The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-09-03
LIEUT.. SWASH'S LOVE

I'm love lieutenant" Icried, almost
starting from my seat, so greatly had
he surprised me.
My friend Swash generated a great
cloud Of smoke in his pipe, and it so en-
veloped his head that l could not see
his face, deeply flushed as it must have
been, and from the cloud of gray vapor
came the grutt reply:
Yes, III love. cOufound it,
ooh how Interestingly exclaimed my
wife, dropping her magazine and look
ing up at my friend and myself, whom
she had always previously declared to
be most uninteresting when we got to-
gether over our pipes.
1T is not very pleasant for me, NUT
tered Swash. He was greatly embar-
raised and fixed his eyes pensively on
the floor.
what is her nance" asked.
81 don't know" he answered
brusquely.
"Where does she live" ventured my
wife.
Don't know that. "
"Where did you meet herr said I.
Cant tell that either, Dockboy.
Don t think me disagreeable. If l could,
l would gladly answer your questions.
Indeed, | wish that was able to. "
Your case is truly strange one, . l
said. rs this young woman purely an
ideal, mental creature of your own?
You have been melancholy enough of
late to have been signing for something
more material. "
She is not a mere creation of my
imagination, " replied the lieutenant
solemnly. "She exists where l don't
know. saw her once a great way off,
and she realized all my ideals of the
woman would make Mrs. Swash And
when | SAW her, for an instant though
it was, | cried to myself: Here, Swash,
is the woman you have dreamed of all
these yeats. That soft, intellectual face,
those soulful eyes, they belong to the
woman you have been waiting for
Then she was gene, from where and
whittier | don't know, for | can't tell
where | saw her
Swash sent a beautiful ring of smoke
circling upward toward the ceiling, and
on 1t he fixed his eyes, watching it as it
swung away into the air, became thin
ner and thinner and finally disappeared,
and where it had been he kept his gaze
fixed so that it seemed that he was look
ing off into space, unconscious of our
presence. My wife glanced meaningly
at me, rs though she suspected that our
visitors mind was either permanently
or temporarily deranged.
Your case is really most remarka-
BILE, " ] said. Explain. Don surround
yourself with such an air of mystery. 1t
would relieve you to contide your trou-
bles i'll us. Perhaps we could help you.
tYes, indeed. cried my wife enthu-
siasticaily. Perhaps we can help you. "
Swash started. "Ah, yes. Where did
leave off? Perhaps you can-indeed,
yes "
Perhaps we can assist you" l re-
peatcd.
4 think not, Dockboy," he said,
having recovered himself. "For my
case is truly remarkable. have swept
find her | have walked the streets day
and night. scrutiniZing thousands of
windows and still have not trace of
her You see, | saw her under the most
peculiar circumstances, but see her |
did, and | lost NY heart. From Il salts
fled bachelor of 80 | have been meta
morphosed into lovelorm, disappoint-
ed, unhappy can't get word to fit
my case.
Your use Of a telescope Is queer, |
interrupted 81 have suspected all along
that you saw her in the skies.
''You have guessed my secret" he
said mourntully. at happened that one
night about a month ago | was walking
down Broadway on the way home to
my boarding house" continued my
friend. 1T seems to me that | had been
up here to see you. At Forticth street,
as i'll luck would have it. | ran across
one of those itinerant astronomers who
had set up IL telescope on the pavement
and hung out small sign calling at
tention to the fact that Saturn and its
rings could he seen for 3 cents Bust
ness looked dull and | kind of pitied
the poor fellow. 1t had never been my
fortune to gaze at Saturn and her rings,
so | stepped up, gave him nickel and
fixed my eye on the end Of the instru-
ment. At first all was blaCkness. i
can't see any rings, said |. The lens is
not adjusted, replied the astronomer.
And with that be began TO turn lot
of screws The blacllness gave way to IA
hazy, gray light, that | suspected was
from theatcr across the street, but |
said nothing and strained my optic
nerve to make cut thu planet II was
of no use. / withdrew my eye and com
planned. The astronomer then discuv-
cred that the telescope was pointed
wrong, and he looked through it, low
cred one end and gave it a turn.
My eye was at the instrument
again but no change was visible i'll
y make up of the heavens beyond
marked increase Of light. Once more
| complained, and the man declared
| must be nearsighted. Lcok harder,
he said, giving the machine "a little
twist And | locked harder but instead
Of Saturn l saw clearly woman-my
ideal, she whom for years had pictured
Ia my smoking moments. There She
was, sitting at IA window, one arm rest
ing on the sill, her hand on her chin.
her eyes looking directly into mine,
Even in the half light every feature