The Elbert County tribune., 1903-01-08

OF course. II was my fault-probs-
bly,. I WAS young; we were both
young: had we been older. or at least
less callow, II would not have hap
pened. But what's the use of talking
about Ifs" and butts? II was as II
was and there's no help for It.
might as well state plainly at this
1uncture that Margery and | were In
love. or at least we thought we were.
We had been sweethearts ever since
she was in pinafores and in short
pants. But at the time 1t happened
had blossomcd into creased trousers
and q downy mustache and carried a
cane-had become. in short. quite
young man of fashion and wholly dis
inclined to be treated as kid. Now.
Margery was a most aggravating miss
and mischievous. and she declined
wholly TO accept me In the role OF
young gentleman OF fashion, prefer
ing to maintain the old relationship as
boy and girl This was, as you can
readily conceive. a constant source of
annoyance and humiliation TO me, and
! was in no playful mood when Mar
gery's cousin. big and bronzed and 30.
and the possessor OF q long and How
ing black mustache. came out to visit
Mnrgery's family. Then came Sc
ries OF odious comprehension al
ways in Margery's laughing way and
probably not intended TO hurt But
they did hurt and mortally What
young cub OF 20 with the first growth
OF down on his upper lip can see the
humor in comparisons with the flow
Ing mustache of full grown man?
And when on top of this the sweet
heart of your fondest dreams deliber-
ately refuses to accept your invitations
and appears places with big. hand
some cousin with a piratical mustache,
a man certainly is justified in taking
radical measures.
II was Just when ! was feeling my
worst that met the widow. 1t was at
a party. to which. by the way. Margery
had refused to accompany me. prefer.
Ing to see the look of impotent rage
which adorned my face. As ! stood
biting my nails and wishing most
heartily that was somewhere else.
when glancing across the room | was
dazzled by a vision OF lovliness which
uiONG lnt biOod path hPCh my
heart. 1t seemed that I had never
seen eyes SO black and saucy. a COM
plcxion SO richly olive. lips SO red and
full and inviting. chin SO dainty and
a form SO altogether alluriDg. Well.
was formally introduced and most gra-
ciously received. With the art Of a
clever woman-and a widow-she made
me feel that ! was a most important
parsonage In her eyes and that she
liked me. l suppose that evening was
the happiest ever knew-unless ! ex-
cept the evenings following. Her fiat
terry was incense to my spirit, wound
ed as It was by Margery's conduct.
Immediately / became the devoted
slave of the widow. She was few
years older than |. but the manner in
which she looked up to me and de-
ferred to my opinions convinced me
that was really her elder in knowl-
edge of the world and that she was
but a clinging vine wholly dependent
upon my strength and wisdom.
Within a week I was wholly en-
shaved. could think of nothing. talk
Of nothing but the widow. By that
time was calling her Nellie at her
own suggestion delicately conveyed.
was ruinously extravagant in flowers
and theatres, and matters were pro-
crossing rapidly My affair with Mar
gerry was forgottens or, II remembered.
1t seemed wholly childish beside the
fiery passion of my new love-making
And the love-making was all SO easy.
There was none of the embarrassment
so constantly arising in my relations
with Margery. The widows plump
little hand seemed SO invitingly near
to mine at moments when It was pro-
pitious to give 1t warm squeeze. and
there were always SO many perfect op-
portunities for quite tete-a-tetes. And
those tete-a-tetes-there never were
such delightful ones since the begin
ming Of time. The modest bushes and
signs OF the widow nearly drove me
IN - nltnnlI