The Cairo bulletin., 1905-12-24
A Tender Conscience
! rgrrrar'TwTf OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
L0rLglnaIl

first stumbling block. called SFednes-
aay aud Saturday evenings To arrive
not before s. to leave not after Fl,
Invariably ARRIVED as thn clock struek
the honf OF meeting and departed
well, | stayed MS long after II us !
dared. On the seventh day after our
engagement / WINS on time and Was
ushered into the green, drawing roQns
which ii had been stipulated, Should
be reserved fer our exclusive use. Eva
advanced as usual to meet me, and !
was proceeding to greet her with the
usual kiss when she stopped me-
nv heart sank. ] had had 4 hard
struggle to get her away from rival,
and it occurred TO me that she had,
after All. discovered she loved him aud
didn't love me However. ! withheld
any expression Of trepidation and sank
on to the sofa where | usually sat. But
tonight instead OF sitting 50 close 70
Eva that a sheet Of paper could not be
thrust between us | sat on one end &c
the sofa. while Eva sat ON the other.
Ii was plain by her expression thar
something of Importance weighed on
her mind. / dreaded to hear her speak
the word thai should undo all that bad
been 50 delightfully."- done. She had
taken me up into the "delectable mou@
tains, and now she was about to cast
me into Il "bottomless pitt
~fIaEry," She began something has
been on gy mind ever since we've been
engaged.
What is IT," faltered.
'sYou know I've always said 1
wouldn't marry any but perfectly
pure man"
Il know it / see it all, You're 90
ing 10 lreak our engagement because
I'm not good enough.
"Dont go so fast Often when you
have kissed me have wondered il
you have ever kissed any one else,
I've thought that it would be better to
ask you aud get the matter of my
mind"
but surprising haveF
"supposing you have-well, suppos'
ing you have" \ touch of feminine
curiosity came into her eyes and voice.
In tbat case. it would depend upon
whom you have kissed"
u never kiss and tell
IFS not telling; it's contossing"
But what right would have to tell
that | lad kissed a girlF'
You have only the right TO tell me.
No one else. of course"
DO you link the girl who has been
kissed would assent to thatf"
she has nothing to do with the mat
ter"
"Hunph."
This to me was q reductio al ab'
surdum. but TO Eva Il valid argument
on her side. our relations were be-
coming strained
40 you remember the autumn VIC
au went nutting" Eva asked.
Perfectly"
And how you aud Daisy Langdon
wandered away and sat under the
BRIDGE"
did wef"
"Of course YOU did. You rcucmbc.
IL wen enough You pnt your arm
around ber waist and kissed her.
How did YOU know all thisF
Il happened to be WaIkmg toward
the bridge and saw you"
There was a pause during which we
sat studying on the important problem
that had come up between rs.
"Nell" / said at last. since You
won't marry . man impure enough 70
kiss a pure girl don't see but that
I'm not immaculate she said, hang
ing her head.
Then why do you expect an immacu-
late loycr:'
Il have long had a confession on my
mind"
Make IT,"
"At that same nutting party
"WellT"
AT the moment / came upon you and
Daisy
WOLF
Il was walking with-with friend.
You're sure he wasn't loveTT'
a friend who might or might not be
n lover When We saw vou q away
from under The bridge We went there
ourselves and sat down Then he
kissed me-
All This came hard. but 81 al came a.
last. and I folt that vas safe from
further solestation 81 10 my Own pee
c8dulos 7 was q triGc irTiiat-d 81 hav-
ing had 10 60 through so much Tor 90
little and. rising. said cOldly.
80 / suppose your knowledge
knowledge you have had for more than
a year that ] am rot perfectly pure
ends all between US
! have confessed to an equal sin. IL
sou viii forgive me. viii forgive yOD."
oh ! see IL all now. Having a sin on
your conscience, yea FIRST bring up an
equal one on my part
Il think yOu are very unkind."
There Is one thing / don't like about
this natter one thing in which sou
have had the advantage Of me. You
know the girl kissed, don't knew the
man Whc Elssed you
Ls.tt lecz5agy that 7 shsul1 co1tsss
thats 30 cns expects ANYTHING e
mar" .----