The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-24

Proof of the Crime.
Our Puritan forefathers believed that all
pleasant things were wicked. while nova
days. on the contrary we think that every
thing we want must be good for US just
because we want it. The latter view is no
doubt the pleasanter. but we axe occasion
ally reminded that there is some degree
of truth in the old-fashioned doctrine. mas
much as we usually pay. in some sort OF
coin. for what we get in this world. and Oft
times the penalty. seems unduly high as
compared with the pettiness of the Of
Tense or the amount of fun We have had out
of it Instances might be multiplied. but
one will serve as an Illustration
A certain young Indianapolis man. poor
but honest, was deeply and truly in love
with beautiful heiress. (This isn't novel,
although it starts out like one: every word
of it is true) The young man had every
reason for believing that his affection was
returned Things had arrived at that agree
able point where the young wonsan's father
slapped him on the back and called him
my boy" and when other persons APP
peared in the parlor they fastened TO get
away again as quickly as possible because
they were made to feel decidedly 'de trop-"
a
to town to visit her grandmother, who lived
scross the street from the heiress- The
young mans thoughts were completely
occupied with the heiress that he was
scarcely aware of the visitors existence.
except to notice casually that she was an
uncommonly pretty girl. One evening when
he was, usual, calling at the heiress's
house. the visiting girl had fingered there
Il a
to see her safely across the street in the
dark. She wore fimy white evening coat.
and for the first time he noticed how at
tractive she really was.
What kind of stuff do you call this?'
he asked. indicating the white garment.
''Oh. that is swans down." she explained
in her pretty Southern drawi; you've seen
it on dozens of girls
But 1 never saw it on you before" he
said. and then somehow Che was never
afterward able to explain to himself how
it happened), the moonlight and the soft
spring air and the white cloak made her
| dark beauty so irresistible that without any
reason or excuse, except that he just want
| ed to- he put his arm around her and kissed
her pink cheek. In an instant she had dis
appeared within the house. His momentary
| impulse over, his conscience irritated him
little, but he reflected that the little
Southerner was going home early the next
morning and that there no use crying
over spilled milk, and so he re-entered the
| heiresss drawing room five minutes after
| he had left it, wearing his usual debonair
manner. But the temperature of that
| apartment seemed to have fallen several de-
grees. Delcately but firmly she gave him
| to understand that his presence was an in
| trusiOn and bore; she likewise Cancelled
| several little engagements made with him
long before. In short, her attitude was so
distinctly hostile that there was nothing
left for the young man to do but to depart
| forthwith, which he did in righteously in
dignant mood. When he reached his apart
ments he stepped to the mantel to select a
match, and as he did so he glanced at his
reflection in the moron. The front and
| sleeves of his coat were thickly strewn
with little tufts and fecks of white swan S
down. He has made up his mind to beware
of white swans down coats, but of course
| the next time Nemesis has a mind to come
| up with him she will wear a guise which
will be entirely different but quite as bad