Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-07-27
IDEALS
By Regent Minor.

BY Regent Minor.
kakaa00aaaQaeasasa sssasasaaeaaQQaasa0&
Onboard p. and o. steamer: hot after
noon in the Mediterranean; the deck is de-
serted but for three passengers and an oc-
casional noiseless Lascar.
Miss Molly Titherige, looking dainty and
cool in white frock and shoes, is lying
back in her deck chair with an open book
on her knee. She is dark haired, gray-eyed,
and interesting to the verge Of prettiness.
Mr.. Archie Campbell, in white linen
tropica! suit, q paper in his hands, lies in
the shadow of neighboring boat. He is
dark and good-looking, but rather under
the medium height
Mrs. Mathews. an elderly lady with a
very severe countenance, mods over her
knitting further up the deck.
ID OILY with sigh of relief)-At
last I've got rid of that horrid old
bore of a colonel. Such an ideal day!
Such wicked waste to spend it talking
to him! l wonder WHEREBY! here he
is. (Ske subsidies into her book as
Archie Campbell strolls up.)
Archie-Anybodys chair, Miss Tith-
erige, or may have it?
Molly with slightly annoyed ex-
preston well, it was the colonels;
but 1 suppose you may sit there till
he comes back. 1 don't suppose he'd
mind. (She relapses into her book with
an Indifferent air.
Archie aside Wouldn't he, though!
(Aloud) don't suppose he would.
He's not a bad old boy if he'd only shut
up about the depreciating rupee and
not be always boring us with
Molly Gnterrupting, sharply)-Don't
talk, please, want to read!
Archie-So sorry-I won't say an
other word! want to read, too.
"a long silence ensues, during which
they both appear to be reading in
tently.)
Molly Suddenly leaning back and
looking at the sea)-O! what an ideal
day! Such color in the sea and the
sky
Archie (interrupting, sharply -
Don't talk, please, want to read.
Molly with offended dignity)-I sup
pose may speak to myself.
Archie-O! certainly. I'm loud
aside) It's considered rather 'ratty.
Molly (scornfully)-I don't UNDER
stand your slang!
Archie-Well, you needn't be so Of
Tended then if you don't understand it.
Molly with extreme dignity)-It is
considered very rude to talk to people
in a language they do not understand.
Archie (also with dignity)I sup
pose may speak to myself!
Molly-O! certainly.
(Another long pause ensues, during
which both appear to be, earnestly read
ing. Molly looks up, looks at Archie,
frowns, and signs heavily. Archie goes
on reading. Molly signs louder. Archie
shivers as if cold, but still goes on read
ing. Molly gives a third huge sigh, and
Archie looks up.)
Archie-Surely, breeze spring
ing up?
Molly-No, only me signing.
Archie-O! (He relapses into his pa
PERI
Molly with sudden decision)-Mr.
Campbell!
Archie Cooking up, eagerly)-Miss
Titherige! An ice or lemon squash,
or both?
Molly-Neither, thanks. But you
might talk little, think. You're aw-
fully dull to-day.
Archie folding up his paper with
alacrity)-So sorry, I thought you
meant what you said. You do some
times, you know!
Molly-Only when I'm ill or angry.
x,o,,s,.o not o;<ha,, ,,1xxy
are you? Nooks at her tenderly.)
What shall we talk about? Let me
see We had weather and tropics the
first day; second day, books and music;
third, politics and religion; fourth,
generalities about people; fifth, per-
.sonalities about the passengers-tha
was yesterday. Well, now suppose we
try personalities about ourselves to-
day. I know! You tell me all my
faults, and I'll tell you all yours!
Molly-Thank you. That would be
giving me all the weight of the CONVEX
sation, and want you to talk. Conf
dentially and seriously) Do you know
we are boring each other horribly?
Confess! we've exhausted each other,
and want to quarrel, don't we?
Archie Cooking at her earnestly)-
Do we?
Molly-Yes. One always exhausts
people on long voyages, don't you
know? Coming out, I walked clean
through-yes, right clean through all
the passengers in the first week. Fact!
Thirty-fve people, and not soul to
speak to after the first week!
Archie-Of course, you read all the
rest of the way, and kept diary. Girls
always keep diary when there's moth
ing going on, and never when there is.
Why is that?
Molly-How stupid you are! Because
it is SO difficult when you have some
thing to tell. Don't you see? Anyone
can spin things out, but it takes
genius to stew them down! O, litera-
ture I'm talking now, and I can feel
you are listening. Now you talk! I'm
tired, and want rest. Your conversa-
ton always has such a-somno-som-
nip. -sonomi- o bother! It's too hot!