The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-07

Surely the high water mark Of human
affection is the love of an impecunious
young man for girl whom he has only
| known for a fortnight, and whom ne
| expects never to see again. Such
love is concocted Of the best-selected
| circumstancee-nove despair and
! lack of consequences. Also, the brew
| ity of fortnight concentrates the emo
| tions, and concentrated emotions are a
| kind of mental bovril. Not only are
| they sustaining at the time, but you
| can scrape the tin afterward, and man
| ufacture quarts of excellent memories.
| OF course the fortnight, to be complete,
| ought to occuY in summer and to pos
| sesS a climax, and the young man and
| young woman should be sufficiently in
! telligent to take advantage Of their op-
| portunitieS. The might-haVe- said SO
| often spoils the delicious memory OF
| the might have-been.
This particular young man and young
| woman had enjoyed their fortnight to
| the full, and the arrangements for the
| climax were above reproach. Some
| kind person had provided a dance;
| there was an old garden at the back Of
! the house, and the moon was turned
| on mulberry trees, box hedges and Law
| ender beds in front of them. 1t was a
| Sltud ClCn Wn6re d IlldIl IIllSHl dllIOSl
have quoted Browning.
II suppose" the young man began,
| that that was nearly our last dance
our very last-at least for long
time"
You're going tomorrow, then?' the
young woman said.
II have to see my people before 1
| Join my regiment" the young man an
| swered. What a good time l have had
| here!''
II hoped" she said, that you were
above this kind Of thing"
what kind Of thing?"
| "Oh, the going going-gone business!
she replied. II hate last anythings.
! Aren't they Just little-shop-s oiled?''
"Does nothing ever matter?" he ask
| ed.
| IT feel that I ought to come in with
| O. conversational waltz refrain" she
| replied, but it's difficult even for me
always to be obvious"
| The young man looked grieVed and
| made no answer. M
say something about the Southern
Cross
| "The Southern Cross? Why should
II"
| Surely" she said you won't throw
| away your opportunities? Aren't you
going to gass on snd the bnT on me gross
n,
VERY likely" he answered quietly:
That's right" she pursued. No
Young man Of feeling, within signing
| distance of the Southern Cross should
neglect it, l, on the other mana
shall looks at the Great Bear and
think Of you.
"Haye YOU been to any theaters late
"No," she said. but you must have
! visited some really pathetic melo-
dramas"
II only meant that it's been rather
| a warm July; and are you fond OF
bicycling? and it's not BAD noor To-
night" tof,,19,,
she said. II only wanted
| "I understand A nice, cold shower
| bathos." he answered. You needn't BE
afraid shall bother you. Only should
like to thank you for having given me
| the happiest fortnight of my life, and
to wish you good luck
s'You are" she said, softly, rather
q nice boy"
Some day" he answered, Il trust
| that I shall be a nasty man. A nice
boy is a thing that is supposed neither
to mind nor matter"
Jack" she said, putting her hand
+ on his arm, without prejudice, as the
lawyers say. would you mind less II 1t
| did natter"
"Is It quite impossible?" he asked.
"Well. isn't it?" she answered.
'tOf course, we should nave to wait,
he said; but couldn't you wait awhile
Kitty?"
please don't think me horrid and
| mercenary," she said. TT isn't alto
gether that; but don't you know what
a long engagement means us the
! longest thing on earth. It's mar
| rage on the hire purchase system,
where you pay three times as much
as It's worth for thing that's worn
out before you really get it."
'If I left the service" he urged, I'VE
should have enough to live on quietly
you'd be so content If you did,
would be a villa in West Kenslngton.
No. Jack, it wouldn't do. I'm sorry, but
1t wouldn't do. Can't you see?'
"Oh, I see clearly enough" he said,
| bitterly. II hope that. some day, you'll
| have nice, large paper marriage, Ia
| modiste, with real golden wedding bells.
and the full approval Of the family
solicitor"
Don't Jack, don't" she answered.
Cant you see that it takes two to
make a muddle like this? Don't let's
| spoil the little time that's left US. Let
us at least part friends"
I'm sorry the young man said: Il
| SuDDOSe nOtnlQS COulu say WOulu
make any difference"
Nothing, I'm afraid"
VERY we'll. May I, at least, have all
| the other dances tonight?'
! Eyes, If you want them now" the
young woman said, sadly.
The young man and young woman
enjoyed themselves immensely for the
rest Of the evening, although they i'm
| asined themselves heart broken. The
l Young man said several things which
he considered really cynical, and the
Young woman wallowed in a sense Of
| martyrdom They said goodby in the
cold morning light. and she allowed
| him to kiss her. The kiss they regard
| ed as a kind of sacrament.
Now, In the ordinary course Of events,
| the episode might have ended satisfac-
| torily here The young man would
have blown his nose violently when
the band played 1.-The Girl 1 Left Be-
| hind Mew and murmured the young
| woman's name when he felt seasick,
and then relapsed in remembering the
whole thing with sigh and a COM
placent smile. The young woman's
recollection would have expended on
her attitude toward her husband. Till
her husband occurred, she would have
| practised recollection but little.
Unfortunately, the Angel of Death,
with his hab.tual disregard Of tho at