The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-24
MEETS HIS FATE.

The Hadloy house is back from the
street, with a sweet smelling grass plot
and elufnp of shrubbcry in front of it.
Swinger dinaly saw several figures on tho
open ycranda. and he heard the murnur
Of voices. Would it be advisable for him
to stop at such a timer Hewas in extreme
doubt. and while hes1 atinA he walked
past the gate. Then II Esss too late for
hisn to turn back, so he kept on walking.
At tho next corner south he stopped n
debated whether or not he should return.
Hs resolved to go TO the house merely to
yinaicatc his courage. He slammed the
gate behind him and advanced tGSEly to-
ward tho veranda, ON ono wno had
been sitting on The steps arose and waited.
1t was she, but she did not recognize him.
GOOD evening"" he said, with great
diplomacy.
~Why, it's Mr.. Swinger.1' she said, and
Swsinger knew that she was really sur
prised, but there was nothing in her tone
60 give him Encouragement.
The other persons on the yeranda were
Mr.. and Mrs. Hadley. This was Swinger's
first meeting with Mr.. Hadlcy, whom he
could see hut i~ndistinetly, but whom he
regarded with favor, because he was the
father of Miss Eta Hadley. Mr.. Hadley
tNtcDIliCQ tl13i IstO4lGI licttL b4ll, 1ltQ DIED.
Hadloy, whom Swinger had already learn
Cd to admire as a remarkably clever and
seciable mafron, invited him to find a
place on tho rug.
II just happened to be in this part of
town, and | thought l would drop in and
see if Jim was here, he said.
or course Jim Was not there, and they
told him to remain anyway, SO he sat on
fl,f. fon ctpr, q nd cI,o cot fxrn cfnr1c hr1nr,
him, and Swinger talked with Mr.. and
Mrs Hadley about the weather and tho
war with Spain and the r%eopening of tho
bicycle season, while she hummed little
tunes and occasionally looked up at him,
at which times he felt his pulses bound.
Swinger, like many another diffident
man, could talk freely and at his ease with
those who were decidedly his elders or who
followed the lines of everyday business
talk, and SO he managed ~fa1nously with
MIR. and Mrs. Hadley. He did not know
that 10 O'Clock had passed. Mr.. Hadley
announced that he would go in and read
for awhile. Mrs. Hadley followed him.
Swingcr arose to@dcpart.
ooh, no; not yet, : she said, and Swing
er, shifting his hat from one hand to the
other, said nothing, bnt remained.
tits such a lovely night, she con-
tinued. sd like to go out walking"
We've might, . said Swinger.
ssReally / want to go. I've been in the
house all day. Come in until I got my
hat"
THANK you, In'-
"No; | have q particular reason for
wanting you to come in.
Swinger followed her into the house,
and then she turned on him and said mis-
chieyously: II wanted to see 0 spring
suit. It's awfully swell. Oh, the flowers
Who gave them to your
1T was the florist-really, with a boy
ish simplicity.
81 have some flowers, too, b said,
and she pointed at the roses in the vase.
Then she came upclose to him 60 chirk up
the Towers in his ~buttonhole, and she said
to hin as she looked straight in his eye,
1T was simply lovely of you to send
them.
Swinger b1ushcd and failed Of speech,
as he had at their first meeting. She was
so near him that he caught some subtle
fragrance from her hair and tingled with
d sudden and an overwhelming surprise
that he should have been selected from
among 1nortals for such a marvellous ex-
p~erience as this.
He had confused Impressions of seeing
her put on her hat and of the departure
from the house, with erhand on his arm.
He shook himself and grasped his walk
ing stick, determined to think Of some
thing. but in all the range Of speech there
nothing to fit the moment. They
walked silently under the trees, and he be-
came frightened at his inability to talk.
But she had something to say to him.
~ was q little provoked at you this
evening, she began.
ssWhy-what did I do?'' he asked, with
actual alarm.
ssWhy. Won said Won came to see Jim.
/ thought at first YOU had como to see me.
Do Won know. MIR. Swinger, this is the
arst limo von'ye been out here when we
didn't bayesto send for Won? And to think
that Won came TO see .Jimt,
S.vinger did not detect the geometry of
bar snnecb Ue thought only az his had
nanpera ami his natural ability fer doing
fine I'm f~ort1,nata thing on every occasion.
ssyVcIl ia ratbe,-see Won than linn
bo sa;d md then he realized that this was
IN imnort;nant declaration instead of n
vroaef,,I evc,,sa Fort11natelv She was NOT
sfysnae5
sWen that's nica ~ Won 10 saw that
yo,, o,Iaht to lila mo hetfer than Won do
IT,, fon he rod 10 SOW tbo ,nost dreadfnl
eh;,,ua ssa,,+ -, H. sa;d ,,on bstad gir,s
.o.15