The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-04-28

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Nobody knew so well the inscrut-
able mainsprings that set in order the
beauty, the wit, the sprightliness, the
hopes and achievements Of the fair
members Of Gold Handle Street-nO-
body knew these things so well as
Wilmington Wilmington, and knowing
well the capabilities of this select
sphere Of the social world, he enjoyed
its environments and assumed control
Of its destinies, preserved in his task
by an intimate knowledge Of its many
matrimonial pitfalls.
To be young and to be fair, in the
cstechism Of Gold Handle Street, was
to be in love with Wilmington Whit
ingtOn. To be in love with Whiting
ton Wilmington was generally known
to be, with Wilmington WhitingtOn's
own consent, durable; it was an event
against which there seemed no desire
to become immune. Like a spell Of
the measles it was serious enough
while it lasted; it was considered in
eyitable, and finally mended only
when ended.
Wilmington Wilmington was believed
never to fall in love in return. To
have fallen in love would have put
him beyond the leadership Of Gold
Handle Street society. and beyond the
gentle remembrance Of many and
many a Gold Handle Street graduate
whose romantic Renaissance he con-
tinued to be long after they had passed
to wider stages Of action.
At last, however, be it known, IN
certain fate decreed that Wilmington
wilmington should labor in the shadow
OF impending matrimOny. for he was
at last profoundly loved by a maiden
that knew not to palter, indeed her
age was ten years or more beyond
the class Of callOW maidens to whom
Wilmington Wilmington had so long
made love professionally. 1t was the
second attack, for in fact ROsina
Crosby had fallen under the custom
airy charm Of wilmington Wilmington
ten years before, and he had counted
that the incident, in the usual diplo-
matte sequence, was closed, indeed
he had always been led to believe that
Rosina herself treated it as a closed
incident, and was only, alas, unde-
ceived in the ripening stages Of his
association, within the confines Of
Gold Handle Street, with the newest
Of its opening buds, Annette Van
Tank.
The unprecedented vigOr with which
Rosina Crosby, now no longer young,
and for that reason the more danger
Gus, pressed her rejuvenated claims
was something never heard Of before
in Gold Handle Street society, and
was the more perplexing to Whiting
ton Wilmington as hers was a display
o. tactics wholly out Of line with his
entire experience. Love had persisted
in every other instance with Whit
ingtOn Wilmington simply by the
statute Of limitations, it just run along
until it was outlawed, indeed he con-
sidered that Rosina Crosby had fol-
lowed safely in the footsteps Of all
Gold Handle Street, and that between
him and her there existed nothing
more tangible than a pleasing aroma
Of other days. In fact Wilmington
wilmington had been further led to
suppose that Rosina had not only for
gotten her early fame, but that she
had found eternal sOlace in the mani
fest gaIlantries of Professor Van Tank,
whose wife had died young and left
to his care their only daughter, the
truly beautiful, Annette Van Tank.
wilmington Wilmington could not,
however. forget his value as a matri-
moniaI catch. and trembled for his
fate at the hands Of ROsina Crosby.
Nothing like it had ever happened be
fore Rosiua fooL- charge she dfned