Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-11-28
A SHAFT BY CUPID.

man to generous communication and
binds his tongue hard and fast to common
place.
Corned beef, crimson to the core With
saltpeter and Aanked by underboed onions
and aabby cabbage, will make the customer
see in the host or guest an enemy lying in
wait for some unguarded statement or care
less admission of which he may take advan-
tage.
Il never told you about my old girl back
in New Hampshire did II" asked the en-
gineer, knocking the first feathery mar
gin of ash from his cigar and stirring the
Jumps of sugar in his coffee.
"New Hampshire?" repeated his friend.
"No, don't believe you ever did. Hold on,
Thoughts Dernersport in New lIamp-
shire? You told me about girl there
once"
mo; did 1? What, about Polly Peter
son.
"That wasn't the name. 1t was Mabel
something--Mabel Nichols-that's what it
was"
"Why, yes" said the engineer, smiling
rather foolishly, "your memory is better
than mine. Mabel, of course; Polly was
now let me see, where the dickens was Pol
ly? Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Neither
of them has anything to do with my New
Hampshire girl. Dernersport is in northern
Pennsylvania. No, this New Hampshire
girl was the real and only. 1t wasn't any
ephemeral, light weight, buggy.ride-and-
cream-soda attachment; it was fierce I'M
reasoning Ella Wheeler Wilcox passon-a
burning love that has left scars. Honest,
Mosely, if l had married that girl / would
have been better man"
That's what you said about Polly. She
Scared you up some, too. if | remember
right"
II shouldn't wonder if she did," said the
engineer, "and / might have been better
man if had married her. I'm not con-
tending that I'm absolutely perfect now.
Say! Women are remarkable things, Nose
ly. Did you ever stop to think Of it in that
Light"
"Qute frequently" said his friend.
"What was this ones name? 1t isn't i'm
pertinent curiosity. just wanted to get
her placed to avoid confusion"
"IIer name was-no. Pm not going to
tell you that. There are some things that
are too sacred to tell even to friend like
you. 1t wouldn't do you any good to know
her name"
"If l had any way of proving it I'd bet
five dollars you've forgotten it."
"Have it your own way" said the engi-
neer. 81 loved her just the same. If she
had wanted me to I'd have laid me doom to
dee, like the fellow in the song, at any
stage in the game. | think may say that
she felt the same way about me. How is it
we never marry the girl we passionately
adore, Mosely?"
eve do. The trouble is it wears off ard
then we get to thinking that the one with
the blue eyes was the lS-carat Fair limo
gene. 1t works that way every time. Did
she pass you up or was it the other way?'
81 guess it was little of both. 1t was
too hot to keep. There was something
fated about it from the first, and we often
talked the matter over after | had de-
clared myself. 1t WASH week before she'd
let up to the piano just about the cleaning
and sing:
"'Perchance II we had never met
I had been spared this mad regret,
This endless striving to forget.
Forever and forever!
"That shows how it stood We each had
don't you know. What
l'you think she called me, Mosely"
"'Baby?"
"No, I'm not fooling."
"Was it My king How should know
what she called you? l give it up. ! had |
girl call me Pigsey' once, but you cant
'rove anything by that.
picked out fresh cigar. 81 guess | won't
lever love another woman as | did that
rTbo, Jop1t !,
ny more. l can sit down and hear girl
ing Sweet Alice or something like that
nd it never feazes me-"
at does me-" remarked the friend "Ex-
use me when they sing Sweet Alice"
'It was funny thing about us" returned
he engineer. eve didn't have to talk much
o make love. We understood each other
D well that words would have been an i'm
ertinence. 1t was enough for us to he
ear each other-perhaps to clasp handi
nd look into each others eyes"
"IIoly smoke!" calculated the friend.
II went to see her about year ago-thn
rst time in six years."
"She had grown fat, suppose. and had
aven children and an incompetent dress
laker."
"She was little stout, but not enough
, hurt, and only had four children was
aturaly rather agitated at the thought of
leeting her again, and I anticipated some
light degree of awkwardness, considering
7erything. I needn't have worried about
, though"
"Did she turn you down."
"No, not by any means. She seemed
ute pleased to see me when I explained
no | was, but it seemed to bother her ut
rst to place me. She said she recollected
Y father and my cousin Joseph quite well,
,wever."
THAT was something"
at was. We talked about Cousin Joseph
I'd my parent for some time and then sls
lSed me if had ever met her husband
81 called her bluff. told her that had
'ver met him, but had often heard my
usin Joe speak of him. That husband of
RS was the boy we first quarrele, about.
was little hot, she was so comfortable
I'd unembarrassed about it, and asked her =
she remembered that little slippery horse
ir sofa in the back parlor.
at never touched her, though. She
ughed and said that she remembered it
ed. Then | put one or two others to her
raight from the shoulder One was about
certain moonlight night coming home
ON the old meeting house, and the other
well, it doesn't matter what the other
e was. Anyway, she looked little I'm.
sy and shook her head.
"I ought to have told YOU she said. II
lst before I was married had bad at &c
elk of typhoid fever and my mind is per. 81
It blank concerning what took place for
rhaps year or two before that time"
THAT was mighty neat" commented the l,
end.
Was it," inquired the engineer. "Do T