Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-08-02
THE REASON WHY

Two men were drifting in a canoe
the one with paddle, the other with
a guitar. who sang
Joli dragon.
Gentil Dragon
"Where did you pick that ups" asked
he Of the paddle.
II will tell you. My sister and
were in Italy. The first evening on
my arrival at Florence my sister and
l were sitting on the veranda Of the
hotel after dinner. Suddenly we heard
voice singing from d balcony above
such lovely voice--to guitar. 1t
was one Of those low and exceedingly
sympathetic contraltos voice that
appeals immensely to me. was en-
chanted and mentioned the fact to my
sister, at the same time asking her If
she knew who the lady was who was
singing so divinely.
"'Oh. yes snid my sister; that Is
May mentioning her surname). She
and her mother are here on their way
to Rome
"Well. l was introduced to her the
following morning. am afraid can
not describe her TO you, as l should go
on raving about her to you for the
next hour. We struck up great
friendship In two days. and l induced
my sister to stay In Florence as long
as my divinity and her mother were
there She demurred at first, saying
1t was no good losing my heart in that
direction, as May was engaged.
Glow disappointed l felt. Anyhow,
l thought, there was no harm in hav-
ing some one elses fiancee as a friend
any more than some one else's wife.
Well, as l said, we got very intimate.
May and myself, my sister and her
mother. We went for excursions to-
gether, always dined at the same table,
and In the evenings she used to sing
to us-such sweet songs, sung so
sweetly. And among other songs she
used frequently to sing the absurd
little song I was singing just now.
saying that I was the 'Joli dragon
etc You see, she got into the way of
looking upon me as sort of brother.
Never be a brother to some one else's
fiancee. especially If she he beautiful.
Well, l need hardly tell you that l fell
desperately in love with my new
sister. We had many tastes in com.
mon. And she gave me such sweet
sisterly counsel on many things
which my proper sister never did.
zone night she and I We're sitting
out in the hotel garden together. She
had been singing softly for my pleas
ure few of the songs l loved. My
sister and her mother were indoors.
There was romantic sort Of feeling
In the air. and well, old man, with
out any warning or knowing what
was going to do, l kissed her. BY
Jove she was angry, and l did feel
brute. OF course | had no more
right to kiss her than l have to kiss
the queen. We went back to the hotel
in silence. She was going away next
day, and had not chance of telling
her how sorry l was and to ask her
to forgive me and all that. She did not
wish me goodby, and felt miserable
at not having been forgiven by my
sweet little sister. They went to
Rome, and we went on to Switzerland.
never ceased thinking of her and
feeling how low l had sunk in her es,
timation
six months afterward | met her
and her mother again in Paris. She
seemed to have forgotten that unfortu-
nate little contretemps in the garden at
Florence, but | determined to confess
my fault should an opportunity present
itself. The fatcs We're kind. We were
both going to dance given by a mu-
tual friend, and it was there that |
told her how sorry was for having
behaved in such an ungentlemanly
manner, etc, to her in Florence. She
forgave me, and we once more resumed
our old friendship where it had drop
ped. was going back to India in a
months time from that and asked her
to think sometimes of her brother and
friend. What enigmaS women are.
When we said goodby to each other,
which, as it happened we did private
ly, she flung her arms round my neck
ana cTltu as III ItE heart MOuIl IucttN
There was not much time to ask for
explanations, as | had to catch a train,
but | elected Il promise from her to
write to me when | got back to town.
Immediately on getting home
wrote her Il long letter, telling her |
had always loved her and saying
hoped she was now free and suggest
ing plans for our future happiness. For
days | was in Il state of tevcrish alX-
iety, waiting for an answer to my let
ter. At last one came. tore it open,
and-imagne my surprise when ! read
the following:
Dear Mr. Trevor do not wish to see
you or hear from you again. Any further
explanation is unnecessary. Yours sin
ccrely, MAY -
"Well, this letter was an awful shock
to me, as it was SO extraordinary, and
l was 1T a loss for an explanation OF
her conduct Besides which | was !
very much in love- and am still, worse
luck"
There is only one explanation to
Il hn Will 40 loH1lp !