The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-22

monds. and | gave mine 20 Jane. IL
was obvious anyhow, for glass diamonds
are larger.
pointed out 20 Jane tho advantage
of having diamonds so small that every
ono would know they were genuine,
and sho said with delicious flattery that
no one else could have thought of that.
The locket was shaped like a heart,
as that organ is figured in the jeweler's s
physiology. IL was very beautiful on
the outside. and IL had my portrait on
the inside. So that, viewed throughout,
il averaged we'll, az lookets go
Opposite my portrait wero some words
engraved in the customary copy book
script, so appropriate TO the majority OF
sentiments that are craven on trinkets.
That which had chosen, however,
was not open TO such criticism. j have
no liking for foreign phrases chilled
from the back OF the dictionary and
comprising ali that either giver or re-
cipient knows of that particular Ian.
guage. So I contented myself with:
"Gerald 10 Jane. Christmas, 1896"
For some inscrutable reason the en-
grayer cut the names very large and the
date very small, setting the latter to the
left and below This style may have
been fashionable or artistic, but it pro-
duced singular effect of incomplete
ness, and did not like il. However, il
suggested an idea to me.
In explanation of it let me say that
Christmas day. 1896, was the first of
our engagement We did not know that
we loved each other till quite late in
the afternoon of the day before. Every
body else knew it,
Ny Office boy could have told you
that was in love, and as for James
family-tho Wetherells-from the head
cs tho house down to Jane's little fox
terrier with Beauty Wetherell'' on his
collar, they were all fully aware Of our
sentiments.
Beauty didn't bark at me, ard the
rest of the family were obviously study.
ing my good points in order to prepare
for the inevitable.
But was fairly shivering with fear
lest Jane did not love me. and when
had told her what my heart would hold
no longer, she said with tears in her eyes
that it came as great surprise to her.
had a ring that had been my moth
er's. but as for the looket, / had just
time to buy it before the stores closed
OH Dec. "a, and l bribed an engraver by
a great fee to work by night upon the
lettering.
The portrait was stripped from pho
tograph she liked, and pasted in. So the
locket and our love were new on Christ
mas day And now for the idea that I
have mentioned.
when you cease to love me, Jane"
said /, "fill out that line with another
date. Thus we shall have the life of
love, as mems lives are recorded on
their born, so and SO
cleo sucn year~
"There will be no dates when I cease
to love you," said she, "for dates end
with time"
That should have satisfied any one,
yet was not willing to give up my
own idea. Few men are, even when
they re in love- and great deal of trou-
BILE grows out OF il.
"Promise me-" said !, "that you
will keep the locket always, and that
you will add the other date when love
is done"
Under protest and with her hands
clasped, in mine so tightly that it seemed
nothing could ever part them, she prom
ised.
What would either of us have said TO
any absurd creature who had dared TO
prophesy that before another Christmas
should come we would be estranged!
Nothing that he'd have liked e. heal,
you may be sure.
Yet it happened. The cause? Heaven
may know. You cannot learn it of me-
Perhaps made nuisance of myself by
loving her too much; it is great mis-
take.
remember that our first difference
resulted from Jane's assertion that love
did not make me happy, and also that
my attempt TO prove that it did was
productive Of great unhappiness for both
of us. What is the use Of trying 60
prove anything to woman?
IL had simply been happy, she
would have felt il, and that with her !
sex is much better than knowing.
Still don't see how so small mat.
ter as my happiness could have parted |
as or why we supposed that such part
ing would help it. only know that one
evening when left her house | wasn't |
engaged any more, and New York |
wasn't New York any more, and the
moon in heaven was not the moon.
My happiness-or whatever it may
have been--had lasted little less than