The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-06-22


fore my window and felt for the first
time all the emptiness and bar.enness
Of a loveless world
Ten years have passed. am no
longer a reckless scapegrace Of a fel.
low. The passing years have some.
what sobered me into a recogn tion Of
the fact that the world requires more
Of man than simply looking TO his
I own pleasures and chasing after mir
ages that but lead him a m,vry dance
and leave him worn out and disap
pointed at the first point his maturing
mind shows him the uselessness and
folly OF his course.
However, much OF the credit foi
my change of nature should b. given
tn another party, u sweet. charming
little woman whom I met here at Yer
sallles aud who had quite captured my
heart
And tonight, as we sat close to-
! gether under the lowering trees. with
/ fair moon casting pale shadows
about us, felt how happy | was in
| having won such a prize, for we were
| soon TO we'd
There came a little lull in our con.
| vcrsation and my mind was running
back TO my previous little love affair,
I the remembrance of which incident
had never quite left me. Then made
u resolution. Turning to my fair com.
paniOn, | said:
Vera, must confess to a little de.
~.
start. 1t was quite harmless. You re-.
member the other evening you asked
me If | had ever loved befOreg \
womans natural question. and such a
foolish one And | answered as most
wicked men Will. and as the question
| justly deserves, perhaps that | never
had. | have Thought upon it since. and
/ feel that truth is best. whatever he
/ the consequences. | have loved be.
| fore
/ Vera gave her breath little inward
| hiss and turned her flashing eyes upon
! me in surprise, but said nothing. She
( apparently awaited my further cOnfes.
! sion.
Some ten years ago came by the
| photograph of q young lady in a pc.
! culiar way It was such a dear little
face that frankly confess now, fell
in love with it. Eat my love did not
live long. for a few words on the re.
verse side Of the card told me much.
She loved another. have carried this
card with me until now. and tonight,
after having confessed to you, shall
properly destroy it,"
| drew the card from my inner
pocket where had carefully guarded
ii ever since the night | 50 strangely
came by it. and not without some
slight feeling Of the old passion. placed
my fingers in position to rend it
asunder. Then Vera asked to see it.
| promptly handed it TO her
She gave a cry of surprise, and turn
ing TO me. asked hastily
"Whcre did you get that?"
81 found the photograph in rail.
road wreck in New Mexico The flames
from the burnin: mail ear had re.
moved all trace Of the name Of the
photographer. or | should haye-eh,
that is. u
cor you should have gone in search
of Your ideal. Am / not right"
"l-I-thlnk 50; but-but You SEE |
had not met you then" [ stammered
in my confusion.
1T seems we are old friends. You
would have gone Ia search OF your
ideal! how long it has taken you to
find her." And. to my utter amaze.
mcnt, instead Of being angry, as | had
. | i,,t.
laugh.
"Ah. but Vera, you know as the time
goes on our ideal changes"
Oh pettishly. does it? That is
too bad. referred to the particular
ideal of ten years ago. not only the one
of to-day"
Her words mystined me- She saw
: my wonderment. and again broke into
a hearty laugh.
you foolish duncel Yet how
strange. Have the passing footprints
of time stamped out all sembance and
erased the beauty in the original. the
substance, that you admired in tha
shadow? That is photograph had
taken twelve years ago in san Fran.
, cisco"
At this revelation Of the strange
, workings Of destiny. | could only sit
and stare like man bereft of his
l senses, Then remembered the rude
shock | had received upon turning tha
card. Again tOrments began to rack
$ my soul
t And Vera, the-the wording on the
n backf"
= "iou foolish. jealous boy! had
= mailed this very card to my mother
! then in New York City, and that
! scrawl was only for her. had often
2 wondered why she failed to receive
= it,"
And now. darling, you are mine
truly. the wide world over'F"
I For answer she nestled closc- to me
q -Wayerley Magazine.
: Turkish Bookseiiers.
A writer who spent much OF his early