Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-11
The Sentimentalist's
 Surprise
By CLARE M. HOWARD

| ZANE was 8 young person of great Vb sensibility and imaginative power. ! her enemies said she was sentimental, but that was only half true. Jane, hav- ] ing read countless romances in which l love appeared to be the highest state l of bliss, decided that if life were to l contain any thing important for her she must fall in love as soon as possible. This may seem an easy matter to the 1 simply amorous, but to a strict roman ticist it presents many difficulties. Jane's life led down city street to school and home again. It is true that 1 many young ladies in Madam Estelle's seminary fiirted from the windows 1 with young gentlemen on the corner, but this innocent vulgarity was off, 1 fensive to Jane's sense of romance. She continued reading and bided an suspicious occasion for the bestowal of her heart.
 In her fifteenth year Jane's parents went to spend the summer in the Adirondacks. Jane decided that this summer should certainly mark the great year of her life. Some one must at once be found upon whom to hang her affections. Had not Juliet lived, loved and died before she was sixteen? Jane made a calculating survey of her self before she launched upon her quest. Her blue eyes, black hair and pensive, dropping mouth were encour- aging, but there was something of fensively prosaic about her short, blue linen dress and large laced boots. A limp white muslin and pair of sandal slippers are what Jane would have liked.
 For many days Jane viewed the male population of the lakes with search ing eye. She looked at the venerable beaux with patent leather shoes and cynic smiles, the college men with blatant tongues and sweaters, the stodgy heads of families, the choicely dressed and vacuous looking youths from city offices, the agile derisive lit tie boys who moved in gangs. Her heart misgave her. Was it possible that ladies still found heroes in this throng? Still she did not despair. There might yet beat some soul of sem timent under 8 flannel blazer.
 One night as she was standing on tAIC WllS5LA u1IC 1upC4C LQ<U UIIrLV OAo ilb new visitors to the hotel presented to her eyes likely subject. He was lean-. ing against the door of the steamer in rather graceful way, with a soft hat almost imperceptibly tilted on his head. There was, to Jane's eye, some thing both subtle and flashing about his appearance. Her hopes beat high. He was shaking hands with an older girl whom she knew. There was to be hop at the hotel that night. Perhaps the older girl would ask him to dance with Jane,
 The wShld-be heroine was pink with excitement that evening. She watched the new guest as he crossed the danc- ing space. He had dark eyes with shadows under them and shadows round his mouth. Jane thought he most work very hard She leaned over and touched her older friend.
 ''Will-will you introduce me to that man?n she shyly whispered.
 'tOf course,' said her companion, gayly beckoning to the loiterer. Miss Graves, let me present. Mr 'Carson.''
 Delighted" said MT. Carson, in a weary voice. May I have the pleas ure?" and he led Jane out to dance. Afterward they repaired to two veran- da seats in the moonlight. Jane wait ed anxiously for the hero to speak, and the hero spoke. He told Jane that she had danced beautifully; that it was the best dance he had had that evening. He ieered languidly at the college stu- dents and said it must be very dull here for pretty girl. He broke off to ad- mire blond lady going past them. Jane once more felt the bangs of dis appointments. Alas! his romantic ex- terior belied him. He was, only rude and silly She looked sadly at him. He was leaning back with dropping eyes.
 Beg pardon, but have such head ache," he murmured.
 T am very sorry" said Jane.
 "Joye, what a snile!" said the young man; "it's enough to make fellow we'll again."
 ner,' she said, stifBy, and led theway across the room. Never, newer again would Jane make mistake about dash ing young men with shadows under their eyes. .
 So Jane had to begin her search again. There came upon her horizon an 1s-year-old schoolboy by the name of Robert Smith-a tremendous young giant, with blue eyes, yellow hair and a face devoid of expression. Jane con- versationally sounded him. He was sweet tempered and polite, but seemed quite colorless in mind and heart. Gould not Jane tincture him to suit hers sedf-conyert this rawmaterial into hero? She would try. Robert soon got into the habit of seeking Jane to dance because she did all the talking. Then he began to take her rowing in the afternoons. Jane's heart began to warm to Robert It was better to have man say nothing than to let him spoil things with commonplace remarks. She made him row her to shady hooks, where she would take little volume of Lord Tennyson and read it to him. She would gaze at him silently and mysteri- ously. Robert began to be listless and pale. The silence and poetry and ad- oration of Jane were enervating him. But whenever he made an attempt to take anyone else out rowing Jane's