The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-09-11
Err R O M AN e

row 10 pear, ana loved her more and
more Then fate, or madness, parted
us. never knew If she loved me then
l read in her words, her letters and in
her eyes at parting that she dreamed
Of love- but she was young and lonely
perhaps she only felt my sympathy
and grew happy under kindness.
l did not realize at first how impos-
sible my hope was. My youthful dab
bling in literature assumed new i'm
portance | was to lay fame at her
feet in place of the wealth | did not
possess. My writings were character
ized by new energy. The Leader ac-
cepted them She read them and said
II liked your last sketch. / liked your
verses in Saturdays paper" 1t almost
seemed TO me that fame had come |
aimed higher. The editor of a monthly
magazine published a poem-for it was
poem, being inspired by love of her
and sent with the check a kindly en-
couraging letter. This was the begin
ming Of my romance, but there was no
end
She was wealthy, while must hest
tate between two scarfs and choose the
cheaper one / must write sometimes
what l knew would sell readily, though
l knew as truly that the writing was
not good. was going through the uni
versity with the minimum assistance
from home, and literature in manu-
script does not pass current for board
The struggle was unpleasant but not
hopeless. And what goal to strive
toward! oh, Janet, l hope you may
never know how one man loved you!
Then her uncle came How clearly
he showed me what was mot advisa-
Bile" and how the world looks at these
matters. Janet Is young, and she was
lonely when she knew you first" Alas
l realized that he was right Janet
does not yet love you. VIII you be
cruel enough to make her love YOU If
you canY' l made no promise, but
could not forget cruel to Janet" And
yet my love was cruelty. Fame is so
far away from man, hunger and storm
so near. l used to think that If had
won Janet, though l were coward
enough to take wealth as a gift from
her, could have made her happy No
one who shall come after can love her
more tenderly than ] have. But that
mad thought has passed.
Our meetings became more formal
The last time l called the piazza was
crowded with her uncle's friends. We
talked behind the vines where we had
sometimes fingered until we were scold
ed like two children There We're the
same ivies, the same stars twinkling
through the leaves, but Janet and
were changed have forgotten If she
gave me her hand In greeting We
talked commonplaces and parted
mere acquaintance.
So the romance ended-wfth no end.
Would that we had quarreled. If had
made her Jealous and she had sent me
away In her anger 1t would be we'll
But l loved her too sincerely for that
Ii l had found her false how easily
could hate her. But the romance has
no end. Summers and winters have
passed, not many but long. ] have
spent several vacations in her city. but
have never seen her. A friend of hers
is one of my classmates. We often
meet officially but her name is never
mentioned
My ambition is exhausted My home
is distant. | have friends, but to them
am only clever failure. They can
not guess that even youth may have a
history.
When met Janet was not wealthy
I /.
provides the shingles above on which
the March rain is just now drumming
so musically and who clears up my
desk once q week by throwing valuable
papers in the wastebasket, has asked
me, could you let me have a little
money soonY Mrs. Osmond is tragic
ally polite, but she's businesslilie Mrs
McKeon. whose plain but honest board
is supposed to be paid for In advance,
has begun to place my little "memoran
dun of account in obtrustve attitudes
by my plate and call attention to 1t by
a blockhouse of glasses and butter dish
The mail is unpleasantly full of bust
ness communications these days
used to wait for the postman, hoping
Janets letter will come today
There are only seven OF them. and a
memory. And still the romance has no
end. viii graduate in June. My di-
ploma is forthcoming, though my heart
knows that for the last two years
have done little work worthy of any
reward
l shall graduate in June. And what
then? What should / become rich for
If l could? There is the army. Once
hoped to be an officer But a private
does not starve, and B. A. ought in
time to merit chevrons. This is worth
the effort. In the quiet and monotony
Of the life l might forget what is so
sweetly bitter to remember And If
war should come the shut in energy of
life would find an outlet.
But if l should walk in the city and
see her once more think the madness
would win. How love and pride, or
love and reason, would war together
But still the romance has no end, since
it had no beginning,
An Extremist.
"H'ml Here's a man who attacks the