Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-09-09
Breaking 1t Gently

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Go HE messenger boy waited while
Jack Powers wrote his answer
to Her note. She might have
telephoned, but 1t was Her way to
send messengers with her missives.
very well, Kathleen" wrote Jack,
"Pll be there. You say for the last
time. l wonder whyT
He sent boy with this note and
an order on florist for box Of vio-
let's, as the messages accompaniment,
and then he turned to his work again.
But his eyes failed to do more than
stare at the figures before him. His
brain could not grasp their meaning
Kathleen's face persisted in dancing
about the inkwell, in a two-step that
played havoc with Business.
I'm beastly cad" cogitated Jack,
"and that's what But 1t must be
done. For the last time, she said.
Perhaps she's heard. 1t would help
things lot If she had"
He looked meditatively at a photo
graph which he fished from a dark
pigeonhole in his desk.
"She's a mighty nice little thing"
he said to himself, ''but-"
And then he took another photo
graph from an inner pocket of his coat
and kissed 1t tenderly.
"Violetsp' Kathleen buried her nez
retrousse in the purple fragrance and
shifted with satisfaction.
"Jack always sends violets," she
said, to no one in particular, though
her maid sat near by sewing some
lace on the dinner frock her mistress
had babe her lay out for her to wear.
Kathleen looked gloomily upon tall
vase of long-stemmed American Beau
ties that stood on the table.
"Thats the difference in men. Law
renee sends big Beauties, because they
cost money, and Jack sends violets be-
cause they're my favorite flower Poor
Jackl How can 1 break his heart
for suppose it will. You say for the
last time. l wonder why2 Helgho!
We must take our medicine, Marie.
Because prefer millions to love in a
waist. Marie; must not be late at my
last dinner with Jack"
"No, didn't think we needed
chaperon tonight, Jack"
why not to-night?"
because. we'll"
life is too short to quarrel,
Life IL too short to sigh
"I'll tell you by and by. Jack-after
the fish, perhaps"
II, too. have something to tell you,
Kathleen"
the garcon placed the soup before
them, Jack felt uncomfortable. Every
body hates to attack a disagreeable
duty. When the duty involves a pretty
woman, 1t Is doubly distasteful. How
ever, he took a surreptitlous peep at
the photograph In his breast pocket,
and 1t nerved him to his task. Never
theless, there was no hurry about It.
isn't it absurd, Jack. to say that
love makes the world 60 roundT" asked
Kathleen.
In her diplomatic. feminine way she
had wished to lead up to the subject
she had come to discuss.
"Of course 1t is" he answered,
"when champagne-if one has enough
Of twill do the same thing"
'Salmon-oh, Jack. do you remem-
Der how we trolled for salmon at Del
Monte last summer"
Did he remember? He had to pat
the photograph in his pocket to for
get.
81 read the other day." Kathleen was
saying. shat girl who couldn't make
up her mind between two lovers hasn't
a mind worth making up"
She looked at him from the corners
of her eyes.
Jacks face lighted up. She knew,
then, and that was the meaning of her
desire for a farewell dinner. How
easy 1t would be now to explain.
But Kathleen was not waiting for
an answer.
'-They say there's no skill in winning
o game where one holds all the trumps.