The Western news., 1904-06-22
Suppose
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright, 1908, by T. G. Mcclure.

VIZ 'he "siis Aooueu Tue balcony. Here
and there lamp with red shade
glowed like q carbuncle. From the
palm room below the aroma of black
coffee greeted the nostrils delicately.
one of the musicians trailed his
hands over tho keys of the piano and
az the sound the violins adjusted their
instruments with affectionate care.
The men at the bass viol, cello and
mute stood at attention. and in another
moment the music began again.
1t seemed to roll through the place
IN waves. the thin edges Of which
went curling through the open doors
ana out into the darkness of the street
where the passersby slackencd their
steps to listen. The half dozen per-
SONS who sat in the balcony listening
succunlbed even more completely to
its charm
"l0vers-lovers everywhere"' MUIR
INJURED Agnes Jennings mirtllfuly as
her gaze wandered idly over the scene
belore her. Her companions answer
ing smile was somewhat abstracted.
W nile she had been watching the
others he mad been watching her. 1t
was habit he had acquired. and il
was particularly in moments like This.
when her head was thrown back
against the chair, her eyes We're touch
ed with dreaminess and the shadowy
smile was quivering on her lips.
There We're, indeed, two absorbed
couples near them, and Richardson
obediently pretended to be interested
IN them OF the older pair. the man
was OF the stout, flushed. prosperous
type so common in our cities. I'm
as good as you are" was written in
every line of his face.
But as he gazeu at the woman he
side him. who was oppressivelv pink
OF cheek. bright of eye and black of
hair, you saw that he made one ex-
ception. For the moment he was an
ldeallst and she was his ideal. In some
clumsy, speechless way he showed
that he felt that he wasn't so good as
she-that he aspired, that he loved,
lie has forgotten that he's the sue
cessful Tim O'Donohue," remarked
Richardson laugLingy. "He has for
gotten how he started with pckax
and spade and now wears a diamond
in his shirt front-he has forgotten
everything but her"
He finished the sentence as If he
were speaking to himself, and his COM
panon paid him the tribute Of linger
Ing glance in which a question mark
was barely perceptible. Then she re-
turned to her derisive contemplation
OF the lovers once more.
Thev certainly are naive" was her
next comment, as with a droll smile
she watched the other couple-a slep-
DER girl with sweet blue eyes and a
lordly youth with a reassuring breadth
or shoulder and crisp dark hair The
blue eyes We're gazing up at him as if
he We're godling, as In fact he looked.
The cunning things" calculated
MISS Jennings softly, as the youths
hand gently touched the girls as it Law
on the arm Of the chair. "S-h-h. don't
move. she cautioned, as Richardson
shifted his position to get better
glance of them. You'll attract their at
tentlon. and then they will sit up stiff
ana straight and talk Of the weather.
Apparently they We're obliyious to
the people about them as well as to
the laughing scrutiny turned upon
them. as they sat gazing blsstully into
each others eyes.
Now, what do you suppose they see
there: drawled Richardson. going
back to his interrupted contemplation
OF Agnes profile. She laughed lightly
Everything floating in rose color
Ell mist, Nothing but joy. joy, joy.
Invisible music - and always them
selves together and happy" she haz-
arded. Its bit cruel to think how
different it will really be, isn't IT."
AS she turned toward him with
ook grown pensive, Richardson was !
hlled with 4 sudden optimism.
II may come true. You cant tell
There was something vaguely suy-
gestiVe IN his tone, and Miss Jennings
looked again. She was half inclined /
to belieVe-but no,
The music stopped. The youths dark
mead was bent toward the girl, and he
was murmurins to her in low, muiilcd
tones. The man, whose appearance su~
sested contracts shrewGly and profit.
ably carried through. was making -
palpable effort to say something thar
was determined not to be said He
shifted In his chair. and the red of
his face grew darker. while his com
panlon chatted composedly com
posedly. Richardson thought as his
speculative glance came home to the
lady at his side.
isn't 1t odd said she, breaking
the silence. that they are so uncon.
scious? They don't seem to notice us
Ito think that perhaps we are watch.
ng them. Fancy forgetting everything
ike that"
Her listeners eyes seemed to be re-
lueed to mere points. He felt oddly
lettled at her words and as quick MS
! fash decided to make an experiment
Vas she really so cold and impersonal
IS she seemed? Well II vas ta.raaJ