Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-03-28

room; more than once he passed a glass
without looking in to assure himself OF
the boyish figure ne pretended to. or the
visionary hairs he made his pride
so | am not her mother he reflected.
"But then I am not this Mr. Lubin either.
| should never have gone away-of all
the wanton things to do, and the most eff
fectual Your Lubius. who 90 away.
now they win the womeni they may
even gTow-stOutish. The women will be
too blinded by tears and 10Y to remark
on it-wl!en they have been long enough
away. I'd bet my cherished grand-my
eyesight-he is not worth a pianola. this
Lubin What are the young men OF to-
day-but all men are young, so what are
men coming to at all when hair so adj
mirably suitable for rosy ribbons cannot
bind her Lubin to her -ide
Il am not her motber-she has no
mother, poor, pretty child" He sought
the glass. Il think / see one gray hair"
he unused, "and being gray, if solitary,
II may give me a weight and 1steadiness
should have missed with only golden
locks. Is that a wrinkle? How nature
helps us in our need. / would have
sworn there was no wrinkle yesterday.
With wrinkle here or there, gray hair
more or less-it will be easier so. For il
seems. since ! am not cast for Lubin, |
must play a mothers part to her, though
| am not her mother"
H.
If he had not been as clever as he
thought himself at getting his own way,
he would not have surprised her story
from her. But it was Characteristic of
him that he gave the credit to gray hair
that belonged to a gentle and sympathet.
ic manner. And it was sad little story,
heard only in barest outline, which is all
he had at present asked to hear. II was
far worse than ne had expected For.
if Lubin had simply been away, it
seemed at her own showing the little
lady's sorrow would have been a trife
gladly borne, needing no bands or ribbons
for disguise. But unrequited love wa
the malady she suffered from, and how
could he help her there? 4
He might have gone to Lubin, absen
and, punching his head as a preliminary,
have persuaded him, or even forced him.
to return. But, put love where love was
not? If her beauty had failed to do it,
how could he?
Words to this effect, in soreness of
And he isn't even very far awayr' he
questioned, gropingly.
''No-but miles in spirit! Oh, forget
it-don't look so sorryl You made me
tell you, and it isn't a tale to tell to any
man, least of all to you! You shouldn't
have made me tell it,
do / know this Lubin?" Still he
could not abandon all his hope Of helping
her.
what does it matter? Yes" said she.
I'D like to punch his head"
"Pd hate you tot"
His hair is thick enough, / warrant"
A sudden laugh escaped her, brushing
aside the tears. Il have seen thicker
hair,' she said.
"Lubin is thin, / wager; a weasel of
man. Lubin is not-stoutish?"
Again the involuntary laugh that
chased the tears.
Eve seen much thinner men!" she an
swered, softly.
"Child," he burst out, mo thin nan is
worth your tears. much less a broken
heart. Why couldn't you ike one pleas
antly stoutish?"
just for an instant she looked athim,
look to pierce his darkness. Hrr thfe,
her love. were wayering in the Ezlsfhce.
and he had proved himself nearsighted,
so who should blame her?
81 do" she whispered, like a--stout- /
ish--man."
Suddenly, grown young in the warmth
of that look of hers, young and doubling
of his great fortune, he put his hands
upon her shoulders.
rs Lubin fat? Is Lubin growing bald ?
Is he middle aged and conceited with
love alone to recommend him, after all Z?
Is Lubin a whimsical fool, unworthy ~
She drew hand down and kissed it.
"Lubin is none of these things" she
declared. none of these things to me;
but the dear friend who has always
played with me, always helped me,
taught me all l know and all / care for
the dear friend who
'Who, the crazy old humbug that he is,
would be your lover if he dared"
''Who is--if he will be-"
$50 Lubin was only absent in your
faney!"
so you only fancied Lubin was his
name!'--The Sketch.