Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-04-21
"of the beauty OF the night. Is it not


"When did 1 first come to love you,
FRANKIE" May repeated, slowly, to gain
time in which to think of an answer,
"when-when-well, after heard you
were in love with me-"
She felt it was not avery satisfactory
answer, and SO she hurriedly went on:
"You know the song says: 4 love be-
cause my love loves me-"
"And from whom" said Frank, rather
surprised, "did you hear loved you?"
'From my aunt"
refectively.
II know. 1t was your uncle"
Indeed" cried Frank.
Eyes! But tell me when did you
come to really love me we'll enough to
ask me to be your wife,"
"When heard you were really in love
with me-"
"And who told you that?"
"My uncle!"
"Your uncle! Do you mean Martin
kirwin?"
81 do"
'Did you ever hear how lie found
out?"
'Of course, your aunt, Mrs. Cross
lands, told it to him as fact
My aunt! This sounds like n terrible
conspiracy" cried May, sitting bold up
right.
at does"
frank, you don't love me, and you
have been fooled into marrying me-"
What nonsense, my dear May, you
are talking"
But Franks voice was evasive, though
his words were kind.
II am not talking nonsense, Frank
1 see it all. You married me because
you were told 1 loved you'll" exclaimed
May, rather Historically.
THAT is why you married me-" was
her bridegroom's answer.
Crank, you and l have been great
| chums for years, more like mere friends
than anything else, and pals don't tell
lies to one another. VIII you give me
u plain answer to Il simple question:"
II have never told you lie yeti"
"Did you ever love any other wom-
an?"
II did"
"Ah! Did she refuse you?"
No. never gave her the chance"
said the young man, bitterly.
"Will you tell me her name?" muir.
INJURED May.
My dear May, men, even men who
have pals, and gentlemen, do not men
ton ladies' names in connection with
fiirtations. | might as well ask you if
you ever loved any other man, and en-.
pect you to tell me his name"
II will be quite honest with you
Frank. did love another man, and
think you should know his name, under
the circumstanccs-but that is. rrovid-
ed you tell me the name of the girl
with whom you were in love-"
Frank hcsitated an instant. He was
n little slow i'll gasping the situation,
but he was curious, and he thought if
he refused it would impress his wife
with the truth of the fact that he still
loved another woman. lie hit upon a
wise compromise, however, and said:
"My dear May, | think it will be wiser,
easier for us both if no names are men,
toned on either side"
May assented, but her sensbilities
were touched, and she sobbed it'll,
as she cried: My poor boy. we have
both been fooled, but what is to be
done? What is to be done?"
MAY, this is very bad business, but
what is done cannot be undone," said
Frank, with martial seriousness. "All
the law of England could not free us
now without a terrible scandal. which,
would not only make us more miser-
able than we are, but would ruin the
lives of two people whom we love, alas!
better than each other. l do not in
tend to make a blackguard of myself,
and do not intend that you shall bring
disgrace upon yourself"
Can nothing be done?"
Eyes. We have always been very
good pals. We are both in an awful
mess. We must face it together We
must go back now-and in the future
we must be, like pals, friendly one with
another"
The month of honeymoon was draw
ing to an end. May and Frank had
led, as far as the world knew, the life
of ideal lovers. They had spent their
time in playing lawn tennis or in boat
ing on the river while the fine weather
lasted. 1t was only when they had
been confined to the house for some
days that time began to fall heavily on
their hands, and they longed for the
society of anybody else in the world but
one another. 1t thus came about that
one day when sitting in the morning
room Frank said:
81 think, May, you might write and
ask Jack McGregor to come down and
spend a few days"
May looked up from her fancy work.
Certainly, if you wish it; but, as
shall have to ask somebody to meet
him, you might divide the labor, as you
have nothing to do, by writing to him
yourself"
Very we'll. Whom do you think OF
asking?"
Miss Harcourt, if you approve. She's
always SO Jolly and bright"
Up.
FOR STAGE.STRUck GIRLS.
Mrs. Navarro, Nee Mary Anderson, De-
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