Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-01

have been lost in the past she has been
| piling up my iniquities in the shape of
every man with whom I have been on
| friendly terms during the last ten years,
| including the poor unfortunate who ran
away from his bride In vain declare
| that l was not to blame. Jane calmly
| informs me that encouraged him and
| that people talked
OF course people will talk, but have
| no qualms of conscience. Still Jane goes
on, and at last she has reached Mr.
Carson. | Vince at the name, for here /
have a guilty feeling that am not quite
free from blame
My pride had been piqued by his evil
dent indifference, and | had laid myself
out to be agreeable, with the result that
we are now very good friends.
But Jane comes in again with her
merciless common sense and sums it up
| thus:
HE is your last chance" (How |
hate the wordD "He is not bad looking,
is clever, sensible and in comfortable
position. Besides, he is only two months
younger than yourself, which is practi-
cally no difference.
Poor Mr.. Carson'' ventured to
put in. us he 35 too?" But nothing
would stop Jane or turn her from her
purpose.
"You have only to give him little
encouragement, she went on, "and if
you don't the widow will marry him.
Remember, you are no longer young"
(Ye gods, here it is againD "Your
beauty is going off, and III another year
you will be quite stout. Encourage him
little, just as l used to do with Ned
With your experience
But at this stage the worm turns. !
can bear no more, and with the refrain,
"Your last chance" ringing in my ears,
the door is closed, and | am left alone
What am to do? Ought to take
MIR. Carson, my "last chance?" Or shall
go Oh making a fool of myself over a
man whom Lhave not spoken to for the
last IL years? Poor Harry Why was |
so obdurate?
Next afternoon, with James candid,
even cruel, expression, 'last chance"
still ringing in my ears, / went out to
make few purchases At the corner of
our street stepped into a car, when,
OH, horror, whom should sit down be-
side but Harry Summers!
He looked at me very hard, but /
stared straight out at the opposite win
dow. Unluckily, my umbrella dropped
on the floor. Instantly he picked it up,
saying 'Allow me, Miss Watson.
thanked him and stole ID glance at
his face.
Charming weather." he remarked
It's dreadfuly wet,' / returned.
II mean it's delightful!' gasped in
horror at my mistake, for the day was
lovely. My veil was down, fortunately,
and might hide my bushes but had
no time to recover myself, when he said,
with the utmost audacity:
''We have not met so much of late,
Miss Watson? Can you tell me if that
is your fault or mine?''
| was quite taken aback by his ques-
ton, but managed to articulate the only
word | could think of-''Nop'
At this moment the Car stopped, and
then | thought of Jane, and with q
smile and pleasant "Good morning.
hurried out. Scarcely had Preached the
pavement when Harry was at my side
with the words:
"Your umbrella, Miss Watson
which had most unfortunately left in
the car.
Again thought of Jane, the merci-
less, and smiled and thanked him in
quite friendly way, expecting that he
would hurry after his car. Instead of
that he walked OIL at my side and began
talking as if we had been meeting every
day for months back. 1 must admit,
even if Jane were here, that, I forgot
everything and became quite happy
At a jewelers. window | stopped to
admire a lovely diamond bracelet, when
Harry said, II never pass this shop
without remembering something that
happened long ago. +"
l glanced up in his face, the hot blood
mounting to my cheeks, for | felt the
crisis had come.
"Twelve years ago bought a ring in
that shop. Would you like to see it,
Miss Watson?" he asked
I thought of the horrid words 'last
chance" and looking up in his face an
swered with very faint 'iYes. "
Taking small case from his pocket,
he opened it and held it before my eyes.
/ could not but admire the ring, for
it was lovely. Then Harry said: Gar
bara, it was meant for you. Try if it
will fit you now.
eyes, Harry" managed to reply ]
am certain that ,Jane herself did not |
give Ned more encouragement than | |
did Harry, for pulled off my glove and
allowed him to slip the ring on my fin |
ger, and that was all.
After il little Harry said quietly, "We
have been a pair of fools. y
"No," was my answer, II have been
the fool; you the victim of my folly!"
\ X X 4
The same afternoon, just as had fin
ished cup of tea, Jane bounced into
the room.
"Aunt Barbara, she said, "Mr. Car
son has come to spend the evening with
us, and want you to meet him. -
I could not help smiling at James
eagerness, and, le1ning back in my
chair, assured her that was not equal
to going out.
''Why, aunt, I never saw you look
ing SO we'll. You look quite young to.
night" she continued.
The result of being happy, my
coar ), 1yos INV nuiet ranly