The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-20
ACROSS THE -
WALNUTS AND VINE

Id sweetheart IOr tue uIsC sIA1S = Il
many years, but in point Of tact ! new :
felt more commonplace in my lie
han when / discovered that after more
han twenty years separation destiny /
Ind seated us side by side at table :
Nhote at the Hotel National at Lu- !
cerne. Except for a certain mature l
worldliness Of expression, she had not
altered from the pretty, piquant girl
l remembered, although a Widows :
weeds and a debutante daughter serv- I
ed to remind me of the fight Of m
A sudden consciousness OF my port
", middle aged figure embarrassed me !.
as l met the youthful candor Of her
glance. She looked almost exactly as
she had looked when she tearfully BABE
me goodby and wore to love me FOR
ever. But the promise had not been
sufficiently strong to resist the weight
Of a millionaire's purse and had snap
ped with brittle abruptness almost oe-
fore l was well out OF sight. !, now
ever. who had enshrined her Loyalty IN
my heart and preferred night to day
because sperchance the tickle goa Q I
slumber might sometimes give her
back to me again in gracious can
was obliged to submit to the irony OF
fate, which had disguised me SO Ct
~fectually that l actually had to remind
her that once we had been friends.
She had greeted me as a stranger, n
| realized directly that l a become
a completely forgotten episode.
mentioned the fact at oysters that
once | had the honor of her friendship,
and she slipped her sauterne dalntlly
while she deliberated upon the 1nfor-
nation, but we were well through
before her memory had mastered my
identity.
Dear me! Really she said. put
ting up her gold lorgnette in order the
better to investigate SO curious q DIT OF
ancient. forgotten history. Yes, !
think | remember you perfectly. Did
YOU say we were once engaged! ~
has escaped my memory, but dare
say we were. and l will take your word
for it, Mr.. Du Barri. Why. of course,
remember you now! We used to play
together. as children in our mud pie
days. You lived across the road. NO.
wouldn't. have recognized you. al
though you insist that we were once
engaged and that l threw. you over.
Well, you do not bear the marks OF IT.
You look very prosperous and-as II
you thoroughly enjoyed your Y
We had reached fish, a delicious
carp cooked in wine and accompanied
nv .Johannisberger. have an excel
lent digestion, and l am bound to con
: TESS that the proximity of my old low
: had not impaired my appreciation of
: good dinner. The chef at the Nationa
was an accomplished artist, and ! wa
? doing full Justice to the carp whe1
she made the remark with the sauc.
= firm of the head l remembered 81
well.
..Shakespeare was right" she Wen
= on pathetically. Men have died &c
. fore. and worms have eaten them, bu
not for love-
! This was really barbaric OF lie
- when one considered the millionaire
e purse, the becoming widows weed
le and the debutante daughter. but Ion
&c continued suffering had made 10
- strong.
= "Oh. if you're going to quote poetry
u said | carelessly. II believe some Wri
:. er has said somewhere that True 10Y
= nightly likes his ease and has an e!
- for Il dinner.
She flashed an appreciative glance
~ me from the corner of her dark eye.
T. e"Exactly my sentiments, too, MI. i
o. RarTi.' she said. And. by the wa
rs did YOU ever taste anything better thf
~ this filet de bpuf? wonder how
manages to cook it SO much better TIN
re anv one else can. I've ordered the
hest champagne in honor of 1t"
% ,.If man has a clean conscience
~ began, eying Ter sharply.
NJ "And a clean Shirt" she put IN. sn
:. ing inscrutabiy.
"He is apt to enjoy his dinner
cn eff it's a good one" she
lef At this juncture the head wall
a served larded sweetbreads a 10 Me
Nv soniere and with a knowing look pL
IA ed a dusky bottle of Chateau Late
ne before me. He whisked q salad
Ia laitue before us and disappeared w
an an air Of triumph. He was right.
90 ,mIa+ u,as ahont to 8
+bo quite IOrgot WlaI 81 -.
lne my thoughts being thoroughly distra
ed for the moment.
~ "Man's love is Of mans life a tn
apart" she quoted softly as the pl'
biere aux fraises was put before
"'Tiss a woman's whole existence"
She bestowed SO ravishing a gla
upon me that l was nearly undf
hut recalled her cold Indifference
,ad the oyster period and remained ca
;oh |, too, in my turn became as sweet
to cold as the strawberry ice ! was eat
zoo, The coffee arrived, hot, black.
nv. grant with burning cognac. She 6
oan me an adorable smile which prese
+ha seemed to promise rose hued lmp'
10y Dlllties. :,