The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-08
FACT AND FICTION.


hand.
IL don't believe we wrote moro than
half a page, replied the young man who
was stretched out full length on the oppo-
site bench.
"And we were Just at such an interest
Ing place, too" she went on. "Don't you
remember Harold had just found out
that Virginia cared for him."
"Yes He had just found his initials
written opposite that sonnet Of Mrs.
Browning's that like, How do love
your think she'd better tell him right
out she loves him. 1t would be lots more
interesting. Can't you just see her do 1t?
You know she never wears anything but
soft shapes Of gray, with a purple passion
flower in the front of her gown, and her
gray blue eyes have soft, melancholy
light In them that suggests a history, and
her hair is dark and cloudy, just like Mary
Hamlin's, and she Is intense and fearfully
refined, and when Harold tells her he Is
going away and won't give any reason
she just gives him one look and says, i
wish to God L were the reason 4 think
that would be rather smooth. l thought
1t all out after went to bed last night.
Doesn't it give you the thrills?'
'Sort of Elaine business: / have gone
mad. love you. Let me die,' remarked
the young man.
"Not at ALL" she exclaimed "She
knows that Harold loves her."
"But don't you think 1T would be just
as we'll to let him have the first shot" he
protested.
"You are SO old fashioned There.
that's settled. Let's go on. What would
you have Harold do when he discovers she
loves hint"
"why, 1 don't know. This would be
rather nice: Let him take her hand and
say, My poor girl, do you, too, have to
suffer- and leave her without another
word, and that very day take the steamer
for Kamchatka or Timbuktu."
"How perfectly awful!'' exclaimed the
girl. "Do you really mean to say you
wouldn't have him take her In his arms or
kiss her or anything How frightfully cold
bloodedr'
"But her husband" he protested.
"Well, what of himP Everybody knows
she just married him to keep the mortgage
on the home from being foreclosed and to
save her mothers reason"
~ don't see why she had to be married,
anyway"
"Don't let's 90 over that again.
thought we had settled 1t once for all"
"How would you fix 1t, then, you I'm
moral young person."
"I'd have him say, after few prelimi-
naries, of course, Let us at least have one
happy day together before we part forever,
or words to that effect. And then I'd have
him take her down to lovely bay with
woods-pine woods coming down to the
beach,"
"But thought 1t was to be In New
York?''
"Oh. we'll, we could manage that some
way. They might be spending few days
somewhere else. You're so darned par
ticular. Besides you mustn't interrupt
me- 1t makes me forget what am going
to say. Well, then, on the beach they find
a sailboat and they get In and sail out to-
ward the ocean, with the breeze In their
faces, and the low, white fog drifting down
around them, and the seagulls swooping
down OH all sides. And he lies at her feet,
and she smooths the thick, tawny hair away
from his forehead, and he holds her other
hand, and every now and again he raises 1t
to his lips, and"-
"But who Is managing the boatf" the
young man inquired with ali air of inter-
est. III the wind was In their faces, they'd
have to tack occasionally
"Of course, haven thought out all the
details. I'd be hanged II I'd be as practi-
Cal and unsentimental as you are
"How long do they stay out?'
Until quite late-midnight anyway.
You know this Is the last time they are to
be together
And don't they have blessed thing to
eate If Virginia were like her cresGor,
she'd get hungry"
"Like God, do you means'' in an awe
struck voice
mo, like you. You're her CREATOR" he
answered, with laugh.
"Oh, no! OF course I'd lee them have
something to eat 1t would be part of the
fun. They land in little cave and Harold
carries her ashore 30 that she won't get
her feet wet, and he can't resist kissing
her, though he knows he ought not to.
And then he goes to q hollow place among
tho rocks and brings out q bang up lunch
con-"
"What did they havef"
"Champagne and all sorts Of good
| things-artichokes cooked in tho way we
had them the other night at the Hamlins.
| for one"
81 didn't have any. You and Will Tai
| COOU enpbIeu ulsE. Dy tnc Wuyy yOu
seemed to be having an uncommonly jolly
time In your corner.
"We were. He was telling me about
Alice's engagement. Do you know, he
says the men Mt the club say that Mr.
Murdoch had difficulty In getting to the
point, and that she helped him out; but
don't believe 1t. She's really nice girl
and she wouldn't do anything SO dread
full"
"Talcotts regular gossip"
"Hos lots Of fun. He always knows
everything that's going on. Promise you
won't tell II 1 tell you something?"
"Wish / may die II do
"Well, ho says ho saw young Mrs. Ar
mold taking lunch with John Hughes In q
little Italian restaurant the other day.
thought there was something flshy about
her. You know they say she let's men kiss
her hands am not going to return her
last call. don't like people who do queer
things"
How about Virginia and HarolG'" he
asked.