The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-02-19
) Man PrO)O Oses
"A Dialogue.
By MDWIM RUaH.


OTIS quite the comInonest type o.
She" =
feMind you, I'm lot one to rave, /.
Stafford went on. "Some lovers do.
/ know, but I flatter myself I'm not
that kind of man at all.1
eyes, you fiatter yourself NUT
tered Jim.
'Eh2 Oh, ] only wish you knew
her!"
sT know hundfeds of her" s.
"She's not other girls"
"Of course she isn't"
'Tn the first place, as I have told
you, she is perfect"
card in addition &g that?'
"Oh, you wouldn't understand.
Jim, if she refuses me, I shall die:"
"Otherwise I suppose you have de-
termined to be immortal"
"Jim, advise me. You're man
of the world"
"That is why I shall do nothing
of the kind"
sT wish you would. I assure you
I'd be only too pleased to take your
advice if"-
eff I advised you to do as you
think best. And what would be the
use of that? It would be like spur
ring a boiling horse"
"Look hex sp' said Stafford, with
an mir Of inspiration. 'I've a>jolly
good mind to speak to her point
blank and be done with it. I can't
go on like this. It's making an old
man of me. And at the worst she
can only condemn me to q lifetime
of misery
"And what is a lifetime of misery,
after ALP" asked Jim. teYon can.
easily compress it into q few weeks.
Look at me, for instance"
"You?" Stafford looked slightly
incredulous.
'When I was a mere boy-ah, it
must be some six months ago now"
said Jim solemnly, 81, too, was in
love. But she told me she would al
ways be my friend, and she hoped
that I should find some one more
worthy of me-" He shook his head
mournfully. "Well," he continued,
"to cut q long story short, she was a
better friend to me when she said
that than she ever expected to be.
And as for the some one more
worthy their name is legion, but
none Of 'em are worthy enough"
81 hate that kind Of cheap talk,
Jim," said Stafford impatiently.
$50 do j." Jim replied. "But
they all say it. It's their way Of
letting you down lightly"
Stafford looked at him reproach-
fully; Jim rose and clapped him on
the shoulder.
'sMy dear old chap" he said, "tbe
world isn't going to stop laughing
because a girl has curly hair and q
nen takes himself seriously about
it. If you marry this girl, and
equally if you don't, you'll soon
learn to laugh again yourself. You'll
have to-we all have to, to keep our
hearts from breaking. I am not one
of those who would see love slaugh-
tered to make an tAlly Sloper's Half
Holiday but all the same I am not
going to encourage you in the belief
that you are not more than slightly
ridiculous. Here is girl good and
charming and all that, I've no doubt,
and here are you, such as you are,
pretty ordinary and right. You
love the girl and want to marry her.
Well, tell her so. Take my word
for it, she is very ready to be told"
"Jimz old man." said Stafford,
smiling wanly, 81 feel that I can't
talk to you any more about this. It's
too sacred. And you're so unsympa-
thetic. You mean well, but you
don't understand. It isn't as if she
were one Of your frivolous society
girls"
sThey are que as much yours as
mine, protested Jim.
"She is ON angel" said Stafford,
with conviction.
stNot yet"
Il could die for her"
eWhy waste 6 charming widow 2"
81 know. you think I'm being a
but extravagant,o said Stafford, 'fbut
really and soberly I do believe there
is something divine about that girl" !"
Its her expression" said Jim
gravely.
Glow did you know thatpa' cried
Stafford.
TITS either that or the way che 1
sings
Yes," Stafford responded eager
ly, @she does sing, you know, only
privately, Of courses
Not much, but often," Jim sug-
gested.
It was the last straw. Stafford
picked up his hat.
believe you are turning into a
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