El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-02
TEDDY'S ROMANCE,

This is the way that Teddy Bowles AN
nounced his engagement to us:
REALLY it was all the fault of this con
founded photograph, combined with the
river" said Teddy, taking a portrait from
his coat pocket and holding it out between
his finger and thumb for our inspection.
1t was the photograph of a nun with the
eyes turned up as if in prayer. 1t seemed
somehow familiar to me, though I could
not remember where 1 had seen it. Il
haven't the least idea how I came by it"
said Teddy. 81 don't even remember when
1 first saw it. But ono day 1 noticed thas
it was beginning to establish itself as al
inmate of my rooms. 1t began, 1 think,
as a bookmarker. The face had sort of
fascination for me. 1t looked so Innocent
and appealing, and it was so friendless.
made several efforts to get rid of it. But
you know how impossible it is to get rid
of thing like THAT when it has made ur
its mind to stay. tried to lose her among
my unpaid bills and Invitations on the
mantelpiece. Bur she always turned up
on top. The nexs day a note of my piano
stuck. found her wedged in between tho
hammers. Looking the other way to avoid
her plaintive eyer. dropped her into the
wastebasket. After breakfast the next
morning had :ighted a cigarette and was
trying to think O. an excuse for not work
ing, when wans.d an ash tray. 1 looked
round, and there she was lying calmly on
my writing tatFs The housemaid, her
woman s heart ready to rescue a fallen
sister, had picket her out from the rub
bish and reinstat,d her. For a moment
hesitated then dropped my cigarette ash
over her, and we we're one. l couldn't turn
her out after that,
Ever since t.>en she has lived in my
pocket. She has rsen my talisman. Young
men have no IDA Of the influence of a
pure affection. Mine was pure enough.
She was a nun, you understand, and
nothing but sp: ritual union was possible
between us Thas girls Madonna face just
curled its infiue..ce round my life and col
ored all my actions She was my ideal
woman.
81 was all the more willing to cultivate
an affection for 'ae ideal, as thought it
would protect SIZE against assaults from
the real. And su it did until yesterday
81 went up t5 river to spend the day
with some people know who are staying
at NARROW. F,rrrie Sinclair was with
them. There were some rather nice girls
among the partr, but 1 make it rule
never to go on the river with a girl like.
| There is someth- lg about the river which
| induces confiden. es, and prefer not to be
| overconfident. 20 I got Florrie Sinclair
| to take me in he: Canadian canoe, think
| ing that as 1 rat aer disliked her I should
be moderately safe, especially if I could
| get an occasional glance at my tal1sman
| All the way up tc Hurley smoked great
deal and talked rot much. What little
did say was about lunch. 1t was not til
| about O'Clock that the real danger be
gan. Up to thea the party had kept to-
| gether. But at about Florrie SinclaiI
began padding around among the back
water. I could not object, for she was
padding her own canoe.
"After bit the nose Of the canoe dug it
| self gently into a bank. We swung rount
| with the stream and lay hidden from thu
| rest of the world under a tree. 1t was Sc
| quiet that the water rats came out to lool