The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-23

tnat nope to induce Frances to change
ner mind about my proposal. I appre-
clate that with her for my wife l Will
have guiding light to lead me toward
the goal Of my political ambition; that
in Frances 1 will have a companion
who will appreciate and help my in
tellectua1 strivings and spiritual yearn-
ings; with her to approve my efforts
know 1 can make my fellow man ad-
NIT my superior gifts for the political
uplifting
..Fudgei" interrupted Mrs. Lacquerre.
You are in love with Frances and
want her to be in love with you. That's
about all there is to that situation.
Frances isn't hankering after spiritual
ity or any other fuddy- duddyism; she
wants you to make a big success of
something-outs of society. It isn't
that she doesn't like society; but, haV-
ing been born into it, she can't see that
it requires wit, wisdom, struggle and
capacity for doing things on the part
of those not in to butt in. Your sue
cess in that line doesn't count in your.
favor with her. Now, I'm not blushing
behind my fan because you had the
cheek to kiss me when l couldn't help
myself; I'm only telling you that such
an act suggests to Frances that you
are, under your funny pretense of .lik-
ing hair shirt, mighty fond of silk
one. I'm different from Frances; I'm
satisfied with my world as find it.
I'm not lecturing you to make you
good man as I see goodness, for you're
coming on my way pretty strong as it
is; but as to Frances-if you don't get
busy along her line of light some man
who is will land her and marry her
alive before our eyes"
1 could not but laugh at her quaint
views. I limited that if 1 had shown
some of the worldly improvement she
saw in me now upon a certain senti-
mental occasion when I did myself the
honor of asking a charming widow
who was still my good friend-to marry
me l might have had better luck. She
received this personal sally seriously,
and after a pause responded: per
haps you are right, Reuben. I'm not
sworn not to remarry, and it might
have been that with your income, with
your presentable lookS-you are less
gillified since you've taken your mind
off politics and put it on the world
say, If you had then shown sign that
you would turn out perfect man Of
the world, who knows what might have
happened? Widdies get awfully lonely
sometimes, Reuben. Now, run away.
hunt up Frances and try to square
yourself with her for having kissed
her mamma
y,
not hunt up Frances. Of course love
her, but an odd feeling comes over me,
when L contemplate marriage with her
that here again I am the victim of an
unintended confidence game played on
me by my own emotions. For what, in
brief, is falling a victim to confidence
game? 1t is the beguiling of us
through our best feelings. AS COM
panion for the skies, for a world of
angels, this visionary, fanciful girl OF
eighteen would be- the ideal, but in
world of mere human beings-a very
good world, too, and the only one Of
which we have any positive knowledge
the application of a poets dream of
ideal conduct would inevitably land us
in a marsh OF misunderstanding and
finally of ennui from which some clear,
headed worldling must ever step in
and save u.s.
But this is merely academic. 1 did
not seek Frances today but l shall
tomorrow Affectionately,uG a
@i .s ,Er -Rellhen