Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-09-29
4 KISS SHOT.
By j. H. RosNY.


At the early age Of 30 settled down to
life of single blessedness en- my patti
monial estate l had seen life and the
world in every phase and climate, anu
congratulated myself on being through
with storms, literal and fgurative.
This idyllic existence was rudely in
| terrupted by the rising OF the widow
| above my horizon. When she burst
upon my vision the history Of the worlo
recommended. For a day ana a night
| was dazzled. stupefied, and when
| learned that her lands adjoined mine
knew by instinct that it was all up
with me.
am not one of those who struggle
against their passions, ana for my ex-
pected tranquility i had counted rot
on my will but or freedom from temp
tation-
So let myself go. Visited my neigh
Dor, and did not conceal from her the
| feeling with which she had inspired me-
Accustomed to admiration and declara
tons of love, she received mine calmly,
but replied:
81 shall never marry again. My hus-
| band was the best of men, and ] loved
him dearly. That is enough for one
life
And when I urged, pleaded. protested
with the energy Of sudden passion, she
smiled and said:
'What a tyrant YOU would bel No
| 7 wish to be free"
She was a creole, of New orleans. anq
possessed the soft, languorous beauty
| that, even in its decline, made another
creole widow, Josephine Beauharnais
| so irresistible. But my widow was only
"a, and yet in the perfect bloom Of
youth. Her late husband, an American
railway promoter, had left her large
fortune. which she appeared anxious to
exchange for French soil After pur-
chasing the estate adjoining mine she
successfully acquired properties until
she threatened to surround and in
gulf me. One day she said:
"You have a lovely bit of forest that
makes an ugly jog in my line. | will
give you IUU,OUU lIduCS lOI IL.
ut is not for sale-to you, replied
"Take it if you want it."
She raised her eyebrows and her Shout
ders and dropped the subject but re-
turned to it next day in the billiard
room of old Count Lavilleuce. whom she
had just defeated, for she was an ex-
cellent player, for woman.
Come" she said 81 will play you for
a promise to sell against that picture by
Drinks that you covet So
Then l lost my head and answered:
mo. but I will stake the forest against
kiss!"
She looked at me more in amusement
than in anger.
"You are joking" she said.
Gam 1? You know would gladly sell
the forest for kiss, out l know You
would not consent to the exchange. So
let US play for them"
81 have half a mind to take you up"
she laughed.
"You dare mott" I cried. for l knew
her temper.
vi, L udIG HOJ. oHS NIICu- FNty
well. We will make the game 300 points,
1t was fine game, for we were well
matched, and, having so much at stake,
played our best. For my part, | swear
that l thought only Of the kiss, not of
the forest. The game went on with al
ternate advantage until she scored 290
to my 2S3 Then I made run Of 16
with ease and stopped, baked by off
ficult shot, within one point of victory
She. also, after running up to 299, found
herself confronted by an awkward con-
fguration but the shot was so much
easier than some which she had made,
that I gave up the game for lost. She
aimed carefully and steadily, played
and missed by hairs breadth!
l waited for half minute before play
ing, for my hands trembled so that /
could hardly hold the cue. 1t was an
easy shot, but not for me at that mo-
ment. My ball caromed lightly on the
light red. advanced timidly for the dark,
and-just kissed it!
"Ah, l have LOST" she exclaimed, with
a nervous laugh. well. l will pay
in half an hour, in the grove"
She ran away, blushing, and soon
saw her strolling with careful careless
ness toward the grove. 1t as long
half hour-though l shortened it by ten
minutes. In the sacred grove she came
to me without a word and frankly and
Loyalty offered her sweet lips.
When l raised MY head saw that she
was pale. She trembled an6 laid
hand on my shoulder as if for support
Then she laughed and softly whispered:
at wasn't fair, you know. l ought
to have made that shot II cheated"
So, though she lost she won, not the
forest alone, but its owner and all his
l.: