Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-25
The LeoDdrd6 SDot5"


enough. t1aVe some pity.
lit is a pitiable sight to see a big elo-
quent man stammer and do silly things
isn't it?"
Please give me your answer" he cried
still trembling.
"oh it's not so serious aF all thatl' she
said with dancing eyes.
I'm in the dust at your feet.
You mean in the sand. Did you know
that you dug a hole in that sand deep
enough to bury me in7 thought once you
were mediating murder by the expression
on your face"
please give me one earnest look from
your eyes" he pleaded
You're a terrible disappointment" she
answered leaning back and putting her
hands behind her head thoughtfully.
His heart stood still at this unexpected
speech.
How" he slowly asked, looking down
at the sand again.
Because" she said in her low tantal-
Using tone, IT expected so much Of you"
Then you don't class me with the other
poor devils at least?" he asked hope
fuzzy.
mo, no, they were handsome boys and
made me beautiful speeches. But you are
distinguished. You are a man that every
body would look at twice In crowd. You
are a famous young orator who can hold
thousands breathless with eloQuence.
thought you would make me the most
beautiful speech! But you acted like
school boy. stammered looked foolish, and
paved hole So the ground!' Again she
laughed.
81 confess. Miss salHe. I was never so
overwhelmed with terror and nervousness
by an audience before"
And just one girl to hearP'
Yes, but she counts more with me than
all the other millions, and one kind look
from her eyes 1 would hold dearer at this
moment than a conquered worlds ap-
plause"
That's fine! That's something like it'll
Say more" she cried.
His face clouded and he looked earnestly
at her.
Come. come, Miss Sallie, this is too
cruel. have torn my hearts deepest Sc
crets open to you. and trembling laid my
life at your feet. and you are laughing
at me! 1 have paid you the highest hon.
age one human soul can offer another.
Surely I deserve better than this"
There you do. Forgive me. l have
seen so much shallow love making. I am
never quite sure a boys in
dead earnest" She spoke now with Sc
robustness.
You cannot doubt my earnestness. I
have spoken to you this morning the first
words of love that ever passed my lips.
One chamber of my soul has always been
sacred. 1t was the throne room of love,
reserved for the One Woman waiting for
me somewhere whom I should find.
would not allow an angel to enter 1t, and
hid 1t from the face Of God. have
opened It this morning. 1t is yours"
She softly slipped her hand in his, and
trembling said. while tear stole down
her cheek:
II do love you"
He bent over her hand and kissed 1t, and
kissed it, while his frame shook with UNI
comfortable emotion. Then, looking up
through dimmed eyes. he said:
My darling. that was the sweetest mu-
sic, that sentence, that shall ever hear
in this world OF in all the worlds beyond 1t
In eternity" .sts
when did you first begin to love me?"
she asked.
IT don't know. = But 1 loved you the
first moment you looked into my face
while l was speaking that day! And rec
oRnized you instantly as the Dream of my
Soul have loved you for ever, ages be-
fore we were bora In this world. some
where our soul met and knew and loved.
And I've been looking for you ever since.
When saw you there in the crowd that
day looking up at me with those beautiful
blue eyes, / felt like shouting: II have
found her! have found herp and rush
ing to your side lest 1 should not see you
again" ....
ut is strauge-this feeling that we have
Known edCn DlnGI- lOIGNCEs ne llOulChN
you touched my hand that first day.
sense of perfect content and JOY In living
came over me. ] couldn't remember the
time when hadn't known you. You SEEM
ed so much a part of my inmost thoughts
and every day life. I laughed this morning
from sheer madness of Joy when you told
me your love l knew you were going to
tell me today You tried yesterday. but
1 held you back. l wanted you to tell me
here at this beautiful spot. that the mu-
sic of this water might always sing its
chorus with the memory Of your words"
LET me kiss your lips once!" he plead
ed
mo. you shall hold my hand and kiss
that Your touch thrills every nerve OF
my being like wine. 1t is enough.
promised mamma I would never allow
man to kiss me without asking her And
we are like loving comrades. I couldn't
violate promise to her. will. when she
says So"
'Then IL ask her. know she's on my
side"
Eyes. 1 believe she loves you because
1 do"
what did you whisper to her that
night when we came late, and you said
she would be angry?"
Told her / loved you"
"If I could only have caught that
whisper then! You don't know how it de-
lights me to think your mother likes me.
couldn't help loving her. 1t seems to me
q divine seal on our lives"
Yes, and what specially delights me
is. you have completely captured papa.
and he's so hard to please"
You don't say sou
Yes, he's been preaching you at me
ever since you came the first time. 1 pre-
tended TO be Indifferent to draw him out.
He would say, Now Sallie, there's man
for you-no pretty dude. but man, with
a kingly eye and big brain. That's the
kind of a man who does things in the
world and makes history for smaller men
to read And then I'd say just to aggra-
vate him, But papa he's as poor as Jobs
turkey!'
Then you ought to have heard him,
We'll, what of It! You can begin in cab
in like your mother and 1 did. He's got
better start than 1 had, for he has a
better training
IT am certainly glad to hear that!" Cas-
ton cried with citation.
you may be. For papa is a man of
such intense likes and dislilxes. The first
thing that made my heart flutter with fear
was that he might not like you. He loves
me intensely. And 1 love him devotedly.
/ could not marry without his consent
You are so entirely different from any 9TH
er beau / ever had, l couldn't imagine
what papa would think of you. You wear
such serious face never go into society
| care nothing for fine clothes. and are so
| careless that you even hung your feet
out of the buggy that first day took you
| to drive. 1 was glad to have you in the