The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-10-26
"A Test Of the Heart.

Jones advised me not to marry her-he
said that she was too young and pretty.
Farnum advised me to remain an old
bachelor-told me a man past 40 simply
made a fool of himself by matrimony.
Tewksbury-a man who is notorious for
never minding his own business-told me
she had had love affair with Harry Bir-
mingham before he went South.
Allen shook his head and said Clara Myers
might be very pretty, but he liked some
body maturer and more settled. IN. Bile
married his housekeeper the next week, and
she is mature enough for Methuselah him
self!) =" ts
Everybody thought was trying danger
GUS experiment, but l didn't pretend to suit
everybody-so I simply suited myself
went quietly to church with Clara Myers
and married her one glorious January morn
ing, when the caves of old st. Paul's was
fringed with glittering icicles, and the brisk
wind was freighted with particles of flying
snow, like battalion of diamonds on the
double quick.
She was 10 and / was nine and thirty.
She was as beautiful as a rosebud, with
shy, pretty way like timid child, and l am
rough old codger, sound enough at heart,
but like winter apple, unpromising on the
exterior. .....-.
In short, we were as unlike as May and
November and the good-natured world
shook its head and said mo good could
come of such an unequal match" But she
said she loved me. and believed her. No
body could look into Claras blue eyes and
not believe her, you see!
And the next day 1 made a will and be-
queathed all my property Internationally to
my wife.
Are you sure you are doing wise thing,
Mr.. Folliott?" said Mardyn. the lawyer,
pushing his blue spectacles up on his fore
head until he looked like bald old gnome
with double pair of eyes. "You see. she
is very much younger than yourself,
and"
please to be so kind as to mind your
own business said I, brusquely. Don't
be offended, Mardyn, but really people seem
to suppose l am not able to attend to my
own affairs!''
Just as you please, sir just as you
please" said Mardyn in a rage. II am
mere tool in your hands,! r
That's it exactly" said l. So 1 signed
the will and went homes to Clara
"Oh, Paul, you must not die!'' said Clara.
with a scared look when told her what
and generously as you have done, and
don't know what 1 should do if you were
taken away"
There was young Birmingham, if all re-
ports were true 1 mischievously re-
marked
"A mere butterfly" she said haughtily,
without brains or principle! Paul! Paul,
l have found shelter in your true, loving
heart, and l mean to nestle there always!"
And then she cried-this foolish, soft
hearted little wife of mine
Jones and Tewksbury might have called
this policy. Farnum would have said it was
acting. But it was very pleasant, and felt
more than ever like a man who had found
some precious jewel, and wears. it., like an
amulet, on his breast.
So things went on until the firm of which
l was managing partner needed to send
some one to Calcutta to see after a turbaned
scoundrel Of an agent who had absconded
with more money than we Could welT afford
to lose. Morrison was old and feeble
Hewitt's wife lay very ill, so 1 was the one
to go. I kissed Clara goodby as cheerfully
as 1 could, fully expecting to be back in
three months or so. But-you know the old
French adage-"Thomme propose. ct Dieu
disposed"
l had to follow the agent up into the
mountains of India-I fell i'll of one of
those burning climate fevers in the bunga-
low of an old native priest, and the months
new by until 1t was more than year be-
fore found myself on the deck of the Blue
eyed Mary steaming into New York harbor.
And, all this time, Clara had never heard
a word from me.
l had written to her to prepare her for
what seemed almost like my rising from
the dead, but l had afterward found NV
letters in the pocket of the neglected native
servant who had undertaken to deliver the
mails to the Calcutta Office
but it doesn't matter so much now
I thought, "she will be more delighted
poor little girl.
And then a cold chill seemed to creep
through my veins, like Novembers wind
suddenly breathing across a bed of flow
ers!
Clara had heard nothing of me for nearly
fifteen months-what might not have hap
pened in that time? All that Tewksbury
and Jones, and Allen, and other prophetic
ravens of my acquaintance had said re-
CURED to my mind like the burden of an
uneasy dream. I had been counting the
days, the hours, the very minutes until we
should touch port-but now that my feet
rang once more upon the pavements of my
native city I actually dared not 20 home.
l turned into a down town restaurant
where l had been wont to go in the DAYS
of my bachelorhood, and skunk into dark
corner; the twilight was just falling and
l was sheltered by the partition.
Hush! That was Tewksbury's voice.
harsh and Earring as of old. 4..
''Just what might have been expected. :"
said Tewksbury Pretty young widows
don't go begging in this market" -
"Folliott might have known it," growled
old Farnum Poor Folliott! There were
some good points about him, too Sad
thing, that; very sad thing
"We must all die," said Tewksbury.
gravely.
Eyes, but fellow would naturally prefer
dying in his bed to being carried off by an
East Indian fever and buried in the iun-
gles.'
/ shuddered. Had then come home to
my own funeral, as it were?
"And she's going to marry young Biz
mingham, after all!' added Farnum.
The paper dropped from my hand. p
II could have told Folliott so when I
heard what a COMPOUNDED idiotic will he
had made!" said Tewsbury, $50 gold has
fallen again. Just my luck, 1 sold out
tonight!" -e%.
1 stayed to hear no more, but stag
gered out into the darkness with one idea
whirling through my dizzy brain-my Clara
was mine no longer!
1t was quite true, what Tewsbury had