The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-26
A SUMMER COUPLE

"spooning" is supposed to be either
over or on the wanc. but in this case
the man at least seemed to be as ready
as a boy of twenty. Besides, the mo-
ment Inc laid eyes on the girl he was
irawn to her by some uncxplainnble
attraction. WINS it that he had met his
atlinity-that she, too, showed some
thing like recognition of a mate? He
was fond of the mythical and n strong
believer in persistence. Might they
not have met in some other form, ONE
other world?
There We're walks through valleys
IL over the sides of precipitous noun
tains. There were rides on roads hard
and white, with occasional views of the
broad valley of n noble river 1000 or
5000 feet below. Thcre'wcrc picnics ut
cascades, BOAT rides on mountain lakes.
In these amuscmcntS the two sooner or
later drifted together, and when n few
weeks had passed the man acted rs If
all time not passed in her company
was so much time lost. Then he awoke
TO n sudden realization of the fact that
In a few days it would he the 31st of
August, when Tho season would be
over and the guests scattered.
1t was the evening before their sepa-
ration. They were sitting on the piazza
Of the hotel. Amoon slightly past the full
rose in the east aud lighted up a stretch
of valley land far below, visible through
II gap i'm tho mountains. Moonlight Is
1nnN,,,,,,, 10 - -
natural strength in hers was softened
into Il delicious feminine rcpose. He
was fond of the mythical poetry of the
Germans, and. listening as he did to the
tumbling of water In Il mountain stream
near by, he almost fancied his compan
ion a LOrelei or a water fay. He was
full of poetic fcrvor, int his expression
took form in poetic words.
do you know" lie said, that look
Ing down OH that panorama Of mingled
mist and confusion Of dimly lighted un-
.dulation there is In me a vague sense
of some far distant land in which 1
have lived?"
Il don't even rcmember," she said,
"whcn ! was a baby"
This was a bit practical, but he did
not notice 1t.
I'VE look out into the heavens" he
went on, ''and In ncbul@ see unlverses
forming. We know that nothing Ia de-
rstroycd. Matter forms, dislntegrates,
forms again and again d~isintegrates.
This is what we call birth and death.
The particles of which the forms are
composed were never born, never die.
They existed always and will always
exist"
Are not we forms,'' she asked, "of
more consequence than unfeellng mat
ter!'
"We are, and if there Is one attribute
within us that is immortal it is love.
Low is eternal. There are loves, 1 ad-
init, that are flccting, but they are not
real loves"
mot the real thing, you meant"
He looked at her suspiciously. Was
she not capable of following him, or
was this II touch of sarcasm? She look
ed so innocent that he passed the re-
mark.
Somehow" he went on, "when / first
saw YOU 1T seemed that we two had
met In n previous existence; not only
had met, but loved. If l could be
blessed with m eternal love- 1 said to
myself. Il would choose 1t with her.
Since then the days have fitted hap
PLY by, and every day has strengthened
this feeling. Now, when l look down
on hat moonlit plain, with it's gilded
river thread running through Its cen
ter, 1t brings to me with an indescriba-
bic yaguencss, yet %vividncss, some
where In which YOU and l have met
and loved. ] choose to think it a love
that has had no birth ana will have no
death, a perpetual mingling OF two
souls"
He paused. IIc was very happy. for
he was in his element. His disposition
was artistic, and his surroundings were
artistic. There were the towering
peaks, the distant plain, and there be-
side him was the girl, her features
bathed I'm moonlight.
II know 1T Is foolish to ask such a
question:" he said, but have you any
glimmerings OF such a pastf"
YES" she whispered. 1--WE have met
before"
a last have found one besides my
SELF to remember n pre-exIstsnce. 1
shall never again doubt my theory"
Our meeting" she continued, "was
not In some vague land myrtads of
years ago and myriads of miles away;
our love was not developed In a nebu-
lous cloud. 1t was Mt the seashore ten
years ago You have grown older and
have absorbed theories since then, but
you talk OF love in the same strain you
naked of it then. 1t was not nebulous
love you told me of as we listened to
the breakers. but love in a cottage, I
was eighteen, and 1t was pleasant to
listen to. l was a summer girl and did
not cherish it. But / have remembered
you, which is more than you have done
in forgetting me-
What, the blue eyed hirt of Edge
mereY
"yes, and we girls called you the love
maker of the Cliff House."
"The summer is ended,v she added.
Sand this is my last as a summer girl.
Next season / shall be on the eve Of
thirty, when girls pass into old maids.
With you 1t Is different. A man can
be a summer man as long as he lives.
20 on for ten or twenty years more and
be happy"
"Tbis, too, is my climax. Let us leave
the field together and enter o new world
together not a nebulous world; q
b9ne.v
Some and see mo when we are re.
Nlened to fhe ety.
40 zsz WplfES. WmaTpnoaR