Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-08-10
THE SKYROCKET.
BY SIR WALTER BBSANT.
copyright. 1859. by The Author.J
CHAPTER l.


composed &C -s and brickhats; the
ragged hc5 ,sas broken down il parts
there w. occasional patches on which
fTa ii Things refused 10 grow. There
was however, shallow ditch running
beside the dilapidated hedge which con
tained an unsavory mud and there was
4 piggery at the end Of the ditch. These
things, on warm evening in June, sug-
gestcd the country
They walked side by side as they al
ways had done. The young man held
the girls hand. He did not press it nor
lift it to his lips or 60 off into interjec
/ tions over it; he simply held il. She
was quite accustomed to this assertion
Jf authority or 81 ubmission, as you will,
made no objection and did not with
draw her hand. He walked in silence.
/ Why should he desire 10 talk? He just
I liked to be with her, sometimes TO look
! at her, to let her talk as much as she
1 liked. not even to follow her when she
/ went off into dreams For he was "a
| s1rd clerk in big house Of business,
1 and he lived all day in world where
nothing happens-not even the unex-
! pected-except what is made to happen
| by the wisdom and the contrivance Of
the partners. The world is So to the
city man. He understands that he has
to get what he can for himself; he has
to be foreseeing and farseeing; above
all he must never dream.
Therefore this young man looked for
ward to life of low standards, though
this he would not admit to himself, to
a small income and thrifty ways He
was a steady young man, who always
had a solid book going, in which he
read slowly and without the slightest
interest in the contents He thought
that course of reading in miscellane-
ous subjects, none Of which attracted
him, raised him to the level of those
who improve themselves He was
good looking young man, with regular
features and the appearance of respon-
sibility. In fact, he had no vices and
felt no temptations, and was therefore
profoundly uninteresting
The girl. however, was quite unlike
him. She moved as if her feet were
springs, she walked as if she were dane
ing, she talked as if she were singing, |
she laughed at her own thoughts like a
thrush She was nearly as tall as her
companion, who was feet 10 inches. |
She was certainly not pretty, because |
she had not "A single good feature in her |
face except, perhaps, her eyes, which |
were quick and bright, but she was at
tractive when she was animated and |
she generally was animated Her dress
was quiet and in better taste, perhaps,
than was found with most of the Young |
ladies who went to the same suburban
church on Sunday and lived in the little
villas, jerry built, precarious, which
bravely faced the suburban gale on their
crumbling bricks, with sand for mortar
and laths for party walls.
Her name-a ridiculous name, but in
the matter Of names people are so-was
Ariadne The girl thought it pretty
name and much finer than Muriel,
Gladys and Dorothy, names which deco
rated most Of the girls she knew Ariadne
Ia poetical name. She knew nothing
of the story belonging to the deserted
nXnlDb-d ri2dpa---Gl -s,d-sir-.a- -I-o~-s,------
wrote it down and looked Mt it as most
girls look in the glass. And, as Ariadne
does not 20 well with Samuel, which
was her lovers name, there was a Sc
cret understanding between them that
when they were alone he was to be
Cyril instead of Sam. Then without a
sense Of the incongruous she could listen
to the voice of love.
Cyril, she was saying "there are
worlds upon worlds all round us, and
here we know nothing about them. I'm
4 a Lot I,,t T /
wish / could see some of them, some
times
lyon wouldn't like them, Ariadne.
'How do you know2 Besides, didn't
say / should like them. / want to see
them. / want to see the people that the
papers talk about.
'"They are just like ourselves.
"No, they re not, dear boy. / know
better than that. They don't dress like
us nor talk like us, nor live like us. |
want to sec the great ladies and the fine
ladies, the artists and the poets and the
actors -
''Its no use without money.
81 want the money too. | want to 90
and live among them and be one of
them. Just for two or three years, Cy
I'll, JUSb 10 uDuGTsUuUu WilhJ II lS llhc,
and then to come back again to this
stupid old suburb, and the stupid old
people. and the stupid old
"Sam. he whispered audaciously
pressing her hand
Cyril, +" she corrected him.
"And then we would be married,
wouldn't WEI Perhaps | shall be draw
ing $3.50 by that time, if | am lucky"
married? Oh, well, we would see
about that. You know, Cyril, | have
always told you that | could never mar
ry u man whom | did not respect for
his intellect. He must be my superior
otherwise could not think of marrying
him.
"Of course. This young man knew
not the language of compliment, not
even the commonest word in it, not tho
declensions nor the conjugations "Of
course | know that.
''To be suro you do improve your
eelf "
81 am now, Ariadne, he assured her
proudly, in the heart of Humboldt's g
Cosmos
CHAPTER III.