St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-03-30
sHCORRIGIBLE

chairs, one side of glass, with view Of
hampton Roads. Enter at one end OF
the room lady, at the other an artil-
lery officer.
Officer-Gwendoleni
Lady-Why, Duncan Webb!
Officer-How came you here? I
thought you were abroad.
Lady-And I supposed you were in
the Philippines.
Officer cooking at her admiringly)-
The same feminine figure, the same in
nocent eyes!
Lady-Where was it we last met?
Of1cer-Have you forgotten?
Lady-At the graduating hop?
sOfficer-After the graduating hop.
took you home. It was moonlight.
Lady-Was there moon?
Officer-A full moon. It stood mid
way between the horizon and the meri-
dian. To the east the hills were black
Over the bosom of the river the moon
light shimmered lighting up the noun
tains to the west. The air was still.
Lady-It seems to me I remember.
There was moon.
Officer (softly)-I can feel now the
thrill that ran through my arm as your
hand rested upon it.
Lady-And IL remember what you
said to me; no, what you didn't say to
me.
Oficer-And your replies! All, if
they had only been sincere.
Lady-Does a man deserve sincere
replies from a woman when he is en-
gagged to three others at the same
time?
Officer-Gv,endolen, you wrong me.
That was mere play. I would have
been transported at one real engage
ment to fourth. But she would not.
Lady-Because she could not.
Oficer-Could not?
Lady-She would have been a fool to
trust you
fOficer-There is a fallacy that takes
it's name from toy called the thau-
~matrope. a card with a picture of bird
on one side and cage on the other. BY
turning the card rapidly the bird is
made to appear in the cage By such
a process you
LADY, put you into a cage?
Offcer-By such a process
of all men to talk like this. gave you
all the response your words deserved.
Officer-I deserved? Why, Gwendo-
len, was as putty in your hands.
Lady-Putty hardens very quickly.
Oficer-So does a woman's heart on
occasion
Lady-You men, whose game is war,
who slaughter each other, what do you
know of woman's heart? What to
you is a wound to a woman's very
soul? Less exciting than golf, more so
than pingpong.
Oficer-Gwendo1en, had 1 believed
why did you not
Lady-Display my feelings like the
garrison flag which, is saluted by the
boom of cannon?
honor of an officer
Lady-Which in all things save love
is of the-highest order and in love not
worth that. Snaps her fingers)
Officer-What need for honor where
the heart is enlisted? Oh, Gwendolen,
many a night I have sat on the parapet
while the moon-the moon that looked
down on us so softly that night-shone
on the incomingxwaves-
Lady = Playing your guitar to the
colonels daughter.
Officer Gmpatiently) = Gwendolen,
enough of this. Answer me-are you
still free?
Lady-Oh, go on about the moon
shine It's delightful.
Officer-You are laughing at me as
n NJ
shall not. We are older; we are bet
ter
Lady-Better? You at least could not
be worse.
Omcer-Better or worse, for five
years I have been true to one love.
Lady-Now I remember. There was
a blue eyed. blond haired girl at the
Point that summer, dainty creature,
whose voice was as soft as her eyes.
confess she was lovely. I caught sight
one morning of your cadet gray and
her robins egg blue winding up to
Fort Peet. Well, I'm glad you've been
true to her.
Ofhcer-Gwendolen, I swear to you
Enter gentleman, with lady. They
approach the officer, his face turned
turns)
Lady Ito entering gentleman)-
this is my old friend, Captain Duncan
Webb. Captain Webb, my husband.
Captain Webb-Well, upon my word!
Married? Go the entering LADY, Edith,
this is my very dear friend, Gwendolen
Swan, now Mrs.
Lady Pope-Plain Mrs. Pope, wife Of
q civilian.
Captain Webb-When did you two
meet? Mr.. Pope, 1 congratulate you
upon having shared SO wild bird.
How did you manage it?
Mr.. Pope-Gwendolen is this the for
mer cadet you have told me about?
The one whom
Mrs. Pope-The exactly the
same, with no improvement. Go Cap
tain Webb l recognize in your wife
the blue eyed beauty we were just
speaking Of After ALL you could be