The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-08-01
ALoSae 1Goyae
lOriginal.l

and I were playing on the dining room
table. A cheerful fire blazed on the
hearth, which we did not need for heat,
but appreciated for comfort.
You serve" said Miss Spencer.
l served the ball SO that 1t fell on the
edge of the table, very nearly before
her. She was standing too close and
missed 1t.
That's a horrid ball." she said.
I served again. This time Miss Spen-
Ger stood far back from the table. 1
served so lightly that the bail barely
fell over the net. She hadn't time to
move Onward and missed again.
That's another horrid ball." she
said, pouting. when l play with Mr..
Austin he never gives me such balls"
MI. Austin, being in favor, can't at
ford to play to win"
She was o to pass me the ball,
but at this she stopped short and look
ed at me.
"What do you meanf" she asked
coldly.
The English language Is not adapted
to making my meaning any palmer"
l knew perfectly well that Mr.. Aus
tin. being in possession of $4,000 a
year. was considered by the Spencer
family a suitable parti for Miss Spen-
Ger. MIR. Austin was q globe trotter, i
a poo man of business. Miss Spencer,
fearing | would explain still further,
passed me the ball. / preferred to con-
dnue the subject.
"Men of Mr.. A~ust1n's age l began.
81 suppose you consider your own
age the most desirable"
81 would not venture at twenty-three
to compete with a man Of
Its t~hirty-love," interrupted Miss
Spencer, isn't tt?"
Forty" l replied
eThfrty-eight," said Miss Spencer.
"I was not aware that there was any
such in pingpong."
"Oh, pshaw! You know well enough
that why can't you play the game
and let Mr.. Austin aloneY'
"Why can't you let Mr.. Austin
alone?'
do you mean to imply" she an
swered, bristling, that l am demean-
Ing myself by trying to catch Mr.. Aus
tin 2"
"You don't need to do that"
Are you going to play ~pingpong or
continue to discuss disagreeable sub
JectsY"
So the projected marriage was a dis
agreeable subject. 1 concluded to play
pingpong for awhile and think over the
situation. Indeed. 1 paid SO much at
tention to my play that l beat three
straight games. The last ball rolled
of where we couldn't find 1t, and we
sat down to rest.
"I wish,' said Miss Spencer. "to cor
rect some impressions you have with
regard to Mr.. Austin"
II thought you love affairs were dis
agreeable subjects which you preferred
to have me let alone"
81 only referred to Mr.. Austin"
''Then the attentions of Mr.. Austin
nvoiv a owe AFFAIR.""
"How horrid you are tonight! I
didn't say that"
You mean. after all, that b sub
ject of love, or, to speak more particu-
larly, any mention of your love affairs.
Ia ~disagreeable to you"
81 don't have love affairs, thank you.
One can have but one love affair"
"At a time"
81 mean that when a girl has two
suitors h will only o one Of them"
"While her family may love the 9TH
er."
10 Ills MISS SpcuCcT nduc uO reply.
She was picking at q button OF b
skirt of her dress.
Then l am to assume that your fam
lily wish you to accept Mr.. Austin.
while you
1 left her to finish; but, since she
would not speak her part of the dia-
iogue. 1 was obliged to speak it for her.
mot having yet fallen in love and
-l-H1 kl,% u%s To- ahIo 70 /
make life easy for you, you are about
to yield to the wishes of your family
and accept him."
Miss Spencer was still silent. 1t is
said that silence means consent. There
fore the logical deductions were that
Miss Spencer loved no one, but she
would marry Mr.. Austin. But l felt
pretty sure that If Miss Spencer had
not yet fallen in love and was about
to marry Mr.. Austin she would assent
to my proposition and admit the fact.
She did not admit 1t; therefore l took
her silence for denial. This may be a
fine distinctions: nevertheless I acted
upon 1t.
Don't you think" l went on. that
you, being a woman of age and capa-
Bile of judging for yourself, would do
better to choose a poo man with a fu-
ture than a rch nan with none? If
you have not yet loved. I have l
love-
The door opened. and Miss Spencers
father came into the room.
81 thought you two were playing
pingpong," he said, going to the side |
board where there was a racket. His
back being turned. 1 darted a quick
glance at his daughter. Her hand was
close to mine. and I clasped it She
ave mine a pressure that sem a thrill