Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-16

III moment that he had made the
mistake of his life in his unmistakable
attentions to Edna Roberts.
He realized that what he had con-
ceiYed 10 be an enduring love had been,
in truth, but an evanescent boyish
fancy. Boyish admittedly, for though
be was IS and knew the world, yet, as
manhood is attained by experiences
and emotions, Hudson was obliged to
own that he had been lacking in its
fullness Experiences he had passed
through until his jaded soul sicbened
within him and he thought that he
had run the gamut of human passion.
Deluded fool Ii was all as the pale
gleam of a cloudobscured moon to the
blaze of the summer sun in its noon
dav spleudor-as the mild and vanilla
favored soda to that glass of stuff that
had scorched his throat and brought
the tears TO his eyes, when in quest of
experiences he had gone with Ted
Bauer into Mick Donahue's place.
lie had met his fate.
The Milwaukee excursion steamer
was crowdcd-crowded with an un-
thinking throng bent solely on trivial
pleasure.
Children chased one another along
the decks. screaming in an ecstasy OF
delight, unheeding of the occasional
admouitions of mothers, who, COM
fortably seated among the capacious
lunch-baskets, were distracted be-
tween the joys of conversation and
care of their offspring.
. as.rS- -.prumerable in shirt waists,
saucy skirts anu --rrrur-uut- ~s~us ussN~ss
about or hir-ted, their arms around
each others waists, or, hand in hand,
throwing furtive glances-not alto
pether OF displeasure - at lounging
youths, who. attlred in Sunday BRAY
cry and smoking cigars with tenden-
cy to burn on one side only, audibly
and fatteringly criticised their
charms.
Lovers lurlied in corners by the
boats and in the big saloons, and made
| love with sublime disregard of the
cutter world.
Rude, coarse men opened bottles OF
beer, and with raucous mcrriment
pressed the beverage upon the maids
and matrons of their parties, who on
their part giggled modestly and par
took delicately.
There was music--a piano and a
string band in the saloon, negro and
banjo on the upper deck and Scan
dinavian glee club yacillating between
| the upper deck and the bar.
1t was all noise and laughter-emp-
ty. foolish mirth-and Hudson's soul
was not attuned to mirth. He had no
sympathy with the needless crowd;
| they Jared upon him. Two or three
women with pale faces, who had
stretched out on the lounges ever
incc the motion Of the vessel became
.erecptible, might have entered into
his feelings to somo extent, but his
malady was not of the body.
Yet few hours before he had been
as one Of those rcyelers and Edna had
never looked fairer in his eyes She
wore n white gown with pink figures
on IL and pink bows down the front.
| II was true the skirt only reached TO
| the tops of her little shoes, but then
| her yellow hair was done up instead
| of hanging In its accustomed braids,
and there was comfort in that. Alto
| gether he thought he would not have
been ashamed TO have Ted Bauer see
her In his company. What pretty
red and white complexion she had
and how trustingly aud admiringly she
| nIways looked at him with her big
blue cyesl Certainly she was the pret-
test girl OF her age in the ward-a
little young, perhaps, but then the
man ought to be little older than
| the woman.
As they walked little in advance
Of Mrs. Perkins and the children and
Mrs. Harper from the street car tc
the dock. he bad venturcd TO speak oI
tho skirt. but Edna seemed offended.
'Oh, | don't know" she said, and
hing MS pink as her ribbons, tossed
cad and bit her lip. and she woult
peak again until they got or
4.d the boat After that they
.rudct The deck amicably TO
gether, identified the Ferris wheel anc
other land marks In the blue hnze
aport, aud at last sat down in the
shade of one OF the big-throated ven
| tilators.
Hudson remembered that he had
| taken her hand and that he was happy
How long ago that seemedl Ther
| that her mother had sent for her by
n small sister, after which he walked
for'ard and met his fate.
She was sitting on deck chair, and
her dark eyes encountered his us he
approached. Then she turned away
almost indiifereutly and dipped hci
hand into bag Of peanuts that hel
girl companion had In her lap. Sh'
might have been 20 years old-but
what mattered her nRcP She was {
dlyiuity-that was enough.
Hudson walked on few steps ant
then returned and seated himself
where he could feast his eyes upon her
lie noted the long sweep Of tire blncl
eyelnsheE, the curve of the full cheek
with It's pcachy bloom. the little tip
tilted nose and the masses of hair piled
high under the broad hat aud curling
at the napc of the white neck, and
Edna was as though she had never
been.
D-...,..t,. a., J;,Ipity turned and