The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
TWO FAIR WOMEN.

The individual whose name was Kennedy
yawr q, uncrossed his legs to cross them
the other way, and refrat ned from reply
ing, as there seemed nothing to be said
He did not wish to own the soft impeach-
ment; he could not truthfully deny it, He
and his friend, Frank Murphy, were having
a smoke and a talk in his bachelor quar-
tiers. They had been to dance together
and now in the still hours of the summer
morning felt inclined TO prolong their vigil
instead Of going sensiby to bed. They
were Dublin men. They had both impor-
tant posts in thriving distillery, and the
atmosphere of the still sleeping Irish me-
tropolis was now around them
We'll you can't deny that L am right,
Murphy inisted II told you how it would
| be. | warned you not to encourage her."
Hang it"' said Kennedy, dashing the
ashes from his cigar with movement of
annoyance. 81 never encouraged her.
She's a fiirt. If she chose to fiirt with me
l could not help that L wish she would fix
her attentions on some other man"
II wish she would" said Murphy. rather
wistfuly.
| Dash it all, Frank, L believe your are
soft on her.
Murphy laughed constrainedy.
J IF l am, why not? She's not the first
/ girl have been soft on
What would you do if you were in my
place."
I'D marry her,
''You would, of course, because you are
! fond of her. I'm not
| That's not the reason. I'm advising you
for your good and I'm judging from your
side Of the question. know Nellie Lesson
is bit of a tiirt, but that's all on the sur
face. She's a downright good girl every
way. Shed be good "a wife as you can
find. And it's time you married. You know
you're tired of being a bachelor. Aren't
you, now?'
Kennedy sighed. His friends arguments
wrought on him in spite of himself.
You put love quite out of the question,
Frank Don't you think man should love
the woman he wants to marry?"
"Bosh"' said Murphy conclusively. Hot
love soon cools. That sentimental sort of
thing does not go far in real life. People
who begin that way often end by hating
each other
But if 1 marry Nellie, what about you?
You are fond of her,
IT'S quite a fraternal feeling" said
Murphy, comfortably. I'm not the sort of
fellow to lose my head over any woman.
have her. AS she doesn't, I'm quite salts
fled she should have the fellow she does
care for
Il don't know on earth why she cares for
me-.
IT'S because of your face. Phil. That's
the worst of being born so beastly good
looking. Then a man has all the women
running after him.
Kennedy smiled slightly. Then an express
sion of pain came over his handsome face.
but women are FOOLS Murphy resumed.
"Good-looking fellows are always hard to
manage. You are the greatest crank /
know
That's why think it unwise to rush into
matrimony."
Did you ever love a woman?'
II dreamt once that 1 did,
"Dreamt it?''
Such experiences are the dreams OF life,
old fellow. They are far better than the
reality. But you know nothing about them"
Just as well for me that don't. But
why didn't you marry her?
She wouldn't have me-"
us she Dublin grip
'She was in Dublin then. 1 don't know
where she is now"
Then don't bother about her. Have a
woman that will have you for the asking"
Il wish 1 had something to throw at
you said Kennedy. I'm too tired for any
exertion and there's no good in arguing
with you
When Murphy had taken his departure
Kennedy lay on the sofa and thought he
| would sleep there. He was not inclined to
| go to bed but his mind was still in a
| very wakeful state, and involuntariy he
began rejecting on the subject his friend
| had been discussing. Kennedy had been
| dlmly conscious that Miss Nellie Lesson
| had been making advances to him and that
| she would probably like to marry him; but,
| as he was wont to think of her as a hirt
| he had not considered the situation Sc
| riously until now, when 1T assumed a new
| aspect in the light Frank Murphy had
| thrown on it: He (Kennedy) had been meet
ing this girl constantly lately. She was
lively, ana her gayety distracted him. If
| he had not actually encouraged her adj
| vances. he had perhaps given rise to ex-
pectatlOnS in her mind by allowing them
| to pass as a matter of course. Intensely
sensitive on any point of honor, Kennedy
| erred toward Miss Lesson by allowing her
| to take 1t for granted that she could rouse
matrimonial intentions with regard to her.
self in his mind.
/ Then one of those sudden radical changes
| that are somtimes effected in a mans way
of thinking came upon him. Why should he
self seriously. The idea would have seemed
absurd to him yesterday, yet it appeared
quite natural to-day, and the remembrance
of Frank MurphyS practical suggestion
gave it tenacity and shape. The reasons for
his marrying her We're much stronger than
the reason against. He liked the girl.
Though she was fond of masculine society
she was not unwomanly. Ee knew she had
many sterling qualities, and that her at
tachment to him was quite diSinterested, as
she had several more eligible admirers He
was tired of his bachelor quarters. He was
feeling worried and restless. 1t was just the
time to settle down to Il responsibility.
What better one could he want than that
of endeaVoring to make a woman who
loved him happy? He almost made up his
mind to propose to Nellie the next time
he met her, and thus he quietly dozed off
to sleep with her image filling his mind
In his sleep he heard voice calling him.
Philip! Philip The call flashed to his
consciousness through the slumber that
was dulling his brain. 1t was like q clarion
sounding in some still place. Then, as an
echo, came another call, also reiterated
'Phili Philn
He started to his feet and rubbed his eyes
with troubled expression.
~ was her voice, he said to himself.
How strange l could have sworn she was
here. 1t must have been a dream.'
Going to the window, he opened it, and
stood looking out. His face was very pale
and though he had described his experience
as q dream, he was much moved by it, The
incident or coincidence of being reused by
the voice of the woman he loved, when he
had almost made up his mind to marry a
woman he did not love, affected his pur-
pose. Usually he was promptly decisive.
Now he resolved to temporize. He would
not propose to Nelfie just yet He would
not even decide whether not he would
marry her, for he was really hot bound to
her in any way. He would ask for a holt
day and go away for at least a month. He
mood for company. He would go on long
cycling tour bV himself He had often