The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-02
AN EASTER ENGAGEMENT.

be different now-they did things in a free
and-easy, neighborly fashion. For instance,
there were no telephone pay stations, anu
not many private houses were furnished Will
telephones of their own: you Went 10 your
favorite corner drug store, smiled at the
clerk and Eodded to the telephone with Wnlch
every drug store was equipped, then the clerk
would say Help yourself and you helped
yourself gratis, to the of the telephone
Not only that but if you lived near really
obllging drug store, the clerk would receive
messages for you and send them by chance
messenger to your house.
In that way it happened that good deal
OF ne1ghborly conversation, over and ABOVE
what went on around the store, was held IN
the drug store. And sometimes one over
heard what was not at all Interesting TO
near and sometimes what was.
Julius Candy overheard something that IN
terested him very deeply, one day while ne
was waiting at the counter for the clerk to
rummage out and open a new case OF cigars.
julius did not know the lady by name, though
her face was familiar enough. She went TO
the telephone and asked for a certain num-
Der which julius knew it may be said, init
mately After that he overheard the lady
say, rs that you, Maud?"
Julius often rang up that number himself
and talked to one Maud
What he made out afterwards was: Il want
you to tell me about Easton. Yes? Yes? Now
you're quite sure? 1t is an engagement, then!
So glad. Good-by'
And when the drug clerk had got out those
new cigars, and Julius had sampled one, he
did not like the flavor nearly as well as he
had expected to. He bought few OF the
cigars, so not to disappoint his friend, the
clerk and then, as he walked home, he med
ltated bitterly on two thngs-the sureness OF
his insight and the fickelness of woman.
L knew it all along he said to himself
Il was blamed focl to let myself be taken
in by transparent f1irt like that. Didn't
Billy Herbert give me a plain hint? And
didn't Mrs. CapSton tell me-or as good as tell
me-she had seen Maud Andrews go through
oil hot hon hofor min
fool must learn by experience. It's Eas-
toms turn to learn now. Wonder how long
it will be before he gets his lesson"
The EaSton mentioned in this soliloquy was
a strapping youth just from college. Most
people of the settlement liked him, Maud
Andrews among them, but julius did not,
chiefly because Maud dd-too much, Julius
thought
1t was dusk as julius stroled home from
the drug store, medtatng bitterly. A large
dog met him on the sidewalk and stopped as
if expecting to be noticed, but julius passed
on until, a few PAGES further, he was stopped
by the salutation, Hi, Candy, what are you
dreaming abOut?'
1t was the voice of the dogs owner-Eas-
ton.
'Helloo!" said Julius ooh, wasn't dream
ing at all Ha, ha! Congratulate you, Eas-
tom
ooh, so you've heard, eh? Well, I thought
I'd Pull it off, you know"
"You did, eh?' said julius with snort of
sarcastic significance Its great thing
in these cases to have confidence, 1 suppose"
Il don't see that that makes any differ
ence." said Easton. You can't influence,
judges with show of confidence, you know.
We'll, must be getting hon." said Julius
anxious to end the interview.
And after he had left the other man, he
said to himself, that's about the talest
piece Of gall 1 ever encountered. Wonder
what the fellow meant by influence the
judgeS?"
A few days later he met Maud Andrews,
IxxyIn cd = INV had ino of
him since the week before.
'Oh, nothing, he said. Il only thought"
"What?" said Maud.
Thought you might not be particularly
anxious to see just now.
THAT was a funny thought for you to
have" she remarked. What made you think
it?"
"Oh don't you know" he said.
mo, 1 DON'T
Cant you guess?"
mo, can't guess
"Then I don't think there's any particular
reason why I should enlighten you
Julius Candy in her heart "a horrid wretch
and swearing she didn't care if she never saw
him again.
| Julius did some more soiloquizing, and it
went something like this: "Of all the outra-
geous little f1irtS this girl is easily the most
outrageous! She actually thinks she's going
to draw me back with her little thread and
her little bent pin! And after I've had it
straight from Easton himself, who thought
he'd pull it off, I wish him joy of her. He'll
have lovely wife if they ever marry-if it
gets as fa- that-ha, hal"
He was closing the soliloquy with what is
commonly described in print as "a bitter
! laugh
AS his luck would have it, julius met the
| lady of the telephone not long after. 1t was