Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-19

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license to smile at the girl behind the
silvercd netting. 1t was most riran.
tic insolencc. Ssiason was amazed
at it. by jimmy" he said to him
self again, ''that fellow is sr,ilinp ~
my daughter" Even in this tone Of
great wrath it could be discerned that
Stimson was filled with wonder that
any youth should dare smile at the
daughter in the presence of the august
father.
Often the dark-eyed girl pccred be-
tween the shining wires. and. mon
being detected by the Young man. she
usually turned her head away Quickly
to prove to him that she was not in
terested. At other times, however. her
eyes seemed filed with tender fear
lest he should fall from that excee,..
ingly dangerous platform. As for the
young man, it was plain that these
glances filed him with valor. and he
stood carelessly upon his perch, as if
he deemed it of no consequence that
he might fall from it. In all the COM
plexities of his daily life and duties he
found opportunity to gaze ardently at
the vision behind the netting.
This silent courtship was conducted
over the heads of the crowd who
thronged about the bright machine.
The swift, eloquent glances of the
young man went noiselesslv and
unseen with their message. There had
finally become established between the
two In this manner subtle understand
ing and companionship. They cornnuni-
Gated accurately all that they wished.
The boy told his love, his reverence. his
hope in the changes Of the future. The
girl told him that she loved him. that
she did not love him, that she did not
know if she loved him, that she loved
him. Sometimes little sign saying
cashier in gold letters, and hanging
upon the silvered netting, got directly
in range and interfered with q tender
message.
The love affair had not continued
without anger, unhappincss, despair.
The girl had once smiled brightly upon
q youth who came to buy some tickets
for his little sister, and the young man
upon the platform observing this
smile had been filed with gloomy rage
He stood like dark statue of ven
gcancc upon his pedestal and thrust
out the basket to the children with q
gesture that was full of scorn for their
hollow happiness, for their insecure and
temporary joy. For five hours he did
not once look at the girl when she was
locking at him. lie was going to
crush her with his Indifference; he was
going to demonstrate that he had never
been serious. However, when he mar
rowly observed her in secret he discov-
cred that she seemed more blythe than
was usual with her. When he found
that his apparent Indifference had not
crushed her he suffered greatly. She
did not love him, he concluded. II she
had loved him she would have been
crushed. For two days he lived q mis-
cradle existence upon his high perch.
He ccnsoled himself by thinking Of how
unhappy he was, and by swift, furtivo
glanccs OF the loved face. At any rate
he was in her presence, and he coald
get good view from his perch when
there was no interference by the little
sign: Cashier"
But suddenly, swiftly, these clouds
vanished and under the imperial bl;.e
sky of the restored confidence, they
dwelt in peace, peace that was salts
faction, peace that, like n babe, put
its trust in the treachery of, the future.
This confidence endured until the next
day, when she, for an unknown cause,
suddenly refused to look at him. Me-
chanically, he continued bis task, his
brain dazed, a tortured victim of doubt,
fear, suspicion. With his eyes lie sup
plicatcd her to telegraph an cxplana-
ton. She replied with stony glance
that froze his blood. There was
great difference in their respective rea-
sons for becoming angry His were al
ways foolish. but apparent, plain Us
the moon. Hers were subtle, feminine,
as incomprel1ensible as the stars, Us
mystic as the shadows at night.
They fell and scared, and scared and
fell in this manner until they knew
that to live without each other would
be wandering in deserts. They lad
grown so intent upon the uncertainties,
the variat ions, the guessings OF their
affair that the world had become but
huge iln1naterial background. In time
of peace their smiles were soft and
prayerful caresses confidcd to the cir.
In time of war, their youthful hearts,
Of profound agony, were wrung
by the intricate emotions of doubt.
They were the victims of the dread
angel of affcctionate speculation that
forces the tired brain endlessly on
roads that lead nowhere.
At night, the problem of whether or
not she loved him confronted the young
man like specter, looming as high as
hill and telling him not to delude
himself. Upon the following day, this
battle of the night displayed itself in
the renewed fervor of his glanccs and
in their increased number. Whenever
he thought he could detect that she too
was suffering, he felt thrill of joy.
But there came time when the
young man looked back upon these con-
tortions with contempt. He believed
then that he had imagined his pain
This came about when the redoubtable
Stimson marched forward to partici-
pate.