Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-08-17
"PiNK CHINA"

| career. draWled Iarpen WAS IeitoW
called Pink China
AS the rest of US had been discussing
| "Chivalry" in our youthful and rather in
fiated manner for what, probably, had
been TO Tarpen very dull half hour, we
| looked up a little surprised at the rrele
! vance.
Tell" said Denny laconically. The
| rest Of us reused ourselves sufficiently to
gape with something which in lower
temperature might nave been expectancy.
We were lounglng, i've civil servants OF
! his maJesty's government, on i've ndlf-
| ferently comfortable chairs, III what are
| enthusiastically termed the government of
| fees" in Roujee. The heat outside was
on the ridgey road. The atmosphere
| well, we didn't talk about it, especially at
meal times. Inside the .'ofce" we seemed
! to be the heat itself-concrete. and thirst
personiied. We deprecated the blood in
US which raised the temperature, and
lighted cigar would have been a crime,
| before shutdown.
And here we had to lounge till the
/ probably unimportant) message, which
| had checked three of us on our journey
ings further into the country should be
| followed by the message which should
/ start US again.
TO us youngsters, brought together for
|
! might never come across one another
| again, as, indeed, we never had before, Z
! at once seemed better to listen to the
! story OF fool from a comparative vet
eran Of some standing tnan TO reveal our
own barren little pasts SO that which
stands for an eager expression in this
| land where languor checks much facial
exercise stole over our placid features.
They shouldn't send out plain girls
| to India, complained Tarpen, in slow.
/ absent tones.
| In the pause which fonowed | sudden
! remembered mans gossiping to me one
! day about Tarpen's wife How ever one
wondered at the time why Tarpen-the
! fastidious-had chosen such a plain girl
| out of all the lot who seemed ready to
| die for him; how amused they all were
| when Tarpen came back from his hon
/ eymoOn absolutely devoted to his bride;
| how the plain girl. devoted to match
| took It all as quite a matter of course,
and never guessed that nobody else took
| it SO; how Tarpen, as time went on, be-
came regular dog for fidelity, and was
always restless and moped when he had
| to leave the woman vino, was: everyone
agreed plain as pikestaff.'' 1t was
funny after this to hear Tarpen himself
on the subject of plain girls.
Just as [ always have the notion
, drawled on Tarpen, that a fellow who
wears glasses must be deaf. | always
had a sort Of vague idea that plain girls
didn't fall in love-
Good idea, too remarked Denny.
H M CALCULATED Tarpen.
We'll. but where does Pink China
come IMP asked. And what's it to do
with plain girls:
Pink China" said Tarpen, came out.
I So did plain girl. And Pink China
loved the plain girl
We'll, them / protested, ''in that case
But the plain girl continued Tarpen,
didn't love Pink China-and a good
| many of US We're amused by these facts
"A good many usually are in such
cases" remarked Denny, with the bit
! terneSS of experience.
And we smiled rather heartlessly a.
! Pink China
4 can believe it, said Denny.
But Pink China was quite indiffer-
emit
Good
Then one dav, being in a jocular
mood, | thought ia try another tack [
fiirted with the plain girl for all l was
| worth.
And Pink China?''
Was no longer Indifferent"
''Ahr'
'sNor-was the plain girl" Tarpen's
! race grew less nonchalant SILLY FOOL
he muttered. eve hoped he meant Pink
China Then he fell thoughtful.
w eli asked oleVeflSlft.
iarpen dld not answer for minute:
he languidly swirled the settler at the
| bottom Of his glass, and looked at it alb
sently.
Il didn't think he'd take it that way"
he said at last. Zone evening he came
to my bungalow, and he might have
| been rechristened White China for al,
the color there was on him. | thought
he'd probably been OVERRIDING it at the
dance the night before, and began chat
/ fling him! Well l asked him, with a
sort of sepulchral solemnity, does she
| love you, Pink China %
No.. he declared fercely, she
Oh [ said, with mock earnestness.
/ better ask her and be sure
II have asked her. he Numbered, and
[ am sure. I'm sure of something else.
eco: she loves you. And I'm sure Of
! something more: you shall marry her, or
! I'll kill you. She's broken my heart-she
! couldn't help it. But you shan't break
/ hers. You shall swear to me here and
now that you'll ask her to marry you;
or, I swear, here and now, I'll XIII you
BIZ sudden; but, by Jove, he meant
''Wen?" We asked.
'Well.' said Tarpen, slowly, '.there
were only corkscrews in the room, and
Pink China had locked the door and
thrown away the key. So-it was cork
screws at first
Tarpen tilted over his chair. helped
himself to some more tepid liquor. drank
1t. and again fell to swirling the remains
] round the bottom of the glass as he re-
called the scene.
Good heavens!' he exclaimed at last.
and we could see his hand shake. Il
wonder if any of you kids can imagine
what its like to face a mad boy--and a
corkscrew. At first l wanted to laugh:
but the beastly twisting thing looked to
hideous-it wasn't laugh that came
when it sounded. | declare to you as [
passed round that bare little hole of a
room. [ kept seeing my own heart with
q corkscrew twisted in it. 1t made me
sick. When we'd danced round one an
other till | couldn't stand it & moment
longer, | cried 'Stopr and we stopped
VIII you swear? he demanded
No, l said, 1 won't; but if you will
play little games Of this sort, we'll have
penknives, please
$50 we got out our penkniyes, and as
mine was the bigger, we drew them with