The Dickinson press., 1895-06-08
THE CONCLUSION.

The smoking room at the club was
deserted except for two men who sat
III easy chairs before a cracking CRATE
fire. One was absorbed in the even
ing paper, theother gazed into spa :e
and putfcd n particularly good havana.
Presently a third person sauntered
in and exchanged half n dozen words
with the others. He was a muscular,
well-built fellow, with a firm mouth
and handsome eyes, but the face w;ls
made unattractive by q tired, indtffer-
ent expression. He walked over to
the table, and, pickiIt. up a magazine,
absently turned the pages. 1t did not
seem to interest him, for he threw 1t
carelessly back and walked out of the
room.
"Jerome looks DID," said Martin,
gracefully fecking his cigar-ashes
partly on the tray but more largely
on the rug.
eyes" said Ford, looking up from
the evening paper, "his trip into ASA
doesn't seem to have braced him up"
He went on reading, but Martin felt
in q conversational mood, and was not
easily suppressed.
"Poor health?" he inquired.
Ford looked up again.
"Hardly that. Haven't you heard
the story? He had a bad time over q
love affair about three years ago. Men
don't die of broken hearts, nowadays,
but they are darned uncomfortable
things" Ford was a bachelor; per-
haps he knew whereof he spoke.
.sYes," said Martin, II suppose they
are uncomfortable, If a man is built
that way. Tell me about Jerome"
Ford let the newspaper fall to the
| floor, and tapped the cushioned arm OF
his chair with his eyeglasses.
mot much to tell" he said.
Like most men under such circum-
stances he enjoyed the opportunity of
| telling Of the affair, but hated to seem
eager.
go on" said Martin, carefully ex-
aiming his cigar.
jerome is a FOOL" said Ford, fierce
IT,. HE fell in love with a girl and
can't get over it. The fair II in the
case was Marian Crosby; an uncom-
monty attractive girl she was, too.
Went in for society and that sort of
| thing, but had plenty of brains inside
her shapely little head. Had a score
| of admirers, but first and foremost
came jerome. He had known her
since her school-days, and they had
always been excellent friends, al-
though he was ten or twelve years
older than she. Jerome had every
sides being q loveable fellow, and we
| oil tx>o1y ~ f<,v gro n+H1 fhOf a0lo would
marry him. I went there often in
those days, being an all-around
friend of the family. Mrs. Crosby
told me in a moment of confidence
one evening when I had been dining
there that she thought there vas little
doubt Of Marion and Jerome being
married before long. 'They are not
engaged she said, and l suppose it is
net in good taste for me to speak of
it, but Mr.. jerome has been devoted to
Marion for more than a year, and l
am sure Marion is fond Of him-how
could any girl in her right senses be
otherwise? jerome never did any
thing by halves. If he loved the girl.
of which there was small room for
doubt, l knew he loved her with his
entire mental and physical force. As
to her affections, it was harder to tell
about them. Although a very jolly
young person, she had a persistent
little way of keeping her affairs to
herself, and one felt inclined to
take the risk Of making himself oh.
noxions by asking questions. Though
not specially talented in that direc.
ton, she was passionately fond OF
music, and one winter quite neglected
her society friends to go into a oohe.
milan set, more or less professional
where her cleverness made her uncom'
monty welcome. II was there she met
young Welhausen, a v%iolinist. who
gave promise of making himself fam
I Gus. He was a Young German Of the
middle class and possessed of only or
binary education, hut the musician In
the man raised him above the ON
monplace and showed in his proud
clean-cut chin and the delicate linet
about the mouth, only half hidden b,
: his moustache. He spoke English flu
: emily. but with oddly turned phrase.
: and a decided accent. He and Marian
became friends at once. She admired
his talent.an d found him interesting
He thought her intensely pretty ab(
charming. Well. you know how sucf
things go. II two people like that see
: much Of each other they fall in love