Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-06-28
THE CONCLUSION.

Are. One was absorbed in the even
ing paper, theother gazed into spa -
and puffcd particularly good havana.
Presently a third person saunterea
y in and exchanged half dozen WORDS
with the others. He was muscular
well-built fellow, with firm mouth
and handsome eyes, but the race was
made unattactive by tired, indlHef-
ont expression. He walked over 70
the table, and, pickiIs up magazine
absently turned the pages. 1t did not
seem to interest him, for he threw II
carelessly back and walked out OF the
room. .,.
"Jerome looks DID, said Martin,
gracefully fecking his clgar-ashes
partly on the tray but more largely
on the rug. e,
eyes. said Ford, looking up from
the evening paper, his trip INTO ASH ;.
doesn't seem to have braced him up. !.
He went on reading. but Martin feit
4 in conversational mood, and was not
easily suppressed.
"Poor health?" he inquired.
Ford looked UP again.
"Hardiy that Haven't you heara
the story? He had a bad time over .
love affair about three years ago. Men
don't die of broken hearts, nowadays,
but they are darned uncomfortaplie
things" Ford was bacheior' per-
haps he knew whereof he spoke
Eyes" said Martin, X suppose they
are uncomfortable, If man is puilt
that way. Tell me about Jerome.
Ford let the newspaper ta!i 10 Tue :
foor,and tapped the cushioned arm u
his chair with his eyegla sses.
Ss mot much to tell" he said.
Tisa most men under such circu1n-
stances he enjoyed the opportunity OIL
telling of the affair, but hated to seem
eager. 80,
amining his cigar.
.sJerome is a fool" said Ford, fierce
". "He fell in love with a girl ana
CANT get over it. The fair one in the
ease was Marian Crosby; an uncoin-
monty attractive girl she was, too.
Went in for society and that sort or
thing. but had plenty of brains inside
her shapely little head. Had score
of admirers, but first and foremost
Lame Jerome He had known her
Esince her school-days, and they had
'helways been excellent friends, g
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 III
those DAYS. being an all-around
friend of the family Mrs. Crosby
told me in q moment of confidence
one evening when I 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 suppose It is
net III good taste for me to speak of
it. but Mr.. Jerome has been devoted to
8 Marion for more than year, ana
am sure Marion is fond of him-hoW
could any girl in her right senses be
* herwise? Jerome never did any
hing by halves. II he loved the girl.
or which there was small room 1ef
doubt. knew he loved her with his
entire mental and physical force. AS
to her affections, it was harder TO tell
about them. Although very jolly
young person she had persistent
little way Of keeping her affairs to
7 herself and one never felt inclined 10
take the risk of making himself OBJ
noxious by asking questions. Though
not specially talented in that dlrec-
Z ton, she was passionately fond OF
music, and one winter quite neglected
her society friends to go into bohe-
milan set, more or less professional,
where her cleyerness made her uncom-
monty welcome. 1t was there she met
yonnr Welhausen, a violinist, who
,1F fYol-inO himself ia
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
fnonplace and showed in his proud.
clean-cllt chin and the delicate lines
s. about the mouth. only half hidden by
his moustache. He spoke English flu
emily, but with oddly turned phrases
and decided accent. He and Marian
4 became friends at once. She admired
his talent and found him interesting.
w., thought her intensely pretty and
..dr1ning. Well you know how such
lings go. II two people like that see
luch Of each other they fall in love,
and so it was in this case. Crosby
pere and mere made d 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
sey such hateful things.
"Poor Jerome was horribly broken
up Mrs. Crosby told me after ward
that he pleaded with Marian an entire
4 afternoon to see the mistake she was
Nina iBg In marrying man 80 entirely
Sut Of the sphere in which she exist
o6--a man of another nationality, be-
longing to a different class, and with
IDEAS Of life totally unlike her own.
But Marian seldom changed her mind
q after it was firmly made up, and In
spite of Jerome and the protests OF her
family she and Welhausen became
engaged.
at would have been a blessing to
AJerome in those days if his father had
never left him cent and he had been
obliged to dig for living. AS it was,
he tried to write novel, and when it
vas finished sent it to twenty-five
Slishers. one after another, each of
5m returned it marked 'Unavail-
(ie' or without comment The TWEEN
third returned it with a note more
Yoreible than courteous, saying that
the manuscript was utterly unavaii-
able. without redeemtng feature,