Middletown transcript., 1904-07-30

| hiiCu WIN ioou - fCtiafhtu. Ii TcdIi'
takes years to fathom the commonplace
ness Of human destiny.''
"'ve plumbed it a good bit mysel
though l am not yet twenty" she said.
"Yet there's probably heaps and heap
you don't know yet," lazarded
''It's from people one learns the most.
she said. "The right people. Peopl
like you"
| "Commonplaceness ?" / asked.
"Ofcourse l didn't mean that, she re
turned, looking prettier than ever as .sh'
smiled at me with just shade of embar
rassment.
Speaking for myself" | remarked, :"
have always found my books in woman
looks, you know"
81 am really rather glad didn't NEE
you year ago." she said.
81 hardly know whether that's coin
pliment or not" said.
"You would have been my ideal man
year ago." she said.
That's before you met the other fel
low" said.
"Not but what / think you are nice
too," she said.
''But he's nicer" 1 said.
lone likes different people in differen
ways" she returned. ''The man yor
adored at nineteen might prove bore Al
twenty p'
"Oh, thank you," I said.
''The more l live, the more l distrust
agreeable men" she said. "It's womer
that have made you that-lots of women
"a whole library Of your kind of books
You are little too proficient at being
charming"
''Do it too well, you mean Y' said.
Altogether too well, che returned.
"It's different with him, l suppose"
said.
"Oh, he's so different" she replied.
"He's clever and doesn't know it. He's
awfully shy, and when he says things lie
bushes p
"Shy men are getting rare nowadays y
l said. 81 wouldn't trust a'shy man ont
of my sight. They do it because it draws. +"
II believe you are a brazen fascinator
yourself" she remarked.
II don't set up to be shy" | said. 81
believe in playing straight game wheth-
er at poker or love-"
II notice you put poker first" she
said.
There's skill in poker, too," l ex-
planned. Perhaps more!'
Winning girls hearts isn't as much
fun them" she said.
"Well, you can't spend them," I said.
''They won't pay your club bills. They
won't take them as mileage. Sometime
you think you've got them when you
haven't But moneys money, you
know"
"My friend doesn't approve of gam
bling" she said.
"Now be honest" | said; wouldn't
you rather spend picnic with me than
with the shy man? ?"
81 wish you hadn't said that" she re-
marked.
why shouldn't say it?' returned.
He can't hear it, can he? hoped you
would prefer me I"
''You remind me that we mustn't sit
forever on this log" she said.
'Fm sure I'm very satisfied" I said.
"If there's one thing I despise, she
said, "it's girls who pair off and firt in
corners. | don't want to be that kind of
girl, Mr.. Emmelin. It's time now for
us to go back and join the others p She
rose as she said this, and I could not but
follow her example.
"Aren't you, perhaps, a little over
scrupulous ?" said.
II dare say you'll think me silly" she
said, "but when | marry somebody l
don't want to have any recollection Of
well-any other men. I think woman's
capacity to love is the dearest thing she
has. It's unworthy to fritter it away to
cheaper it, | mean to give pennyworths
to thousand different people. l have
sort of pride in saving everything for the
man I'm really going to love-"
81 am very much of your opinion" l
said seriously.
NOW that our little tete-a-tete is over"
she said, "Pll tell you frankly that you are
too attractive altogether. If 7 were sit
ting-out girl you're just the man I'd
choose to sit out with p
81 wish l knew something modest to
say" remarked.
'You ought to smile and twirl your
mustaehe," she said.
She laughed as l tried to obey her.
Now let's 60 back and be bored, she
said. 1T will be SO much safer"
By this time we had reached the clear
ing. The horses were champing the oats
that had been poured ont for them on the
ground. The stage and carriages were
ranged in row liked parked cannon.
The lunch-baskets and demijohns were
piled in neat heap, together with new
cut firewood, an axe. and two galvanized
iron buckets. The human element alone
was missing. There was not soul to be
seen. We SIC od as solitary beneath the
Crusoe on his island.
'There doesn't seem to be ANYBODY
here" remarked cheerfully.
'You understand now what | meant"
she said, pale with anger.
"WlIat can have become of them ?" RI
asked.
We stood and. gazed at the deserted
scene. II was as still as the grave. be-
gan to slrout and call. bat the empty for
est gave back no sound.
You needn't bother" said my COM
panion. II might have known that this
would be no exception"
Exception to what r. asked.
''To all their miserable, horrid picnics,'
she returned. They've all gone off in
:. II Il