St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-29
). Aubrey Tyson in ''Blaok and White


ing TO Miss Berkeley after an %
QuaMtance of barely three wNN's.
Furthermore, the young lady, no Jess
c.-np- 3sforate than beautiful. had
deemed it advisable to suggest, for
his own slke. that his visits should
cease. until he could regard h5r mere
ly as a faithful friend who, though
esteemLng him highly, did not love
him and could never be his wife.
rs it NOT better SOP" she hal
asked. After what has now passed
b5.wlen us-if you are as sincere in
your pc ofe.s:ion of regard for me as
believe You a"e-my apparent lack
of reciprocal Utimens, being day by
day imprs SD upon you, must neces-
sally cause You pain
Now. had Singleton been an or
dnarY man. this gentle. though firm
1y expressed. negative would have
been sufficient to conVtnca him of the
litter hopelessness Of his suit; but
Singleton was not an ordinary man,
or he would not have replied as he
did.
And in requesting me to cease my
visits are you not, Miss Berkl Y, act
ua.sd by fear of the consequence
of their conttnu2nce-to yourself?"
L don't understand you" said Miss
Berkley. looking at him quickly. She
saw a faint smile playing about the
corners of his mouth, but in her sur
prise she failed to observe how grim
it was
L mean returned Mr.. Singleton,
'tAat. having formed the resolution
not to love me. are you not fearful
lest prolonged acquaintance would
compel you to accl pt me as a hus-
taad?"
An expression of blank astonish-
ment overspread Miss Berkley's
features; then a flush of pardonable
Indignation mantled her brow
4 must confess myself a dull OBJ
server of human nature. Mr.. Single
ton. for during the three weeks 1
have known you 1 was not aware
that egOtism was dominant in your
character"
", ' not say 'confdence?' But no
matter-call it what you will. Your
manner plainly indicates, however,
that you think the very idea of my
being able to shake your resolution
is absurd. 1 viii prove it is not"
"How?" asked Miss Berkley, sar-
casticaIly.
by winning you for wife against
your will"
"Oh. indeed"
The surprise is unique, I'll con-
fess," continued the imperturba BILE
Singleton. Let us make it more so.
You like bon-bons, do you not? Well,
am especially desirous of having
you select a bookmark for me. Now,
l will wager a box of bon-bons
against a bookmark that three
months from today you will accept
me as subject, however,
to certain conditions"
And the conditions, please?" The
smile on Miss Berkley's lips would
in all probability have discouraged
any one else, but Singleton did not
seem to mind it in the least.
First, that you continue to re-
ceive me as you have lately; sec
ondly, that at the expiration of the
three months you will give me an
opportunity to repeat my proposal,
and that you will then give me a
definite answer"
Very well; I accept the wager
and grant the conditions"
They shook hands; then Single
ton withdrew.
As Singleton left the room change
touched the features of Miss Berllley;
her face flushed she stamped her
foot, and clenched her fists in such
a manner that the thumbs We're be-
tween fingers and palns-an ominous
sign in a woman.
why, the impudent, egotistical
wretch" she exclaimed. "The-the-
oh. but I'll humble him"
To the credit of Miss Berkeley, be
II said. she adhered conscientiously
to the terms of her compact with Mr..
Singleton. The gates and the doors and
even certain windows in the Berkley
establishment yawned whenever he was
pleased to enter. and day by day the
spiders pariOr became more familiar
to the self-invited fly.
Miss BerlZiey was not slow in de-
termfning on her +actics. Slowly and
Iaboriously would Mr.. Singleton be
permitted to climb heavenward, then
she would suddenly hurl him down.
She therefore, began to manifest a
profound interest in poetry of a SEN
timental nature Singleton, who was
an excellent reader, rendered his SER
vices, which Miss Berkley graciously
accepted. The young lady could not
deny that his voice was wonderfully
sympathetic; but then, she reasoned,
good as he was. there must surely eX-
ist mon who We're better readers than
IIr. Singleton. SO she listened, and he
read the poets-Browning and Swim
byrne and Shelley and any number OF
others Sometimes, after having read
canto or two. Singleton would be-
come fatieUed, then they would talk,
and Miss Berkley usually contrived
to find scme pTeteXt that appeared
1casOna bIe, for disagreeing with nearly
everything in the form of an aphorism
that cmanated from Mr.. Singleton.
Thus through the long summer af-
ternoons they rowed together, talked
together and drowsed together, till at
length Miss BerI,ley reached the con-
clusion that Mr.. Singleton was deriv-
ing rather more satisfaction from her
society than he deserved. She conse-
Qucntly resolved to give him pre-
1in7iRarv hurI into the abyss of blight
cd hopes-iust to see how he would be
likely 20 look when the three months
had expired and he had the bon-ocns
10 buy About this time Lady Plymp-
Ton gave Il bali n honor of the home
coming OF her son, Capt. George, who
had for several years served her ma
jesty IN a military capacity in India.
Singleton bes0uGht of Miss Bcrkley the
privilege Of escorting her to the func-
tion, and it was accorded him; but
when ne hesouGht of her the further
privilege Of iusG:ribing his name on her
dancing card in five or six places, his
hcpes were dashed by the intima tion
that he would be restricted to two.
After their first measure they scpar-
atcd Miss Berkley was then appro-