The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-25

battle-ground Cooper Union a year
on two ago, Both We're IN the habit OF
spending the better part OF every even
ing there, and both had developed
preference for particular table, AT
first It was the location OF that table
alone which attracted them. BAT In
course of time they became accustomed
to each others COMPANY and although
perfect STRANGERS, they FER acquainted.
and az though they met by appoint-
ment
one was a stout old Eng!lshmau. with
4 florld stern tace-ope OF those surly
faces that usually go together with an
honest and kindly heart. lie was
well-read mechanic ard a bachelor and
having, or pretending TO have, an aver
sion for women and children. he passed
his leisure hours either in the seclusloH
of his little hall bed room or at Cooper
Institute, The other was dry-taeed.
beardIess Dane OF 49, with blue eyes OF
pelluGid clearness, and long flGXen locks
which adhered close 10 his face and
neck II was the childish and yet PEN
etrating look Of those crystalline eyes
OF his which .lrst cast : spell over the
gruff- looking Englishman. He could
not help CHANGING at them again aud
again. and az he tried TO read his book
or magazine he seemed to feel their soft,
appealing gaze upon himself Al one
moment he was on the verge Of quar-
rel, but no sooner had he met the Danes
eye than instea. Of resentment he felt
like asking II he could not be OF service
to him.
As to the Scandinavian, the crusty
look OF his neignbor, far from tepcllIng,
had peculiar sort of giamor fJr him.
And 50 the two passed two OF three
hours at the same table slH nights ia
the week until they came 10 greet eavh
other, at first with a slight nod, then
with q more demOnstratiVe one, and
finally with bland good evening"
One night as they sat reading, the
Dane handed the Euglshman Il note
which read as follows;
Dear SIr-My heart Is full tonight,
and | wish to speak TO some good man
VIII you he my listener? Ike you
without knowing who you are; but so
much the better. Wouldlyou mind hay
ing cup of coffee with me|
with pleasure" was the English
mans written reply.
Some Ave minutes later they were
seated at marble table in one or the
Vienna cafes on Second avenue,
The Dane spoke English with per-
feet huency. and although his pronun-
citation was laboreu and otteI. Incorrect,
his grammar was irreproachable.
II beg OF you. don't set me down Tor
crank" he began. 81 am tired Of being
called that"
whether YOU are ore or not, I'm not
gOIn' to call you names, sir, grumb!eo
the Englishman.
IAN right. then. This is my day OF
misery. Just Il year ago Fate deaIt me
q blow--or, rather, played me ii trick
under which have been squirming and
writing ever since. To-day IL the an
n!yersary OF an incident which may, al
ter all, drive mo mad. By the way,
when you know me better you may ma
that am no Crank-Hot rs yet, Mt least
Well. then, 1t is q love story am going
to relate to you--a love story OF which
/ am the unhappy hero. 1t is not anus
ing-a hero and yet defeated and mis-
cradle? Well. some three years ago
fell in love with poor but accomplish
ed Swedish girl in Copenhagen. Have
you ever been in love, slr?' 4.l4.4 ..e,.
what's ItAither here nor there. You
lust 70 on" snarled the Erglishman
81 beg your pardon, Sir. | meant TO
offense. As TO myself, ! had been m
love a dozen times before j met the
Swedish young lady, and wheE l saw
that was infatuated with her thought
II was something like my previous ro-
maEces-a passion of q week or a
month, after which there is nothing
but smoke, smoke. smoke as the hero
OF one Of Turgencft's novels puts it.
Are you fond of Turgenen? But eN-
cuse my impertinent Questions. Wen,
l had made up my mind to oe bach
elor, You wish to know why? Because
l was the most forlorn foo! in creation
In the first place. had taken 1t into M
head that ] had been born TO Ill the
universe with new sort OF sunshine-
with the dazzling rays OF my poetry.
Accordingly, for me TO marry and be
bothered with n wife and children ard
the sordid details OF family life would
he n crime against the interests OF hui
manity, don't you know. In the second
place 1 should get tired of my wife be-
fore the honeymoon was half over, and
marriage would be eternal torture. !
drew my conclusons-do you know
from what? From the brevity OF my
former passions. | was an id!ot; the
greatest on earth"
mo. you weren't the Engllshman
interrupted him.
ayes, was. 1 believed in the
"Krsutzer Sonata"-have you read II?
I think IL ought TO be burned. But at
that time had the same idiotic Views
MS the man In that story. Well, the last
Cirl fell In love with was singular
sort OF woman. She was not pretty.
No / wish she had been. for then l
should have forgotten her long ago,
Bat she was GOOD genius OF Nndli-
negy--and II goes without saying that
she was also called crazy. SHE loved
me desperately, and knew 1t and that
helped to rpoil II all. l had frank
explanation with her and told her
liked her. but that my life belonged 10
humanity. Oh, the idiot that was.
she gave me sad look and babe me
farewell and that IL the last nave
eeen OF her-In Europe, ut least
II subsequently learned that she had
emlgrated to America aud that was
what brought me over here. Why2
because could not I've without her,
because when shc was gone l became
aware Of the real nature OF ms love for
her. An. dear frendl l found when II
was too late that had never loved be-
fore, No other woman left an impress
sion 30 deep. go cruel 80 inc1acable,
And the deep feeling iFeif, TOO, seemed
novel unprecedented, 10 entirely unlike
anything had eyes experienced before,
1t ls still there Che ponNS TO his henrO
and will 10 there 10 make VIC nell 10
me M long as exist
~ abandoned a thou5and things that
I held dear and came over here In
search Of hnr-ln q quixotle search for
hpr. Was II not foolish, seeing that /
knew not oven In what city she hud set
ilodY Ana yet--and hero I come 10 tho
most appalling part OF It'll dld meet her