The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-05-24
A MIDNIGHT TRYST.

"The age of miracles is past" re-
marked Charley Ingram, giving a
meditative glance 10 his long legs, as
IL they were somehow responsible for
the present dearth of miraculous oc-
currences, and thus kindly, if uninten-
tionally, affording me an opportunity
to admire his resoiute profile, the boy
tsh freshness of his complexion, and
other details that went to make a
picture of earnest young manhood.
The age of miracle is past. Ravens
or other thoughtful birds no longer
fly about DESTROYS of feeding the de-
serving poor. l must go to work"
In other words, he must tear him
self from my enthralling presence and
betake himself to a distant state, there
to embark in mining venture-a plan
of ancient date in his life, and upon
which we built our Utopia of future
bliss.
Il am going. Rose, soon"
l suppose l looked like Grief on a
monument turning up her nose at Pa
tience, for he said:
"Oh, you'll get along all right. The
dust of my footsteps won't have been
blown by the wind before Tom, Dick
and Harry will be spooning here"
l left his side and walked to the tall
glass suspended between the end win
dows of the old parlor that had wit
messed so much of our love-making
1t seemed worth while to take fresh
inventory of my charms, in view of the
imminence of my conquests.
Was 1t mad?" he Knocked, coming
behind me and trying to meet my eyes
In the mirror. you see, l envy them
-confound EN-! See here, suppose you
go into nunnery till l come back"
Thanks. not even to oblige your
Sultanic Majesty. I'll compromise,
though; will go into nunnery, if you
don't come back"
will your" encouragingly. Il will
give you five years Of graceless free
dom, and if | don't come back in that
time, make your views lin an austere,
sepulchral tone), AID, coifed and clois-
tered, pray for the repose of my rest
less SOUL for if l don't come back it
will be very restless soul"
He brushed my cheek with his soft
mustache, which, despite his assured
carriage and his force self-assertion,
gave him such naif, adolescent air.
Then slipping his arm around me.
and surveying our prepossessing fig
ures:
What strikingly handsome couple
we are! You have way of drawing
me to this mirror to harrow my soul
with that picture"
IF you could only conjure this old
mirrOr-fX that image there, visible
to me ONLY could steal in here, and,
looking at it, persuade myself that
maybe you had not laid your gold mine
at the feet Of"
l paused from def cheney of informa-
ton, not knowing whether senoritas or
gentle savages predominated in the
gold mine regions.
What lots of fun we had at this
mirror Halloween, a year ago-don't
you remember? See herewith a sud-
den change of manner-"are you in
earnest about my showing up there
some time in the future?"
"All right; will make an engage
ment with you. Let's see-this is jan
uary-say next Halloween, the night
of nights II you Iant to see me, and
you have not forge ten me, look in this
glass next HalloH cen, and my face
will appear there as sure as fate"
Nonsense"
thing about it. Why, l had a grand
mother who could do the queerest
things you ever heard of. You just
come in here on the night of the 31st
or next October. Come alone, at mid
night; come in the dark, remember;
stand here, strike a match, light the
candle you will have with you, raise
1t above your head, look right in there
and-can you do anything as heroic as
that?"
ooh, yes, If that's ALL" l said, flip
PANTY.
"All right; dance, flrt, break as
many hearts as you please; but if in
the meantime you DO not join the great
MAJORITY mean that big majority OF
your sex who are !nconstant-come in
here on the 31st, at midnight and
IL there Is a bathtub in Boonville. a
Chinese laundry, a barber and haber-
dasher, you'll $50 me right there
(pointing). fresh as daisy, and
wearing the handyomest four-in-hand
in Boonville. You promise?"
Il promise; but supposing you have
not inherited your EraIdmother's skill
In uecromancy?"