The record-union., 1898-08-07
An EPISODE.

| lie expects never 10 see again. oucH
love is concocted of the best-selected
circumstances-nove despair and
! lack of consequences. Also, the breV-
( ity of a fortnight concentrates the emo
! tions, and concentrated emotions are
kind of mental Bovril. Not only are
thay sustaining at the time, but you can
scrape the tin afterward, and manu-
/ facture quarts of excellent memories
OF course the fortnight, to be- complete,
ought to occur in summer and to pos
| sess climax, and the young man and
young woman should be sufficiently in
telligent to take advantage Of their op-
poItunities The might -have-sa:d 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 We're above reproaoh. 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
lavender beds in 'front.' of them. 1t was
a situation where a man might almost
have quoted Browning.
Il suppose" the young man began,
4
our very last-at least, for a long time
You're going tomorrow, then?" the
young woman said.
Il have to see my peop,e before L join
my regiment" the young man an
swered. What a good time I've had
| here,'
Il hoped" she said, that you We're
| above this kind of thing"
What kind of thing
"Oh. the going -goinggo business!"
she replied. Il hate last anythings.
Aren't they just a little-shop-soile
! Does nothing ever matter?" he
asked.
Il feel that ought to come in with a
conversational waltz refrain" she re-
piled, but it's difficult even for me al
| ways to be obvious.
The young man looked grieve0, and
made no answer
You were about" she observed, ito
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 gaze on the Southern Cross in
!
Very likely" he answered, quietly.
That's right she pursued. mo
young man of feeling, within signing
distance OF the Southern Cross, should
neglect it. /, on the other hand, shall
look at the Great Bear, and think Of
YOU"
lately?" heasked.
NTo cha sl,1rt
visited some really pathetic melo-
dramas"
Il only meant that it's been rather a
warm July; and are you fond of BIZ
cycling? and it's not bad floor to-
night"
Aren't you just little ungrateful?''
she said. Il only wanted"-
II understand. A nice, cold shower
bath" he answered. You lneedn
be afraid l shall bother you. Only 1
should like to thank you for having
given me the happiest fortnight Of
my life. and to wish you good luck"
You are" she said, softly, rather a
nice boy"
Some day" he answered, Il trust
that l 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 if it
aid matter?"
rs it quite impossible?" he asked.
| We'll isn't it?" she answered
''Of course we should have to wait"
he said; but couldn't you wait awhile,
kitty?"
please don't think me horrid and
mercenary," she said. 1T isn't alto
gether that; but don't you know what q
long engagement means? It's the long
est thing on earth. It's marriage on
the hire purchase system, where you
pay three times as much as it's worth
/ for a thing that's worn out before you
really get it,
IF l left the service" he urged, I'VE
should have enough to live on quietly.
You'd be so content if you did, she
said, "and our castle in Spain would be
villa in West Kensington.' No, Jack,
il wouldn't do. I'm sorry, but it
wouldn't do. Can't you see?"
"Oh, l see clearly enough he said.
bitterly. Il hope that, some day, you'll
have a nice, large paper marriage, a
la modiste. with real golden wedding
bells, and the full approval of the fam
| lily 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"
"Tm sorry" the young man said. Il
suppose nothing / could say would
make any diference?"
| Nothing, I'm afraid
Very we'll. May 1, at least, have all
| the other dances tonight"
/ Yes 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
| agined themselves heartbI oxen. The
| young man said several things which
| he considered really cynical, and the
| young woman wallowed in a sence Of
martyrdom. They said goodby in the
| cold morning light and she allowed
! him to kiss her. The kiss they regarded
as a. kind of sacrament.
Now, in the ordinary course of events
the episode might have ended satisfac-
toriiy here. The young man would
have blown his nose violently when the
band played THE Girl | Left Behind
| Me- and murmured the young wo-
mans name when he felt seasick. and
then relapsed into remembering the
whole thing with a sigh and a compla-
cent smile. The young woman's rec
objection would have depended on her
/ attitude toward her husband Till her