Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-08-24
THE CONCLUSION.

The smoking room at the CLUB was
deserted except for two men who sat
in easy chairs before cracking crate
fire. one was absorbed in the even
ing paper, theother gazed into spa e
and puircd particularly good havana.
Presently a third person sauntered
in and exchanged half dozen words
with the others. He was a muscular,
Uell-built fellow, with a firm mouth
and handsome eyes. but the face was
made unattractiye by a tired. indifter-
ent expression. He walked over 70
;he table. and, pickiLs up a magazine,
absently turned the pages. It did not
seem to interest him, for he threw II
.carelessly back and walked out of the
room.
"Jerome looks old" said Martin,
gracefully fecking his cigar-ashes
9artly on the tray but more largely
on the rug.
Eyes" said Ford, looking up from
the evening paper, his trip into Asia
doesn't seem TO have braced him up.
He went on reading. but Martin felt
in a conversational mood, and was not
easily suppressed.
Poor health:" be inquired.
Ford looked up again.
Hardly that. Haven't you heard
the story? lie had q bad time over a
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.
YES" said Martin, Il suppose they
are uncomfortable, if a man is built
that way. Tell me about Jerome"
Ford let the newspaper fall to the
fioOr,and tapped the cushioned arm OF
his chair with his eyeglasses.
Not 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-
amining his cigar.
jerome is a fool" said Ford, fierce
ly. He fell in love with a girl and
can't get over it. The fair one 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 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
thing worth having to offer her, be-
sides being loveable fellow, and we
all took it for granted that she would
marry him. l 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 l had been dining
there that she thought there was little
doubt of Marion and Jerome being
married before long. They are not
engaged, she said, and l suppose it is
not il good taste for me to speak of
it, but Mr.. Jerome has been devoted to
Marion for more than a year. and |
am sure Marion is fond of him-how
could any girl in her right senses be
otherwisep 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 never felt inclined TO
take the risk of making himself OBJ
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 bohe-
milan set. more or less professional,
where her cleyerness made her uncom-
monty welcome. II was there she met
young Welhausen, a violinist, who
gave promise of making himself fam
Gus. He was young German Of the
middle class and possessed of only or
binary education, but the musician in
the man raised him above the COM
mOnplace and showed in his proud,
clean-cut chin and the delicate lines
about the mouth, only half hidden by
his moustache. He spoke English flu
emily, but with oddly turned phrases
and decided accent. FIe and Marian
became friends at once. She admired
his talent and found him interesting.
He thought her intensely pretty and
NAAfNA hAAhNs W JOi hllOW INV butu
things go. If two people like that see
much of each other they fall in love,
and so it was in this case. Crosby
pere and mere made a tremendous
row. They had other plans for Ma
rian. She was one of those young
women whom every one expects TO
marry well and who consequently
never do, and her sisters and cousins
and aunts' chimed In and made them
selves disagreeable; that is the ad-
vantage of being a relative-one can
say such hateful things.
Poor Jerome was horribly broken
up Mrs. Crosby told me after ward
that he pleaded with Marian an entire
afternoon to see the mistake she was
making in marrying man so entirely
out of the sphere in which she exist
ed-a man of another nationality, be-
longing to IA different class. and with
ideas Of life totally unlike her own.