Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-02-03

leather lined chair in a dingy room, a
students den.
Il must have been dreaming" he
said, with a start. Il thought / was
married. and married to-ah. l fear
that will never be my good fortune
and that we had happy home, and
little one. Bless me, but that was "A very
agreeable dream If could only hope
for SO much as that, think should
never ask Cor anything more.
On the desk lay an open letter. He
had just written it. The ink was hardly
dry. II suppose, " he said to himself,
THAT writing this letter must have sug-
gested the dream.
He then read it over carefully, line by
line, word by word. by Jove, l don't
believe have courage TO send it! She
has been very kind, sometimes more
than kind, but what right have | TO i'm
agine that she would consent TO become
the wife of IA poor man? Why should
she? She is more than beautiful and can
command the best man that treads shoe
leather. She ought TO have wealth and
can have it for the asking. Fool, fool,
to think for moment that such a crea-
ture as Mildred Hewson would-come,
Tom Creighton, be man! Get down
to your level. You may deserve a good
woman, but you want an angel and
can't get her.
In wild despair he tore the letter to
bits and threw it into the wastebasket.
There! l propose TO Danish that
vision and attend to business-if 1 can. "
He walked up and down his little
room like a Gagged lion, then took chair
by the fire and stirred the Goals until
the rebellious sparks flew over the car
pet and threatened confagration.
Il wonder why we have hearts any
way. a pound or two of cast iron
would serve better purpose. We are
always falling i'll love with the wrong
woman-I know dozen cases myself
and the result is we go all to pieces.
What's the good of life? It's farce, a
comedy, tragedy, mistake. wish
to heaven I'd never been born.
II ran across that girl two years ago
and have not been able to get rid of her
face 1t has haunted me ever since. She
has been my torment, and it will end by
her being my destruction. l can't have
her, and | can't live without her. What
fix for a decent fellow to be in! Con-
found the whole thing I've a great
mind to emigrate TO Australia or buy a
ranch in central Africa and raise os-
triches Stay here in this gloomy hole
can'tl try to read-impossible. Her
face is in front of me all the time.
take long 'alk-no good. There she
is looking into my eyes. l believe if 1
were in the moon l should meet her
round the corner. Why can't be strong
enough to Danish such stupid vagaries?
Poor, wretched weakling, nothing but
a slave, a miserable, pitiable, driveling
idiot
by the way, what tiny feet she has.
Cinderella's slipper Pshawl 1t would
be too big for her. And those delicate
white hands, the pink finger nails,
and that golden hair There was never
anything like it. And those eyesl Why,
they put the color of the sky to shame"
Just then Jack, his fellow student,
burst into the room. He came like a
stiff northwest breeze, stimulating and
cutting.
"Well, old fellow, have you got
through with that treatise ON bond and
mortgages"
Tom did not deign to reply.
"Oh, l see. In the dumps, eh?''
"Stop your fooling, Jack. I'm going
to Australia.
GOOD idea. Fine country, can't get
title TO your land, eternal litigation
and eternal fees I'll go with you, old
boy. The firm shall be Creighton a.
Crandall.' In ten years Wen come back
with fortune"
''No coming back for me. Jack.
"Forsake your country, boy? Ye godsi,
What next?" -