Gloucester County Democrat., 1900-08-16
A LOVERS SCHEME
BY NJ QUAD.

.stoa 1900, Bv c. 3. LEWIS.

| V~W<X~XNF&FXs%F * W " EX7 w VFREVEX
/ had been In Athens three or four
| days when the steamer from Brindisi
brought In an English tourist named
Burns and an American gentleman
named Wallace and his daughter. Mr..
Wallace, as soon came to understand,
was gentleman of wealth and leisure,
and his daughter was as handsome a
girl as ever landed in the country of
tombs, fieas, beggars and brigands.
AS for Burns, l believe he was some
sort of civil service employee on
leave, but he had some money and
greater expectations. The three had be-
come acquainted while doing Italy.
More than that, Burns had fallen head
over heels In love with Miss Wallace.
| am inclined to think she was q bit of
coquette and that she encouraged
him out of a spirit of adventure. The
father was dignifed, quiet spoken
man, who probably had his own plans
for his daughter and trusted her not to
go too far with the Englishman. While
he treated Burns in a courteous man
ner, there was reserve which the lat
ter did not dare approach too closely.
thought / saw through the whole
thing at a glance. 1t was love and
dollars on the Englishman's part and
on the part of the girl desire for
Irritation and half hope that the man
would make fool of himself.
We all became acquainted in days
time, and after the expiration of an
other day young Burns gave me his
confidence. He was in love for the
first time In his life. He had never
dreamed that there were angels ON
earth until he met Miss Wallace. The
man who charged him with a mer-
cenary feeling wronged him in the
most terrible manner. He had somehow
heard that her father was worth So
100000 and that she was an only child.
but he begged me to understand that
be was loving her with his whole soul
before that news reached him. / be-
lieyed him, and he added:
s'And now comes the blooming ques-
ton, Does Miss Wallace love me In re-
turn? There are times when | think
she does, and my heels lift off the
ground, begad. and there are other
times when | doubt it. and feel as If
house had fallen on me-
.Why not ask herr" suggested.
'I'm afraid it's too soon," he replied,
"and then the old gentleman somehow
always manages to show. up just as we
get sentimental l don't think he ap-
preciates me. If I'd 60 to him and say
l loved his daughter, l believe he'd
keep right on reading his newspaper
and smoking his internal black cigar
egad, dol If l only had some one to
sound him for me-"
"You ought to do something heroic to
win the girls admiration and love and
the fathers gratitude and esteem." ]
said after long while.
"Bless my blooming eyes, but willlv
he promptly replied-''that is, I would
If there was d show. was ready to
save them both If the steamer went
down, doncher know, but she simply
rolled about like dog In pond and
refused to sink when prayed for 1t.
"But there may be other opportuni-
ties"
"How can there be unless to keep the
hess and beggars off? Bless me, but
suffer-
l didn't see how l could help him ex-
cept to advise him to learn his fate on
the morrow aud have it over with and
then go up to Marathon and see the
ruins and the tombs and get out Of
Greece. Loyerlike, he went out into
the balmy evening to commit suicide,
and | saw him no more until next aft
ernoon. He not only still lived, but
there was a look of happiness on his
face as saw him talking to a man l
would not have cared to meet mile
out Of town at MONDAY. That evening
Mr.. Wallace informed me that he and
his daughter and Burns were going
over to Marathon by rail next day to
be gone for couple of days. and at
later hour the lover sat down beside
me to say:
-I'ye got blooming game on foot,
aoncher known
ttGoing to become herof" ! asked.
"If don't. then you may call me
donkey. Yes, sir, I've taken your ad-
vice. and you'll hear something drop,
as you Yankees say, within a day or
two. Thanks. awfully, for the hint
l hope to come back arm in arm with
the old gent and to have matters all
settled with the daughter, doncher
know"
AS l had been at Marathon l had
declined to make one Of the party.
They got Off In good season next morn
ing, and Burns was in high spirits and
acting like young man who felt solid
ground beneath his feet. To my SUP
prise. Mr. Wallace and his daughter
returned on the evening train. and they