The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-07
posed to Julia, but nothing came Of it."

~ IA "NAO HANssAsy ""S nAA NASA
how can I confess it?-my lifelong
creed was thrown to the winds, my
proud ambition humbled in the dust,
and l became u willing slave to the sex
l had so long despised and ignored. My
only thought now was how and in what
words 1 should beseech my darling An
ME to become my wife. Time after time
was on the point Of speaking, but Julia
always turned up at the critical mo-
ment.
One evening Julia announced that q
week thence she had IN engagement to
play ut a concert. Then burst upon me
a brilliant inspiration. | purchased two
stall tickets for the Lyceum for that
same evening, and making p~retense that
l had had them given to me l persuaded
Annie to promise to accompany me.
This timo Julia would not be able to in
trude, and l should know my fate. In
two months time should be taking my
summer holiday, which would fit in just
nicely for the honeymoon.
On the eventful day l FASTENED home
ward with a queer fluttering in my
heart and a 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 out
in the hot sun and had been obliged to
go to bed with a very bad sick head
ache. My t1uttering heart gave one huge
bound and then seemed to stand still.
However, to disguise my feelings, I
said:
Il am sorry, and You have to play at
the concert?'
"No," she replied, "the concert has
been postponed"
Then may l beg the pleasure Of your
company? I did not ask you before be-
cause of the concert engagement"
Thanks! l shall enjoy it immense
ly."
What a miserable failure that even
ing proved to be! I do not even know
what the play was called. l 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
kerchiefs as long as remained in sight
it was with no feelings of joyful antici-
patton that l betoOk myself to Hastings
for rest and recreation.
Rest! Where could 1 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 musi-
clans We're e~ternally playing "Annie
Laurie" Sweet Annie Rooney" and
"Annie, Dear, I'm Called Away" For
a whole week l wandered aimlessly
hither and thither. Then could stand
it no longer. So I wrote a long letter
commencing Darling" and pouring
out the impassioned, pent up love that
comes but once in a mans lifetime,
besought and beseeched her to take
pity upon me-, or my ~lifeless body should
surge in the pillows that beat relent.
lessly on the rocks of Beachy head.
When l had finished, l happened tc
catch sight Of a photograph which had
purchased the previous day, represent
ing one of the yachts preparing to start
ON her morning trip, with my w fig
ure in a prominent position in the bow.
"Ah," thought I, I'm send that tc
Julia"
If it were possible I 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
that the sea air did not seem to agree
with me, while under the mask of as
sumed Indifference there ragged with:
me the ~fiercest volcano that ever burnei
in the heart of man.
At last the reply came, and, bounding
up to the privacy Of my own ROOM, will
) trembling fingers l tore open the Ell
velope which hid from me-life o.
death?
Dearest, l am yours forever. l can
> not say your proposal was unexpected
5 for l have felt that you could meal
l nothing less ever since that evenin:
when you Sc openly expressed your pref
3 creme by taking me to the theater'-
What, whew, where! l looked at tn
l signature, "Julia.' Oh, heavens, | say
it all! | had placed them in the wron,
envelopes and sent the letter to JUL,
and the photograph to Annie! How
ragged and fumed and tore my hair, un
til at last, in sheer exhaustion, l san
: into a chair and endeavored to finisI
8 reading the letter.
Annie thanks you very much for tn
photo, and she desires me to tell yO1
g that yesterday Mr.. Malcolm proposed t
her and was accepted. We will hav
the two weddings ON the same day
a Won't that be nice, dear?'
Nice! This was the last straw. Mic
J, indeed for me to be married to a WON
an I did not care for, and at the sam
time to see the IN l loved given to ar
:, other man. / cannot remember what
did for the next hour or two beyon
cursing my foolishness and swearing
d wouldn't marry Julia. Then, when
& became calmer, I saw All action fc
breach Of promise looming. I though
Of all my hard earned savings Of yeal
h haipu Svept uwav nv a symDathetic iDr