The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-18
DOUGLAS
tOriginal.1


found Marcella much depressed.
was told that Peter Douglas had gon
the day before She said nothing t
me about Douglas, and l supposed sh
was not aware that knew of his hav
ing been there. At any rate, she CAV
herself away by asking me to pla!
accomplishments for her and insisted
OH singing:
Oh, won't you come back to me, Douglas
Douglas, tender and true?
did not mind it at first, but when
found that she could never go to thu
piano without wanting to sing tht
Douglas song | tired of 1t. Finally
one misty evening when she appeared
more than usually depressed after tht
Invitation to Douglas to come back Il
her, she--well, she wept; wept with me
an able bodied, fairly attractive mar
present to entertain, amuse, interes
her. l wished that Douglas wout
come back and remain long enough II
the grounds for me to go out and
punch his head.
/ finally intimated that this Douglas
business was growing tiresome, think
ing she would mend her ways What
was my surprise when she sorrowed
more for Douglas than ever Besides
she seemed hurt, if not offended that
should take SO matter of fact view
of what she called tender associa
TONS" and refused to allow me to play
the accompaniment again, splaying il
herself and stumbling at every note.
Something must be done Two weeks
once year are too short to be spoiled
by such nonsense, and resolved on a
stroke. One evening, after she had
walled the usual plant to Douglas, |
went to the piano, and after a few
melancholy chords sang:
o Mary dear, departed shade,
Where Is thy place of blissful rest?
See'st thou thy lover loWly laid?
Hearst thou the groans that rend his
breast2
arose from the piano and went and
sat in Il dark corner for awhile, then
rejoined Marcella.
Don't you think" l said. signing,
that anniversaries are very sad?"
Very" she replied, not sympathet-
ically, l thought.
Nothing more So" l sighed again.
II supposed you to be a bachelor. 1t
appears that you are a widower."
How did you find that out?'
OF, f,,I
lament to his wife so feelingly."
"Am to consider you a widow be-
cause you are pining for Douglass"
She got up and went into the house.
The next day was Saturday, and the
usual overflow from the city was ex-
pected. Marcella locked troubled.
whats the matter" l asked
Douglas moved farther away"
She bit her lip. l didn't know then
why, but l found out before long
Without any reply she went into the
house.
In the afternoon when the express
came in the crowd came in with it, and
with the crowd who should come but
Douglas.
Well, upon my word and this is
douglas, tender and true"-a pudsy,
fat, knockkneed little man who slut
tered.
would have supposed that Marcella
would have met him. Not so. She did
not appear on the piazza, and at dinner
time had headache. The next morn
ing I'haw her trying to steal through
the hall to get away to the woods, but
Douglas was watching for her, and
saw him approach with the air of an
old friend, if nothing more. Marcella,
who saw that l was witness to the
meeting, blushed violently, made few
incoherent replies to his tender re-
marks and dash for cover. Douglas
looked puzzled.
There was little seen of Marcella the
Monday after Douglas had departed on
the early morning train. The. same
evening she sat in an obscure corner
Of the parlor with novel. / went to
the piano and sang
Won't you come back to me, Douglas,
Douglas, tender and true?
l sang the whole song over twice,
then walked out on to the piazza. It
wasn't long before / heard a few SON.
Der chords, followed by
o Mary, dear, departed shade
Where is thy place of blissful rest?
l couldn't understand what had led
the girl to play such a game. l went
to a good friend of mine, a married
woman of mature years and with a
of the world, told her of the
episode and asked her opinion.
"She undertook to get you" was the
reply.
How"
"By playing the man Douglas off on
Vou."
do you think that high grade way
II getting a husband"
you men can't be reached by.Aany
high grade means. Women have to
give you what you are fitted for"
do you mean to say that could be
won by any such ignoble means"
''Of course you can and are. You're |
n love with Marcella--so plainly in
owe that everybody in the house has
loticed it,"
l went out and Joined Mareella.
Douglas coming back soon p l ask |
d.
HE is coming back with Mary"
ooh, perhaps it viii be as we'll in
rider to avoid embarrassments that be-
ore they come we should have an
1t will save diSappoint-
nent, remark and all unpleasantness.
Will you take a strollT"
A few days later when I announced
o my mentor that Marcella and I |
gore aup,, ead Sha raniiad.