The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-18
I The Girl of the
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s FieIdinS
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BY
HOUQrd
FIELDING

y
scholar III the Sunday school, And
they killed him for a fatted calf"
That was what L had been, just a calf.
and killing would be too good for me.
Knowing my fathers wishes, | had
kicked up my heels, jumped the fence
and fallen in love with the first female
of my species that had come in my
way.
l sat down in quiet corner of my
apartments to think the thing over.
The situation was somewhat peculiar,
and fortunately it seemed to involve no
misery to any one except myself. Be
yond doubt l was hard hit. My head
and heart were full of that girl Yet
had not made love to her. not the least
in the world. If | had cared less,
should have said more. l had often
done so, liar that am in common with
other men. In the present instance
there was not a word that needed to
be recalled, and the realization of that
fact came to me like blessed miracle.
However. the girl was not blind. She
occupied the extreme opposite end Of,
the scale of visual power. l could fam
CIV her reading my secret in the small
est of the flowers that l had sent to
Cushing's house. where she lived.
Theoretically | was not in love with
her Love, in my way of thinking, de-
ponds upon intimate acquaintance.
am skeptical about the early blooming
variety of this flower 1t is usually
weed. and the thing to do is to pull it
right up by the roots.
E | knew very little about Miss La
moline. Gushing had told me that she
was an orphan. without penny of her
own and that she lived with relatives
in some small city in Michigan. | did
not catch the name of the place. l
have an inquisitive disposition and
know it and therefore refrain from
asking any questions except such as
are absolutely necessary. However,
usually require considerable informa-
ton before taking important action,
and falling in love is important.
AS to Miss Lamoines share in the
matter, l had no reason to suspect that
she cared seriously for me. 1t lay on
my mind that had been making fool
of myself in a quiet. inoffensiye, gen
tIemanly way and that the lady had
found the spectacle amusing. l was
family suspicious that she liked TO be
amused in that fashion. Whether that
notion were true or false, there was
an easy way Of setting all things right.
l called upon Miss Lamoine that
! evening, and we had a very frank and
friendly talk, as it seemed to me.
confided to her that there was a very
nice girl whom l had not seen in some
years, not since her childhood, in fact,
and she was now 10. She had been
q charming child, in every way loyable,
and l had no doubt that the promise
of her youth had been in every way
fulfilled. In that statement it will be
observed that l stuck close to my
fathers word. but it sounded cold.
needed something more to meet the
exigencies of the situation and TO sus-
tain my own spirits, which were get
ting rather low, and SO / dilated a
bit upon SibyI'S merits, using that gift
of easy, imaginative discourse which
some harsh persons have called lying.
Sibyl would not have recognized her
self had she been present, but l felt
at the moment that she could not have
helped being pleased.
MY fathers heart was strongly set
upon the match, / said, and it was
great joy to me that my memories of
Sibyl should be as they were, alto
gether charming and alluring. 1t was,
of course, too much to hope that she
would care for me- | could not ven
ture to predict SO fortunate an event.
If Miss Lamoine would not take it
as bid for compliment, | would say
that l regarded myself as mere joke.
J I w ElS
that Sibyl would think she could enjoy
laughing at me all her life.
make her laugh all you cam said
/ Miss Lamoine, eying me in her peculiar
/ way. Don't make her cry"
You think me tickle" said 1 stupid
/ ly, and she foored me with the gentle
/ question:
/ "Why should II"
/ Without waiting for me to attempt
/ an answer she proceeded to speak kind
/ ly of my disclosure. She was glad that
1 had told her; she was f1attered by
my condolences; she wished me all sue
| cess and happiness.
! l had introduced this subject very
well, considering that l am, as rule.
/ awkward and overprecise in beginning
a new theme, though fluent enough
when once fairly started. 1t had seem
ed to grow naturally out of the CONVEX
satior, and Miss Lamoine's tact pre-
| served the scene from the peril of being
! too relevant. 1 could not specify q
word or a look of hers that gave the
smallest hint that she guessed why
had given her this page of family his
tory. And yet | bore away from this
interview the suspicion that she I'M
derstood me perfectly and held in re-
gard to my character and conduct an
opinion which l would give much to
i know