrs.
Buckley would not have had her down.
don't think could have brooked a rival
near the throne, even though did not in
tend to ascend myself But Algernon took
no particular notice of her She spent
most of her time up stairs with headache
and only came down in the evening to
play to us. She had pretty eyes, but that
was all.
On that special Sunday morning Alger-
non went ON bicycle ride, rs usual, Miss
Wakelyn to her room with headache and
q cargo Of peaches and to the high garden
with Mrs. Bulkeley lay down on the
grass little way behind her and lazily
surveyed her massive profile, which her
son unl,lckily had inherited. She sat there,
idly gazing straight before her. Poor
woman! She was wondering If was WON
dering where Algernon was. Not l! l
had most amusing novel,
Where is Algernon?" she asked at last
frctfully
answered cheerfully, 'Out on his be-
loved bicycle, fancy" AS spoke I dis
tinctly saw two figures walking slowly by
the brink of the toy lake. Ono was very
like Algernon; the othcr-no, Miss Wake
lyn was lying down.
They entered an arbor OH my left and sat
down-the cold shoulder wasn't in it!
"My boy will make his wife very happy
when he does make up his mind, Mrs.
Buckley continued wistfully. "That time
seems to be fast approaching. You and he
have always got OH so well. Algcrnon and
Aloysia-both beginning with A l.. 1t Is
strange coincidence.
What of that? The other girls name
was Alice was getting rather angry
'sAlgernon Is not fiirt," his mother
continued.
"Nor,, l said, for just then her son
stopped and kissed Miss Wakelyn and
even at that distance could tell it was
the first time he had ever kissed woman
in his life.
He would think it beneath his dignity to
trifle with girls affections"
"Oh, do you think SO, dear Mrs. Bulkc-
leyT' said sneeringly. "Of course he
never flirted with me''-she sighed-"but
then he knows ne too we'll sighed
again. "Still must say have seen dear
Algernon"--
Moved" she said excitedly.
Moved is strong word, replied
mildly; "but--thcsc quiet men are always
the worst"
"Aloysia, you frighten mel"
Imeant to. began forthwith to mako
things warm for Algcrnon. mentioned
| the girl in Hong Kong-I am not sure it
| wasn't Tokyo but wasn't sure, SO made
it Hong Kong.
..Then there was Miss-Miss-I forget
her name"
Mrs Buckley, with the light Of battle
beaming in her eyes, did not allow me to
forget it for long. Eagerly did she drink
| in all the details necessary for her son 8
discomfture-she had thought him fool
| ishly, idiotically immaculate! He would
| never hear the last Of it, nor would Miss
Wakelyn. A troop of cosmopolitan ghosts
| all ready to claim the faithless Algernon,
who had given them hostages-that was
the image evoked Oh, 1t was too funny!
| But the American girl was the best
draw" told her how Miss Valencc had
once pulled Algernon's hair and called
him Ally at picnic before my very eyes.
1t IL true he was only 16 at the time, but
| omitted, like true artist, to mention
that.
was determined that Algcrnon and the
! girl who slammed headaches to meet him
on tho sly couldn't do such q mean
thing as that-should rue the day they
treated me SO unfairly Mrs. Bulkeley had
| way of pegging away Mt q grievance that
had often annoyed me-and they would
have to live with herl They would have
Hong Kong for breakfast, Australia for
tea and Buffalo girl for dinner every day,
and hoped they would enjoy it.
suppose should have gone on forever
playing Algernon's Leporello to an atten-
tive parent, II had not seen the pair id
vancing toward us, hand in hand, with
the ray Of the sunshine gliding her white
dress and his curly red hair, to meet the
plentiful crop of dragons teeth that had
sown for them.
got up gently and strolled back for my
third volume. think said before was
not nice girl, and now you know an
not. Exchange.
In Black and White.
! Ix,xxx Oh