The Philipsburg mail., 1895-08-01
THOMSON'S ROMANCE.

two or three friends, the same two or
three fads, for some indefinite period
like years and years" Nobody SEEM
ed to remember the time when he had
not chambers in Jermyn street, when
he did not give his well-composed lit
tie dinners, or when he failed to ride
hard his hobby of amateur photogra-
ply.
We rather prided ourselves on know
ing our Thomson by heart. He wao
one of those rare and comfortable be-
ings who have early ceased to dabble
in the unexpected. To us who b0bbed
up and down on the see-saW Of ambi-
tion the very thought of Thomson
brought repose. No stretch of imagina-
tion compassed the idea of his being
promoted, or. becoming distinguished,
or getting married, or doing anything
rash and disturbing. Nevertheless,
there came time when Thomson be-
gan to cause us uneasiness. Two years
in succession, on June 4-and yet
Thomson was not an Etonian-he in
vited us to dinner. and we found his
room transformed into bower OF
roses. There were flowers everywhere,
in amazing profusion-not rare or cost
ly blooms, but evidently the very cream
of an English garden. In response to
our cries of wonder, he merely re-
marked that he had received a ham
per from the country-Thomson, who
had no near relatives, no friends but
ourselves!-and offered no further ex-
nlanation The third year, and the
fourth history repeated itself, and we
tacitly concluded that this date mark
ed some romantic milestone in Thom-
sons unromantic life.
We smiled at the incongruity; but
in our hearts we rather resented it.
We chaffed Thomson the following
June about the flowers and we thought
he looked grave. We let the subject
drop. It was l who, couple OF years
later inadvertently revealed the fact
that we had interpreted the recurrent
episode romantically.
When 1 saw his change Of expression
found myself trying to convey that
we would stand by him in spite Of
everything, and that I personally,
hoped for the best.
II don't know why I haven't told
you about It," he said. II suppose be-
cause it was such a trife. But mo- 1t
wasn't trif1e to that woman
"It never is," I remarked, profoundly.
"Well, it wasn't a trifle to me- It
seems just as if it had happened yes
terday and the very thought Of 1t
makes me-makes me- He broke off
and turned away. Oh, yes, he had been
very hard hit. I had never seen Thom-
son like this before. | sighed sympa-
thetically as he went on. --.-:
"It was just six years ago that took
my first walking tour with my kodak
dare say you remember. had passed
through Pinley one glorious June morn
ing, and on the outskirts / came across
one of the prettiest cottages I ever saw
in my life. Gables, you know, and a
porch framed in honeysuckle; and, rum
ming up the hill behind the house, an
oldfashioned garden-such garden"
Yes, yes, I thought, it has always be-
gun in a garden.
"a little boy was swinging on the
gate" Thomson went on, "pretty little
chap about six, should think. He was
lashing the gate with great bunch Of
whitethorn and chirruping to his steed
as he swung back and forth. He look
ed across the road at me and laughed.
IT you'll keep quite still while l count
six I'll give you bright new shilling,
1 said He eyed me critically. l set
the focus and sighted the child in the
finder of my kodak. saw that the
hillside garden and the honeysuckle
porch would come into the scope Of
the picture, but I wished the child
hadn't grown so preternaturally grave.
What you got in the box?' he said 1'll
show you in minute If you keep quiet,
I answered Now, quite still!' Just as
I put my finger to the button a cuckoo
in the copse began to call. The child
lifted his curly head and listened rap
turously It's my bird he said: but
just before he spoke / had pressed the
kodak button. Some one shouted
Billy from the cottage and the child
scrambled down from the gate. Here's
your shilling I said. He turned back,
thrust his small hand through the
white fence for his prize and scampered
oft witt: it.
.'l had only short holiday that year:
and on my way home, going from
Thorpe to Trenton, took a wrong turn
ing, and found myself near Pinley
again. I didn't really care, for l had
made my forty-eight exposures, and
wasn't looking for anything new. 1t
was furiously hot the morning SAW
the plCtllre-c0ltage Tor the second lime.
| came on it from behind the hin ar
the back, and saw that the place was in
reality small farm I dare say they'd
give HE 4 Glass of milk | thought; ana
by way of making short cut, climbed
a wall and dropped on the other side.
Rut came down on wobo'y stone
lying i'll ditch lost my balance, turn
ed my ankle, and lay cursing dislnaiiy
for some raluutes. Then l limred UP to
the house. There was no one about,
and yes it wore an inhabited :tir.
knocked at a side door. and leaned
heavily against the Intel. Nc one
cauc. I In ed around to the froEt.
My little friend wasn't hanging over
the gate this time. I went into the
porch and knocked again. The .lonr
was cpnned-a womon of about five
and thirty, looking very i'll, thought.
stood there waiting to know my erranN.
Can get some one here to so for 4
fly? I've sDrained by ankle, anil
There's nobody here she said, and
shook her head unsympatheticllly.
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