The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-02
A ROMANCE.

Which REBOUNDS TO the credit OF that mucn
despised instrument, the street hand Or
gan. There may be other instances in
which this instrument has figured as the
cause of much happiness, but do not my
self know, nor can believe, that it ever
produced any such amount of happiness
on any other occasion.
About five years ago was taking my
summer vacation at a resort not far from
Newport. The fact was, we were engaged,
Margaret and l, and we had reached that
stage in the courtship that we criticised
each other somewhat freely. On certain
evening on which dance was to be given
at the Casino, I brought to her bunch of
flowers, the very best Obtainable at that
time. It was quite difficult to get flowers
at this resort, it being some distance from
the city, and the difficulty was heightened
by the great demand for flowers on an Oc-
casion such as the dance in question.
Probably, too, I was guilty of forgetful-
ness in not putting in my order for the
flowers several days beforehand.
At all events, the flowers that did OBJ
tain were not so very pretty, and Mar
garet's face indicated to me, when I pre-
sented them to her, that she was not at all
satisfied. In fact, there was distinct
shifting air about her which irritated me
greatly. I remarked something to the eff
16cU Unab some girls were ike TepuD1lCSs la
that they were ungrateful She said some
thing to the effect that some men seemed
to think more of billiards and tennis and
mint juleps than they did of their future
wives. Our remarks grew quite pointed
and sharp, and during the 1uu which fol-
lowed some of them, the air played by the
hotel orchestra distinctly impressed itself
on my memory.
Although this air was one which was
T,ae
rary parting, it really meant for Margaret
and me a long and weary absence from
each other was unable to dissociate the
painful feelings which this air brought up
to me whenever I afterward heard it, for
at this meeting, which had opened with
gift of flowers on my part, we gave back
to each other the promises we had made.
received back the ring had given Marga-
ret and the various letters that had passed
between US we solemnly agreed to destroy.
The presents were to be returned or re-
tanned as each thought fit.
However, there was one gold ring of
unique design which I had given Margaret
some time before, and which was never to
be returned to me under any condition
except in case she was in need of assistance.
At the time it was given to her she had
agreed to ever keep it, even if we quarrel
ed and parted. The next day I returned
| to my occupation in the city and did not
| see Margaret again.
About five years elapsed between the
| happening of the event above chronicled
| and those that are now to be narrated. I
was passing down the street in a quaint
New England village, which in the winter
time seemed to be entirely dead like the
country round it, and which was only
awakened into life by the warm breath Of
| spring and the gayetieS of the summer
| crowds who visited it. One of those street
| piano organs which had grown to be so
common in the cities, but were looked up
on as novelty in the country towns, was
! playing some familiar airs, to which was
| paying no particular attention until
heard the air which turned out to be the
funeral dirge of my only love affair. I
stopped on the walk some distance away
and unwiIlingly listened.
The air ceased and the closed shutter of
a house, directly in front of which was
the organ, was opened, and hand, which
| I still had time to see was that of a wom-
| an, threw a coin or two to the player.
The coin fell fiat near the player, but
another object bounded off some distance
| toward me. I stopped to pick it up and
found it was a ring, which had evidently
come off the lady's hand who had thrown
the coin. A second glance at the ring, to
my intense surprise, showed me that it
was the ring had given Margaret five
years before! Inere We're the INITIALS Inside
of it and the curious quaint carving on
the outside. Full of strange thoughts,
hopes, contending emotions, involunta-
rily turned to the house to return the ring
to the person to whom it belonged. Just
as reached the door of the house it was
opened by Margaret, who had come to get
her ring again. A frightened look and a
hasty pressure of her hand to her heart
showed me how much she was surprised
and affected. I said nothing, for indeed
the emotions of both showed plainly more
than any words 1 could use. 1 passed into
the house, closed the door, put the ring on
her finger and then asked, ibid you mean
to send it?'' A faint @ Yes was all could
hear. In moment pressed her to my
breast and hungry with avidity sought tc
satisfy the affection of a heart which had
been for so many years yearning for a re-
turn. Later on, we were married and are
willing to admit that we are happy, as
happy as can be-. We attribute the cause OF
this reconciliation of ours to the providen-
tial presence of the hand organ, and the
phrase g romance of a hand organ" is one
of the prettiest that our hearts, if not our
lips, can frame.-Exchange