Middletown transcript., 1901-06-15

1t is the first time | ever
loved one woman better than another in
my life, and he has probably left sweet
hearts in every port he has visited, yet
God knows his chance with her is better
than mine" And then because there
rose in his heart such a longing to be
worldly, since the ways of worldly men
to have a charm for women,
and because, mixed with his longing
there was sharp jealousy of Bainbridge
and resentment of his worldliness, he
had finished out his thought with such
a wordless prayer as any man would be
the better for sending up to Heayen-a
prayer for charity, for love to all men,
and for holiness, either To deserve the
girls love that he coveted, or, missing it,
to keep his life as high and sweet and
unembittered as if it had been crowned
with joy. And yet here he stood at the
encounter with these two, blushing,
speechless. He made wild clutch after
words.
"Ah, the roses birthday, Bainbridge, !"
he gasped.
The other young man looked him over
with frank amazement which was as
fresh each time they met as it had been
the first "I don't understand, he said
"Ah, really?' said Maynard you've
f-f-forgotten? Three years ago you plant
ed this. planted Lamarque at the other
end of the house."
"Joe has no sentiment about anniyer-
saries," Louise declared. "He never re-
membered friends birthday, much less
roses, in his life If he ever marries
and anyone reminds him of his wedding
day, he'll say, is that so? I remem-
ber the circumstances, but I'd forgotten
the date"
Maynard looked at Bainbridge with
commiseration Really" he asked.
eyes," said the placid young man,
"and I presume 1 should have been
married long ago, but whenever we'd
ding day has been set it has slipped my
memory"
Maynard knew that he was being
guyed, but there was no escape from the
one word at his command ''Really?'
he calculated, and flushed redder than
before with the full knowledge of his
stupidity.
Bainbridge nodded. Really, che as.
sented, without sign of mirth.
Dorothy, the kind-hearted, looked uI
at the rose on the wall. "Why, Louise
your Sprunt will be in blossom to-mor
row." she said.
t'It's out of season" Louise answered 6
trife sharply. "When rose tries tc
blossom in February, even in Pontomac
it simply tempts frost. Now your Lam
argue is wiser, Mr.. Maynard. There are
NO large buds on il"
cts wiser because it's not on the
sunny side of the house." Bainbridge as
serted. "Spruant is as cautious as any
body when he doesn't feel the sunshine y
"It's my opinion that about tomorrow
morning he'll be wishing he'd been eau
tious with the sunshine, Louise returned
''There'll be frost tonight.
Maynard listened, his pulses throbbinf
with the suggestion that sharpness tC
Bainbridge might be translated into some
sort of hope for him. ~IIe longed to car
their sparring with some neat, convincing
bit of allegory in which Lamarque should
figure as the image of his fawless but
very backward love; he opened his lips
twice, breathlessly, and then his voice
came and he said Really think
there will be frost?'
tLet's go back and look at the Lamar
que" said Dorothy. She led the way
and Maynard followed, but Bainbridge
stopped Louise.
"We're not going away from Sprunt, y
he said. eff you want to hear anybody
say Really I can say it for you"
Her cheeks famed with displeasure
'Indeed, Pm going" she declared.
First take back what you said about
the frost"
81 can't. It's sure to come"
care you in earnest?"
Perfectly earnest. You've taken toe
much for granted always.
She tried to pass him, but he again de-
tained her.
''Louise. don't answer me out of re-
sentiment because I've spoken the
wrong way" he begged. 81 did take
things for granted, perhaps. I thought
we understood each other without lot Of
talk. Think what it means to me to be
turned down right now-when may be
ordered away any minute Are you sure
you want to freeze me out this way?''
"You?'' she said lightly. "You're toe
hardy to freeze. I've been talking about
the James Sprunt"
She went by, then, and he did not try
to keep her. His face had redeemed as
angrily as hers. He was offering her his
whole life, and she knew it, and yet she
put him off with perverse talk about the
freezing of rose. Every well," he told
her, ''talk about Sprunt, and talk about
Lamarque, and stutter with John May
nard." !" He stalked at her heels until
she reached the others; then he said good
morning.
Dorothy disappeared soon after Balm
bridge. Maynard was working around
his rose. When he found himself alone
with the girl he loved he dropped his
hoe and came across to the step where
she sat watching him with eyes that
seemed to see nothing in the world.
'M-m-miss Louise?" he began.
She pulled herself together with a
start. '0h, DON'T" she said.
The bewildersd blood rushed into his
face and he stood as if she had struck
him. The thought in bis mind had keen
SO clear urgent, it had seemed so easy to
say, for it was, 81 love you. Without
hope, without encouragement. have