The evening Republican., 1902-05-12
INTERFERENCE.

and never suffer in Your health;you
may play in fire, and take no harm.
But never meddle with any one
else's love affair. For you will come
out of it with the reputation of a
fool stamped all over you and you
will deserve it. III you sac pure
minded, refined girl OH the verge of
marrying a coarse; vulgar brute, let
her; don't stand in her way.
Probably the brute will never for
give you; and it is certain the girl
never will
You speak with some warmth and
bitterness You have some personal
experience in your mind?
"l have. AS you know, l am not a
married man.
I've only got your word for it.
But at one time | was engaged. 1t
was years and wears ago, and was
never one of those men who are
well, silly about the girls they are
going to marry. But, speaking in
sober fairness, must Say that Jes-
Sica was Il really remarkable girl.
Yes; engaged girls always are.
- Her hair was of ID
know 1t would be. Pass that.
Don't be an idiot. There was q
look in that girls eyes
II know it by heart. Skip it. !"
"And her mental powers were
equally out of the common
''The mental powers of every en-
gagged girl are quite out OF The com-
mon. just say that you loved Jessica
and Jessca loved you, and leave the
rest to the fertile Imagination Of u
thoroughly practiced journalist. IT,
"Now that just shows where you re
too hastv; for IN by 10 means sure
that .Jessica did love me. i can't
help thinking that If she had really
loved me things would have happened
differently. Mind, ! admit thai |
was wrong in interfering in aDy way
with Earnest Budd.'
"And who was Ernest Budd?"
81 think he was the most nauseous
beast ever met in my life. lie was
short. thick, and ugly enough to stop
the clocks. lie was also vain sen.
timcntaiist. lie talked about women
by the hour. lie believed himself
"Oman-kiiler.
To listen to him made you feel
sick and tired. I've heard him say
that the beauty Of women was
practically the only thing he lived
for just that--in those words; and
the other man to whom he said it
died week later. Well, lit this
time Bull had come to an under
standing he said it WAS not actually
III engagement, but was to come to
that with Il washed out ptlss from
Wimbledon. called Emily Chatter.
saw the girl and WAS sorry for
her she was a weak and playful
little thing. and there WAS no harm
in her was very happy myself,
and | wanted to save her from En-
nest Budd and infinite sorrow in
her after-life.
Knowing the rapid, iseellaneou'
and volcanic temperament OF Ernest
Badd, my task WAS easy; ! had bnt
to introduce him toam more attractive
glrl than Emily, aud l Introduced
him 10 Jcssisa.
Seems rough on JeSsica.
I'd talked it over with her, and
she'd agreed to 1t. She was 50 happy
Eersclf-wc were both very happy in
in those days that though she had
never me. Emily she wanted to save
her. Iessca h ad implicit trust in my
judgement then?
But after she'd met Budd.
own. she diden't like it. She said
| might at least have lold her what
an appalling boupdcr Ernest Budd
was.
Well, Id tod her what l told you
and think what ought 10 have
been enough. As ! poia ted out 10
her. within very short time OF
Budd meeting her he would throw
over Emily Chatter.
"And your we're wrons?"
al was absolutely right. AID
when Emily was saved by oar in.
lerveutiop, then, so tod, Jessicn
she was perfectly free to drop Budd
In fact. | hoped she would. And
Jesslca knew how 10 drop people,
too. She never seemed to sav anv
thing IN particular, aud they just
knew that it was no good to go on
and that she had no further use
ior them. She was glrl OF won
derful tact, always perfectly polite,
but
Leave out the descriptions, l
know them.
well, us say, | pointed out this
to her. but she still was rather
averse to it. She said the mans at.
tentions were becoming perfectly
iusutferable and that knowing as
he did that she was already engaged
he ought to be ashamed of him
self However, she kept on meet
ing him, and in a week he broke off
his understanding with Emily Cha
ter
Here my friend stopped, and Sc
lected a cigar with great care. He
amputated the end, lit it, and ap-
pealad to let his mind wander to
other subjects.
"Wells' ! asked. What them
Did Emily commit suicide9'
"Not Il bit OF it. She must have
known that Ernest Budd was no tit