Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-04-09
A MISTAKE.

Cdu you lIudRluC Al AOA6Ah6ojSAOoP-
ening the butcher?''sa Belinda, with her
laugh. "Or shopping in the Edgware road
in waterproof Am I your idea of the per-
son who would take an interest In suet and
semolna and darn your socks in the even
ing as recreationi My dearest Jack, If
you think anything so absurd, you must
be evena greater fool than take you for"
"And you are SO clever-so confounded
ly clever, you know, Belinda" says Jack,
looking at her curiously through his half
closed eyes. Belinda has taken the chair
opposite to him-a great, deep chair which
acts as frame to her fair, assured beauty
and the rich softness of her costly dress.
~ am honest" answers Belinda, land
romantic, too-that is, as romantic as most
people. Theoretically romantic, you know,
and in practice practical. My dear Jack,
may have been-I don't say that have,
you know-sentimenta enough to fall in
love with a government clerk, but shall
not be fool enough to marry him."
"Thank you," says Jack, still looking
at her indolently.
II am glad you are grateful" answers
Belinda. "You ought to be. am spar
ing you great deal. What would you do
with wife who wanted about double your
entire annual income for dress allow
ance?"
Jack is understood to murmur lazily
that any wife Of his would be required to
make good many sacrifices.
''Sacrificec!' echoes Belinda. Chow
bourgeois and high minded we arel My
dear Jack, the influence Of the country
clergyman, your papa, and the squires
daughter, your mamma, Is painfully ap-
parent even now. If people are not to mar
ry to better themselves, why in the world
should they marry at all?"
''Effete persons in the country, Belin-
da," says Jack, leaning forward and look
ing into her face with an odd intentness,
occasionally marry for love-"
'Do you offer their example for my ben
efit2' says Belinda, laughing little.
Perhaps she 'aughs to cover some slight
and unusual nervousness. A faint color
flickers for a moment in her cheeks and
dies away and leaves her pale.
II have the audacity to do 3d." says
Jack. 'It's absurd and quixotic and RI
diculous, of course don't think expect
you to follow 1t. The instances in which
women have found affection capable of
making life more tolerable than do town
house and country house and a first rate
dressmaker are uncommonly rare. Yet
they have been, Belinda"
"Have they?" says Belinda. IT'S there
any proof of that? Is there any proof that
the women who have married for affection
wouldn't be ready enough to barter it at
the end of year ortwo for those other ad
vantagess The birthright for the mess of
pottage, you would say. But my sympa-
thies have always been with Esau."
''Suppose, says Jack, with something
that is eager and strained under his light
manner, 1--WE come to the point. Do you
care for me, Belinda'"
II am going to be honest in every re-
speet," says Belinda, with that color COM
ing and going in her face. "So-yes."
"Will you marry me, Belinda"
There is pause.
"No,n says Belinda, but AZ If it hurt
her.
"Why not?"
"Honesty again, - answers Belinda light
ly. She feels perhaps as if that lightness
were sort of safeguard. "To put it bru-
tally, don't consider love and clerkship
are enough to live upon"
as this final?" says Jack, still very in
tently.
''It is so final," she answers, "that !
must ask you never to mention the subject
again. have my feelings, too, you know.
wish perhaps they were strong enough,
as some women's have been, to let me do
as you wish. But they are not Spare me
as much as you can When l am rich and
prosperous, shall no doubt regret you.
but if l had you l should spend my life
regretting the richness and prosperity.
choose the lesser of two evils"
"And suppose, Belinda, says the man,
"that you had been fortunate enough to
fall in love with rich mani"
II can't suppose anything SO absurd"
answers Belinda. "That sort of thing does
not happen outside novels"
Sometimes, he answers, though rare
ly. Yesterday was poor man; today,
through the death Of relative, am a
rich one."
She looks at him suddenly. The color
burns into her face and dies out of it, She
reads contempt in his eyes-a scathing
contempt for her.
~ leave here early tomorrow morning"
she says at last and very steadily. II will
say goodby to you now"
He opens the door for her, and as she
passes him their eyes meet for the last
time.-M. and 7. in Black and White.