Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-01-06

1ttu Ut q 6OOSc, JAIN ~ ohAy
.he heart that is trying to take itself
seriously that exhibits the pain"
Don't discuss subject you know
nothing about. You have no heart"
He left her. with an exaggerated
bow, as young Ardsley came up.
AS Miss Hampden waltzed off with
Ardsley, she knew that Loring was
wrong; that this tall boy, fresh from
West Point. as new in experience of
the world as the brass buttons on his
blouse, was the man she was going to
love. He would love her. of course. 1t
is to be feared that it did not enter her
head that he might not. She liked his
stone-gray eyes. and his drawing,
heavy voice, and his waltZing, and the
way he held her. After the dance she
determined that she liked his hands,
and when she looked at them, she saw
ring.
SIS that your class ring?" she said.
"Yes," he told her.
MAY ! see it?''
He gave it to her, and while she ex-
amined it he sat and admired her. On
his part, he liked the women who car
ried themselves hat ghtily, he liked tall
women, he liked straight, black hair
and olive skin and dark eyes and large
features and neck of statuesque pro-
portions. In short, he liked exactly
the things he had never fancied up to
then. Miss Hampden raised her eyes
and met his. She smiled, but it was
like no smile she had ever bestowed
on man before. He looked at her
very gravely, and her hand closed
tightly over the ring. In moment
she was studying it again.
Il like this. It's unusual" she said
'I am glad you think so, as | con-
ceived the design" He expected to be
told that he was clever.
Indeed" was all she said, and that
indifferently.
"How COOL l rather thought you'd
express surprise and give me some
credit. You are not addicted to fiat
terry, it would SEEM
81 am not But l don't think 1t
would have been fattering to be sur
prised that you have done it, 1t struck
me as being quite the thing you would
naturally do"
THAT is very pretty.
at is perfectly true"
1t happened, oddly enough that Ard
sley chanced not to have heard of Miss
Hampden's reputation by the next
~, nI 10
knowledge of it. There were private
theatricals in the hop-room, and Miss
Hampden was the leading lady. Now
the suitor was quite recovered, and he
meant to play joke on those in the
audience who were not-and these
were some eight or ten, three of them
married. He proposed to the heroine
in nicely read lines, and was rejected
by her with a perfection that spoke
her practice So the audience thought;
and it laughed When the laugh had
subsidized, the hero arose from his
knees. He walked to the footlights
and sighed.
"Ah, WELL" he said, II have one
crumb of comfort. | am not the only
man in this place who is in the same
fix"
The astounded Ardsley looked about
him, and he picked out the entire mum.
ber by their faces Miss Hampden drop
ped her head in her hands and laughed
with the rest.
Between the acts, Ardsley made in
quiries and learned the truth. He was
bitten with a desire to obtain the un,
attainable, and he was not one to daily.
He went behind the scenes.
Whom are you going home with.
Miss Hampden?" he asked.
IL fear no one will take me after the
light Mr.. Graves has put me in
May / do so?"
She nodded, and Ardsley went back
to his seat.
$50 you have refused the entire
army?" he asked as they walked
home.
mot quite"
THE entire department
We'll, fair percentage of it." she
admitted.
Are you going to refuse me?"
II can't say Until you are offered"
II offer myself now"
"And I accept you now"
Good enough! Will you announce
our engagement tonight at supper?"
cat the risk of being adjudged in
sane-yes."
Put on this ring until can get you
another. Your hands are not small. II
will fit your middle finger. Now I am
in earnest"
$50 am l." she said.
They were very much in earnest, the
event proved; and the garrison derived
unmixed pleasure from the total, un.
conditional, obvious surrender of Miss
Hampden. She was as open in her in
fatuation as she mad always been in
everything else. And Ardsley was
equally infatuated. He took back the
class ring and gave her a diamond