The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-07-09
WHY HE DIDN'T.

that his work rather knocked the
bloom off the romance of life. He
found it difficult to be romantic after
chasing around after the stern real
ties, the tragedies and comedies of
this mortal existence for sixteen
hours day, but he managed to re-
tain something of the dreamer about
him Notwithstanding. He lived in
love. Somewhere on this mundane
sphere there existed woman whom
he should one day meet and love and
be happy with her forever after.
She was to be his affinity, his twin
soul, and they would know it the mo-
nent their hands touched Naturally
it was all rather hazy in his mind as
yet, for he did not have much time
for dreaming. Newspaper work on
lively daily and dreaming were
not compatible, and as the daily
bread, also cigars, depended upon
the newspaper the dreaming was
neglected.
He had also rooted opinion that
he should one day commit suicide.
He often said as much to his chum
Jim, who always looked cynical and
fell to whistling softly with a far
away look in his eyes. He would
talk about it quite seriously and dis
cuss the different emthods, but his
preference was for the revolver
route. When he got tired of living
or things went wrong, he intended
to try it, he said, and kept a re-
volver handy.
And so one spring day he fell in
love. 1t was all in one moment. He
was at his desk writing away like
mad when the door opened, and she
came ina little, blue eyed, fair
haired, childish thing, with Cupid's
bow lips and frightened manner.
He looked up impatieitly, and their
eyes met.
They neither knew afterward
what they said, but five minutes later
he was at his desk, she was gone,
and between his eyes and the paper
was fair, childish face, with Gu
pid's bow lips and blue, frightened
Before two days he met her on
the street. Their eyes met again and
they both spoke Then he walked
home with her and carried her school
books, and all the world was sudden
ly fair and sweet as a rose garden
i'll June. She understood his every
word, and he-well, he lived in a
world of his own. He walked in
dream. The real things of life
the murders, marriages, divorces,
even the men and women he met
seemed faroff dream, and only Dali
sy and himself real people. He was
in love and for the first time.
Her mother soon became aware of
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ers. Her father told him so, and
also that he and Daisy must see each
other no more except as acquaintan-
ces. There was nothing against him
they were simply too young. And
SO she was to go to school, but Cor
don could call and say goodby.
That night he went to see her and
came away filled with wonderful
schemes for the future. He was to
become rich and famous, and when
she came back he would marry her.
That was his plan, and from that
day he worked as had never
dreamed it possible that he could
work. Before he worked because a
certain amount of work was neces-
sary to keep grim want at bay, but
now he had an object for which to
work, and he threw his whole soul
into it. 1t was for Daisy, and that
thought kept him going. For two
years it was constantly with him.
She was to be home in June, but
went to visit friends and wrote him
that it would be the Ist of July, and
her dear friend, Bessie Thornton,
was to come with her.
It was evening when she would
arrive, and he started to the station
to meet her. Instead telegram met
him. Daisy had been married that
morning. She was not coming at
all. The lights in the streets danced
UP and down, and he repeated it
softly, "Daisy married"
His hand went mechanically to
his pistol pocket. Only one idea was
left in his stunned brain, and that
was to carry out his old time NOR
bid fancy and put an end to the ex-
istence that he now concluded was
not worth living. He did not take
time to argue the pros and cons, but
felt slight sense of disappointment
when he remembered he had left his
revolver at the office. 1t would not
take long to go for it, he thought
dreamily, and glanced at the tele-
gram in his hand. "Daisy married"
It must be dream. The train came
in, the train Daisy was to have come
on.
The moments were like hours, yet
he did not hurry. 1t was not far
to the Office. 'Daisy married" One
finger on the trigger, and then
There was touch on his hand,
timid and soft. He glanced down
and for an instant did not see who it
was. Then he knew-it was Bessie
Thornton, Daisy's friend. There
were tears in her eyes, and he read
pity-and was there soemthing else?
i'm her soft brown eyes. Neither
spoke, but neither felt the ned of it.
Once again he was looking into the
awakening soul of a woman. A sud-
den light sprang into her brown
eyes. Unconsciously their hands
met, and they turned and walked
together.
Next day his friend Jim received
the revolver as gracious gift
Clara Lee Izbelle.