The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-06
After the Picnic.

during the last hour. Mr.. Adhesive, who
sat near her. looked up inquiringly.
don't believe you like picnics; at least
not as l do" he said, half timidly.
20! picnics are very well, only there's too
much Of them-sometimes," and the at
tractive girl drew another long breath and
looked over to where the idle man and
Madge, her former chum. sat reading to-
gether under a big liveoak.
MI. Adhesive, who had Redeemed a little
with a sort Of lazy resentment at her
words, went into a deeper crimson as he
followed with his eyes the direction hers
had taken. Perhaps he felt a tinge of
Jealousy, too. But if he did he did not do
anything; in fact, there was nothing to be
done, and if there had been he would not
nave done it. He made a specially only Of
sticking" which he did so well that the
attractive girl and her confidential friends
had held many private debates as to
whether, when he died. his soul would
transmigrate itself into leech or a porous
plaster. She liked this tenacious quality
in him-at times. That this was not of
the times was not his fault, perhaps, nor
hers; simply one of those small trials which
are continuously occurring to US, but for
which nobody is directly responsible.
The Attractive Girl could not bring her
self to see it in that way, however; woman
like, she put the entire blame on him. and
revenged herself, whenever occasion offered,
by being as unpleasant to him as she con-
veniently could. 1t was rather too bad; she
and the Idle Man were the originators and
arrangers of this picnic on the Guadalupe.
the first Of the season, and naturally, he
should have gone with her But, as usual.
Mr.. Adhesive had insisted on asking her as
soon as he heard of it, several days before
other young men lad seen to their engage
mentS, and she had accepted-poSsibly be-
cause 1t was so hard to get rid Of him, and
then she was not sure the Idle Man would
ask her. He did ask her. though, and she
hated everything, particularly Mr.. Adhesive,
for having to refuse the Idle Man; and then
he took her former chum; he had done that
before when she could not go with him. On
the whole, she thought it might have been
worse. He safe with NIadge, she was
so comfortingly plain; one would fall in
love with her-sUch a sober little thing with
her quiet ways and her great, gray eyes
that looked you so squarely in the face.
But, anyway, the Attractive Girl was vor-
ried; somehow she had let Mr.. Adhesive
establish himself more firmly on her list
than she had meant to, but it no easy
matter to shake him off when once he OBJ
tanned a hold. She felt now that she must
loosen him somewhat or it would be ell over
with the Idle Man; and she had been the
Attractive Girl so long that she could afford
few such losses. Moreover the Idle Man
was cultured, good looking and much tray-
eled, and did everything comfortably and
even luXuriously that they said he was rich,
over there in plain view, talking to some
body else when she might have
Don't you like the way the Guadalupe
comes around this way" asked Mr. Adhe-
sive, daring at last to break into ner
thoughts
1T does very well for Texas river" she
said, "and there actually is some water in
it. What a miracle!''
Sometimes 1t is a raging torrent. Did
you not see it last spring when it was
swollen by those heavy rains? But it is
time you were forgetting your own native
frog ponds across the Sabine. and beginning
to appreciate our clear, clean, if somewha t
shallow, streams. BY the way, they say
that in your state the mosquitoes as
large alligators. and that. in their season,
you can't see the SIN for DAYS, and the
moon isn't in it at ALL"
1--WE have everything on a large scale in
the swamps, as you call them-ln1 why not
mosquitoes? You Texans rely too much on
the great size of your state, and you have
nothing else to correspond with that except
perhaps, your drouths. which l am free to
admit, are very large"
She smiled YEARLY; they had this sort Of
conversation quite often.
"And our climate he continued the more
enthusiastically for her little thrust, what
it does for consumptives!'
Yes. the climate is good for the lungs,
but it is death to the complexion" and she
pulled her broad hat closely down over her
face
yours has not suffered" he said. looking
at her admirngly. as the color showed be-
meath her clear, olive skin. 'But-you could
be happy here?" he asked softly
AS to that my happiness is not what we
were discussing, l believe. 1t is warm for
April, is lot not?" She did not want him to
get sentimental; he had weakness that
way at picnics.
Don't let talk Of the weather." he
said, peadingly.
why not? 1t is at all times a safe and
reliable subject. AS conversational topic
1T is considered by authorities, invaluable
and
yes, but you know we might find some
thing else now. Yourself-or the Guada-
lupe-"
Yes yes, go back to the Guadalupe. by
all means. You were complmenting it, you
Why do you two persist in quarreling on
this beautiful day." broke in the Idle Man,
as he sauntered up to them.
Il told Miss Madge that 1 felt it my
Christian duty to interfere before there was
boodshed," and he smiled back at her for
mer chum, who still sat under the tree.
very cOntentedly eating an apple But let
me take you off Of each others hands for a
moment or two" he went on. Mr.. Adhe-
sive, 1 know that Miss Madge would be glad
to have you help her finish her apple. and
this young lady and l will take row on
the river. What do you say?" he questioned,
turning to the Attractive Girl
Eyes, that will be very nice' she said.
smilngly.
We'll then. it is as good as DONE" said
the Idle Man gayly, and he ran his arm
through hers and bore her off almost bodily
from her devoted escort.
1T is a crying shame the way you make
that poor fellow suffer- said the Idle Man.
as he and the Attractive Girl took their
seats in the boat
The idea! Nothing hurts a man: and, be-
sides, l don't do anything this time 1t was
your fault entirely" but her face express
ed no anger nor regret.
Perhaps it was today. but on other oc-
casions you've treated him as you pleased
and you're somewhat mistaken as to mems
feelings. Certain things hurt them very
much-when they love woman-very very
much" he said, muSingly, as he bent to his
oars and the boat went swiftly down the
river. And you know that man is half
mad about you"
do you think SOP" she asked Indifferent
ly
Think it? No, simply know it. Would
any man alive endure the sights and sar-
casms that you've heaped upon him If he
did not love your
20, he doesn't care; any one could do the
heaping and it would be much the same.
He is excessively good-natured," she said,
a little impatiently. She had not come out
to discuss Mr.. Adhesive She hoped for
something better. How deep the river Is
along here" she cried with view Of
getting the conversation another line.
The idle man drew in his oars and let the
boat drift
This has been day Of happiness for
me- he said, leaning forward to look into
\ ln. 1ofi trir foo 1acf Icxr .