Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-17
The hove Of Col. pilkin9ton
By D. H. TAnMHDGE.
 Copyright lsOl by Authors Syndicate.)


 | TOL. LEROY PILKINGTON, aged 60, V irongray of hair and beard, gruH or voice and kind of heart, paused one afternoon in the course of stroll upon the streets of a great western city to gratify whim. He plunged his hand Che had but one) into his pocket and drew forth nickel, which he inserted in the slot of pie ture machine. After which he put his eyes to the holes provided for the purpose, and saw things.
 Capt. Dilforth, who was with him at 1 the time, states that for an instant l he thought the colonefs intellect had l collapsed, for the colonel, after brief l period of attention to the scene the l nickel had revealed to his gaze, gave 1 utterance to an exclamation indicative l of shock, immediately succeeding l which he executed most undignlhed and unmiitary dance, while his face 1 became distorted with emotion. ssThe rose!" he cried. s'The rose! 1 At last! New York! Great heaven!" .Yes," said the captain, taking him gently by the arm; ives, yes, know. Come, now. People are stopping to l stare at us"
 .Let 'em stare,'' vociferated the colonel; Git is none of their business"
 "Captain," he said, in choked voice,
 'swere you ever in love?" The captain beheld mental image of a certain dwelling, in which he was wont to associate with a numerous col 1 lection of family and family's family, and replied promptly in the afirma- l tive.
 "I know, I know" the colonel went on; "hang it! I've gone bit daft, l think. Your dreams have all come true, while mine-by George! I'm not sure but mine are coming true also. I've never married, captain. You may have observed that I have retreated in good order at the first suggestion of an engagement with woman. l have reputation, I believe. as hater of the sex. My mind has been made up for 20 years to die a bachelor. l have been reconciled. But now"
 He looked about him, and perceiving restaurant near by he made mo- tion towards it with his hand.
 ''Let us go in there while tell you about it," he suggested. .'I must tell some one or shall blow up"
 The captain was nothing loath, and they entered the refreshment place, calling for viands which they did not eat.
 'sI fell in love with girl when was a very young man." the colonel began. "She was beautiful creature, winsome as clover to fiery colt, such as was then, but, like the rest of the sex, pre- sume, in disposition. She was mettle- some and inclined to shy at the pros- pect of restraint. I proposed to her. She did not refuse me. s'I am not cer- tain that I like you well enough for that" she said, placing the most adora- ble emphasis upon the final word. "Let me wait and think it over" So l let her wait and think it over for long time-a week, as I remember it-and then pressed her for an answer. Mot yet,'' she said; 'dear me, I've not had half time enough" And three times more this happened, but the last time was slightly different from the others for she told me that she had nearly decided and that 1 should have defi- mite answer at the May day festival, ! which was two weeks distant. sIf I l decide omarry you, sir, she said, with two dimples showing in her cheeks and
 one in her chin, II shall wear white rose here," and she lifted her hand to her head; ''but if decide not to marry you," and the expression of her face
 changed to one of gloom, and tears came to her eyes, '.the rose will be 1 red"
 ''Very well,'' said I, trifie coldly, l for was exasperated, being naturally short of temper, as you know, and did
 not take kindly to further postpone
 ment. In fact, l had resolved that in case she refused me an answer on this particular instance, l would drop the i matter entirely, pain or no pain, and 1 go away to the war and get shot full 1 of holes. was rather foolish.''
 .You were," assented the captain. l My wife acted in much the same man
 ner towards me, and I simply took her 1 by storm. It required more courage
 than was required to lead the old troop
 into action at Shiloh; but I did it,
 and, by love, sir, it was precisely what
 she wanted me to do.'
 1.-The colonel groaned. T see my mis- take,'' he said. T saw it long ago. I should have known by the dimp,es
 had my perspicacity not been so com pletely outweighed by my iackassity.
 But instead of doing what should
 have done, I went off to the war with out seeing her again. I did not attend
 the May day festival. I imagined that
 I was a devil of fellow, which was true in sense; and for months kept
 my neck stiff and nursed my idiotic
 pride, or whatever it was, with con- siderable satisfaction. I drew fanciful | pictures of the scene which would en-
 sue upon my return to the old town. saw myself, courteously dignified, paying the girl back in her own coin; and taking her at last, condescending- ly, as my wife. heard myself saying,
 ironically: Why, my dear! Where 1 is the rose you were to wear? Is the