Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-22
Loves Labor Lost
By GEORGE WILSON.
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 -(copyright, 1908. by Daily Story Pub. eel

G. Plnkfngton, but by his assOci- ates in the swell set in which he moved he was familiarly addressed as Freddy Pinkey, and when out of hearing as Sissy Pinkey; and we'll did the name seem bestowed, for 8 more pink and white complexion than 1 Pinkey's it would be hard to find off I the stage or outside doll shop. y,, @
 His little. round. expressionless face was adorned by soft, downy mus tache, which, when he puckered up his cherry red lips, preparatory to utter ing his favorite ejaculation. "Oh, mer- cyl" kinked up in the center and down at the ends like cupid's bow.
 His hands were soft, white and felt like bunch of wet cigarettes. He wore his hair parted mathematically ln the center, letting 1t ripple back on sither side in a series of glossy wave let's, which, with gold chained monocle, he considered irresistible. l Pinkey was an only son and lived ! with his parents in the brownstone 1 upon Swell Hill. He had tried EIar- yard, from which he had returned the hrst half, and when questioned by in- crested friends had replied in weary tone, "Oh, bwain flag, dontcherknow?" Besides living with his parents, PiGaa- l ay's chief occupation was studying the l fashion plates, of which he was liv- ing prototype, and attending the nu- I merous social functions of his set @ l Never was he more in his element ! .han when gliding over the polished floor of ball room to the dreamy strains of waltz, or helping dish out the ice cream or pass the sandwiches It an outing, when the girls would tie a big apron on him and tell him how good he was.
 Besides dancing, Pinkey's one other accomplishment was singing; he could sing, and no sailing party down the pay was complete without Pinkey and his guitar, when they would perch him i upon the edge of the deck house, where, to the tinkle of the guitar, he would warble sentimental ballads and throw ravishing glances at Maud Chalmers, who, watching the little rosebud mouth and the curving mus lache, would think of an with a breve over it, and smile broadly at his most touching passages. But this Nid not disconcert Pinkey; for anything that Maud did was "comme il faut. v in fact, Pinkey would have most will iingly laid down and let Maud plant ner dainty foot upon his four-inch-col- 1 tar-incased neck, or, for that matter. tramp promiscuously all over him, for he was desperately in love with ner. But, then, in this respect he was no different from whole lot of other fel- ows, who gladly would have done the same thing; for tall, handsome, genial Maud was prime favorite with every one.
 Pinkey was frequent caller at Maud's, and when Rose Denison re- monstrated with her for allowing him 70 come, thus encouraging him in a 1opeless cause, she had replied:
 "Yes, I know, but he is really inter- ssting and I like to study him. real y do, as he is a species of the genus nomo,' and then. he is such harm less little creature, I really haven't she heart to hurt him."
 "But," persisted Rose, "you know hat he will pop just as sure as the world. S4 <" { "Oh, yes, suppose so,' exclaimed Maud, wearily; they all do sooner or ater, but haven't given him the least reason to, and if he will, he will, that's all. don't believe he is quite the kind Ito shuttle off this mortal coil through he agency of broken heart, any, way"
 And sure enough, as Rose predicted Pinkey did pop. He had now been paying her every attention for some time and, as far as he could see, his suit had prospered unusually we'll To pc sure, whenever he mentioned any thing touching the subject, she had al ways in some delft way led him to talk of other things, but then this was most natural in a girl of Maud's refined temperament, and was no criterion o1 her true feelings at all. In fact, hls sky seemed unusually bright, the only cloud appearing therein when he found Smith or some of the other fellows al Mauds, which, of late, was getting tc be rather frequent occurrence. But then moths and other bugs are always : attracted by bright light, anyway; however, lest some of them might, 1T some accidental way, damage his suit he would effectually remove ever those remote chances by proposius without delay.
 With this end in view he called ont evening and, after some circumfiuous gossip, suddenly drew his chair square Iy round in front of the settee upoI which she was sitting and, claspjns his hands in his lap, exclaimed:
 Maud, love you!"
 , Although expecting the blow to fal at any moment, as she afterwards ex plained. she did not expect anythin,
 quite so sudden as this, and was con
 siderably startled.
 t'Why, Mir Pinkington!" she gasped "This is so sudden! But, really, , can't, in the slightest way, return you affection" ,t. "Why, Miss Maud-surely, you mus
 have known-surely you must hay seen how much I think of you--hoy
 much you are 10 mel" It was with regret now that sh