Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-10-24

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So time went pleasantly ON, and then
how can / confess tiny lifelong
creed was thrown to thu winds. my
proud ambition humbled in the dust,
and became a willing slave to the sex
| had So long despised aud ignored. Ny
only thought now was how and in what
words / should beseech my darling An
ale TO become my wife Time after time
Twas ON the point Of speaking. but Julia
always turned mp at the critical mo-
ment
Uae evening Julia announced that
week thence she had an engagement TO
play at a concert. Then burst upon me
\ brilliant inspiration. purchased two
stall tickets for the Lyceum for that
same evening and making pretense that
bad had them given ONE | persuaded
Annie 70 promise TO accompany me.
This time Julia would not be able to in
trnde, and l should know my fate In
two months time l should be taking my
summer holiday, which would fit in just
nicely for the honeymoon.
On the eventful day FASTENED home
ward with a queer fluttering in my
heart and flower spray for Annie in
my hat. Julia opened the door, and
hardly permitted me to'enter before she
informed me that Annie had been ont
IN the hot sun and had been obliged TO
80 TO bed with very bad sick head
ache. Ny fiuttering heart gave one huge
bound and then seemed 20 stand still
However, to disguise my feelings, !
said:
Il am sorry, and you have to play at
the concerty
"No, she replied, ''the concert has
been postponed.
"Then may beg the pleasure of your
company? did not ask you before be-
cause of the concert engagement.
Thanks / shall enjoy it immense
ly"
What miserable failure that even
ing proved TO be- / do not even know
what the play was called. was think
ing all the time of my poor, sick dar-
ling, and not of the acting or the wom-
an who sat by my side wearing the
flower spray that was meant for Annie.
The words were still unspoken when
my holidays arrived, and tearing my
self away from the two sisters who
stood at the gate and waved their hand
kerehiefs as long as remained in sight
e was with no feelings of joyful antici-
patton that betook myself to Hastings
for rest and recreation.
Rest Where could l find it? Not
on the parade or pier amid hundreds
of couples promenading, as l had pic
tured Annie and myself doing; not on
the beach, where the Ethiopian must
clans We're eternally playing Annie
Laurie" Sweet Annie Rooney" and
Annie, Dear, I'm Called Away" For
whole week / wandered aimlessly
hither and thither Then l could stand
it no longer. So / wrote a long letter
commencing Darling" and pouring
out the ilSpassioned, pent up love that
comes but once in mans lifetime, |
besought and beseeched her to take
pity upon me, or my lifeless body should
surge in the pillows that beat relent-
lassly on the rocks of Beachy head.
When / had finished, happened to
catch sight of photograph which had
purchased the previous day, represent
ing one of the yachts preparing to start
on her morning trip, with my own fig
ure in prominent position in the bow.
An" thought l, "I'll send that to
Julia ("
If it were possible had now less rest
than before, night or day, while wait
ing for the answer, Rising in the morn
ing with haggard looks and burning
brow, the other boarders would remark
mat the sea air did not seem to agree
with me, while under the mask of as
sumed indifference there ragged within
me the fiercest volcano that ever burned
in the heart of man.
AT last the reply came, and, bounding
up to the privacy of my own room, with
trembling fingers l tore open the en-
velope which hid from me-life or
death?
Dearest, / am yours forever can
not say your proposal was unexpected,
for have felt that you could mean
nothing less ever since that evening
when yon so openly expressed your pref
erence by taking me to the theater"-
What, whew, where | looked at the
signature, Julia. Oh, heavens, | saw
it ALL had placed them in the wrong
envelopes and sent the letter to Julia
and the photograph to Annie How |
ragged and fumed and tore my hair, un-
til at last, in sheer exhaustion, l sank
into chair and endeavored to finish
reading the letter.
Annie thanks you very much for the
photo, and she desires me to tell you
that yesterday Mr. Malcolm proposed to
her and was accepted. We will have
the two weddings on the same day.
Wont that be nice, dear%'
Nice This was the last straw. Nice
indeed for me to be married to a wom-
an | did not care for, and at the same
time to see the one l loved given to an
other man. | cannot remember what
did for the next hour or two beyond
cursing my foolishness and swearing
wouldn't marry Julia. Then, when |
became calmer, saw an action for
breach of promise looming. l thought
of all my hard earned savings of years
being swept away by sympathetic jury
to heal Julia's broken heart. There was
no escape for me. She had my letter,
which simply commenced Darling,
and as no name was mentioned in it
from beginning to end was it possible
that any body of intelligent men could
be brought to believe that / intended il
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