The morning times., 1896-12-25
.--A ..-
-- MERRY -.
" CHRISTMAS e.
to old customers and to new ones is
the wish of
KINGS PALACE.
A CONSISTENT MAN.

She could make better coffee than any
body else in town. Everybody admitted
that, irrespective of personal pride or
family affection.
A good many people W no admired andwho
had yainly tried to initiate had asked for
her recipe, but the only satisfaction they
ever got for their pains was: Why. Just
make it, that s ALL" Opinion was divided
as to why her answe er was always so indefi-
nite her stanchest supporters claiming that
she was honest, and that that was really
all there was To it, she simply mixing the
coffee and water, while her own potent mag
netisIn did the rest. But there were others
who Were not So strongly attached to her
and Who insisted that it was pure meanness
and selfishness that prompted her to keep
to herself the secret of turning off cup of
coffee that for fragrance and deliciousness
could not be fouEd elsewhere.
People never dropped into her house to an
afternoon tea. She always served coffee
That was the reason the bachelor called
there so often. Teas, he maintained, were
such insipid, characteriess affairs and
worthy or being attended only by people
who were as inane as the tea itself. But
when il came to coffee there was some
thing that put new life into a man and
drowned disappointment in the hopes it in
spired of achieving something u the ru-
ture.
And she poured coffee as cIeverly as she
made it. She always looked her best at
those times, and 1t was wei! for his beauty
loving sc that that was what she was doing
when he first sd " her. They Were brought
together at d little informal gathering at
the he use of friend, and after he had met
her there a second time he felt that
lie was privileged to call on her at her own
home. She gave him coffee there, too, and
somehow presiding over her own urn lent
an added charm to her gentle gracioHsness.
Even the aroma of the golden brown liquid
as il was borne to bis nostrils Oh little
white clouds of steam inspired feeling OF
confidence and hoIleliness which was ac-
Centuated by the dignified cordialiry of the
woman herself.
These bubbles foreteH that there is to
be Il deep friendship esta blished between
US he said, looking thoughtfuHy into the
fragile cup. That Is interesting, ism tit?''
Yes" she Laughed, but not very sur
prising. What else do you see?''
"Oh, nothing in particular. You see,'
he resumed, after pause, Il am great
advocate of friendship. | believe it is 70
valued above all other ties, love not eX-
Cepted. My ideal OF an earthly attach
ment is pure, disinterested friendship,
whetherit be eXtendeda la Mcawber, from
man 10 man or from woman to woman, or
between the sexes"
Il never could understand she inter
rupted, what people mean by a 'disintcr-
ested' friendship. If you are disinterested
/ how can you be friendo'
'DIsin.ercsted from a personal stand
point" he explained quickly, thoughtful
and Solicifous for the friend, OF course.
As l was saying mQment ago. believe
that there is no rel1 lon that brings out
tie highest sentiments in ones nature as
does friendship. Jealousy, suspicion and
all coarSer passions are elim mated and fl
deity, unseifislIness and integrity dominate
the heart
90 Oh are enthusiastic" she remarked.
''Pernaps,'' he assented; but am con
siStent in my belief. | see nothing to pre-
vent our becoming just such friends, do
| you?''
II there We're any obstacles n the way
| they We're soon overcome. He called but
| two or three times week during the first
| few months of their acquaint ance, but the
| restrictions she had imposed upon too fire.
| quent visits Were finally removed. and then
| he fell into the habit OF stopping there
| every day on his way home from the studio.
! 1t was the coffe he went for-of course
| He told his friends SO; he asserted the same
| thing to her, and even went su far as TO
believe it himself. She always smiled when
| he said anything about il, but she was too
| wise TO contradict him.
They We're very confidential Both had
| much TO relate. He was 49 years Dld-he
| hadn't told anybody his age for years be-
| fore meeting her-and she was 2T. She
| looked to be a few years older than that
| andb degrees she gave him graphic sketches
! or The early marriage, Disappointment and
| prlyatfon that had brought on the marks of
| premature a ge. 1t was very patheticstor
and his heart always thrilled with sym
| pathy as he listened.
You ought to marry again. he ad-
| viSed one day, at the conclusion OF one of
the touching fragments OF history.
do you think sO?'' she asked. naively
| I'm sure Of it. II / Were not 50 old I'd
! consider the matrimonial question myself.
| But when a man reaches my age without
! having committed himself, nc may safely
| be put down as a confirmed bachelor
| Then is when we learn to value friendSh hip 50
| highly. l wish Were either little Younger
or possessed of more youthful spirits. But
a man with varied experience ages rap
| idly. So / suppose
| The suppoSition ended in n sigh She re-
| Elected moment, then said, softly:
| There is man in the South whoi s COM
| ing to see me soon. Eve been expecting him
| for years, but there Were things that pre-
vented. used To think him thoroughly con-
genial, but now know better. Since then
| / have seen-men for whom l could care a
! great deal more
Have you?'' he asked what We're
they hkeo'
IN tell you some day. she replied
| adroitlY
| The bachelor had work ont of town at
| that time and he did not see her again for
| two weeks. He called Immediately after
| his return and she welcomed him with TN
| feigned pleasure.
! I'm so glad you've come, she said, as
| soon as he entered the room Il have SO
much to tell you. Look into your cup and
see what the bubbles say now
He studied the surface of the coffe.
Friendship" he said at length, "un-
broken. hallUwed friendship
rs that all?''
'Ye-e-s, l believe So There is one
| bubble that might be construed otherwise
but hardly think it would be advisa Bile to
! do so''
She sighed.
My friend from the South came last
| week. she said He wants me to marry
him. You have been my sole cenfidant for
the last two years, and wish to consult you
| before giving him final answer Shall
accept him? Do you think there is nothing
| better"
| Somehow the deferential, earnest way in
which She put the question took something
light and hopeful out of his sheart, and left a
great void there His hand trembled as he
set down the cup.
$50 you wish me to be your oracle?'
YES"
| He remembered her words in regard to
| other men for whom she could care more
Had her friendship rpened into something
| deeper and stronger? Did she mean
But he was willing to let her mean it. I'm
broken friendship" he reflected, (which
| means fidelity to the jnte rests of tho otbar ',