Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-18
TEDDY'S ROMANCE.

ItGdlly ~ Wuo III VIZ u VI pliio Soh-
founded photograph, combined with the
river ~ said Teddy, taking a portrait from
his coat pocket and holding it out between
his tingel"and thumb for our inspection.
1t was the photograph of IL nun with the
eyes turned up rs if in prayer. 1t seemed
somehow familiar to me, though | could
not remember where | had seen it. Il
haven't the least idea how l oalne by il"
said Teddy. "Idon't even remember when
l first saw it.. But one day / noticed that
it was beginning to establish itself as an
inmate of my rooms 1t began, l think,
as a bookmarker. The face had a sort of
fascination for me. 1t looked so innocent
md appealing, and it was SO friendless. l
made several efforts to get rid Of it. But
you know how impossible it is to get rid
of a thing like that when it has made up
it's mind to stay. I tried to lose her among
my unpaid bills and invitations on the
m%antelpiece. But she always turned up
on top. The next day a note of my piano
stuck. l found her wedged in between the
hammers. Looking the other way to avoid
her plaintive eyes, | dropped her into the
w~astebasket. After breakfast the next
morning 1 had lighted a cigarette and was
trying to think of an excuse for not work
ing, when I wanted an ash tray. / looked
round, and there she was lying calmly on
my writing table. The housemaid, her
woman's heart ever ready to rescue afallen
sister, had picked her out from the rub
bish and reinstated her. For a moment I
hesitated then I dropped my cigarette ash
over her, and we were one. l couldn't turn
her out after that.
Ever since then she has lived in my
pocket. She has been my talisman. Young
men have no idea of the influence Of q
pure affection. Mine was pure enough.
She was a nun, you understand, and
nothing but a spiritual union was possible
between us. That girls Madonna face just
curled it's influence round my life and col
ored all my actions. She was my ideal
III
II was all the more willing to cultivate
all affection for the ideal, as I thought 1t
would protect me against assaults from
the real. And so it did until yesterday.
y 81 went up the river to spend the day
with SOME people l know who are staying
at MARROW. Florrie Sinclair was with
them. There were some rather nice girls
among the party, but I make 1t a rule
never to go on the river with a girl l like.
There is something about the river which
induces condolences, and I prefer not to be
overconfident. So l got Florrie Sinclair
to take mo in her Canadian canoe, think
ing that as l rather disliked her / should
be moderately safe, especially If I could
get an occasional glance at my talisman.
All the way up to Hurley l smoked a great
deal and talked not much. What little l
did say was about lunch. 1t was not till
about 4 O'Clock that the real danger be-
gan. Up to then the party had kept to-
gether. But at about 4 Florrie Sinclair
began padding around among the back
water. 1 could not object, for she was
padding her own canoe.
"After a bit the nose of the canoe dug it.
self gently into a bank. We swung round
| with the stream and lay hidden from the
| rest Of the world under a tree. 1t was so
quiet that the water rats came out to look
at us, and the fish began jumping under
| our very gunwale. For a long time we
| scarcely spoke, but the magic Of the sum-
mer evening was sliding into my soul,
for the influence Of the river Is quite IT.
resistible. You have got to talk sentiment.
Even if you are with a girl you hate it
lllGAhC6 1lO y otAh
all the same and keep your eyes shut to
cheat yourself into the belief that you are
talking it to some one else. BY 6 o'clock
Florrie Sinclair was holding my hand and
telling me my fortune. She found out
that I was in love with some one who re-
turned my affection, which at the time
struck me as absurd. Then I told her for
tune. l said there was M young man
very much in love with her, which seemed
at the time more than likely to be true.
"Then we both lay back. and she told me
in confidence several things which had
happened to her, and which she had never
told any n else, and I told her several
things that had not happened to me. The
sun was getting low and shot a broad
CLEAN of gold down the backwater, just
catching her hair and lighting it into an
aureole round her head. 1t struck me that
ten years ago she might have been a very
pretty girl. And then / began to think
how pleasant 1t would be if l were with a
girl I really liked. II only I were alone
with my girl! 1 took her carefully out of
my pocket-in my handkerchief-and took
a look at her. What a guileless facet And
yet how noble! How commonplace Florrie
| Sinclair seemed beside her.
"'Who's photo is that?' said Florrie
Sinclair.
"She had detected me.
II concluded it was better to tell the
truth. I could then talk sentiment freely
and without prejudice, for Florrie Sinclair
would know 1t was all meant for a third
party.
"'That, l answered, is the guiding
star of my existence-the girl I love. !
have never told her SO. She probably
wouldn't care to hear 1t. But her face is
always present with me, and I shall never
love another
"'Let me look, said she.
II handed 1T across to her. She looked
at 1t a moment and smiled gently. i
don't think it's much like me now, she
said. 1t was taken some years ago, just
before I went on the stage, at some anna.
teur theatricals. I will give you a better
one tomorrow. And-and l don't think
any girl ever had a prettier proposal, Ted
dy.'
"My heart jumped SO that 1t nearly
turned the canoe over.
"But just then some Of the party came
round the corner in a punt and said 1t
was time to 60 home"
Nobody spoke for few moments. Then
one Of the men took the photo from the
table where Teddy had laid 1t and exam
ined it, front and back.
II know where you got this FROM" he
said. "It came off one Of those boxes OF
cigarettes-our Little Charmers,' you
know. Here Is the gum still on the back.
"That's not the point now" said Ted
dy. 1.-THE question is, Am I in love, and,
II so, with whomP And, furthermore, am
I engaged to her9" y
"Of course you are engaged" I replied.
Pail Mall Budget.
Sign Language.
ILL.,. ail Hla.aa. o.n...nao hnH an,