Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-11-17
why do Won laugh p he added short

why do you laugh2" he added Short
". Il am quite serious
Gladys laughed long and merrily.
She knelt down by his side.
you dear, silly boy" she cried:
your Sylvia may be a faded, gray
haired old lady. lamenting the lost love
of her youth, or she may be a happily
married dame with merry troop of
children. Perhaps she is a man like
the writer of An English Woman's
Love Letters or she may be an i'm
possible person. A soul does not al
ways dwell under a beautiful cover
ing"
"If thought any of your sugges-
tons were true" said George. dubious
ly, I'll
would keep to the old oneY' she
said, coaxingly. George, dear, you
said you loved me once and promised
to marry me. You are the only
man I ever cared for.' She looked
wistfully at him. do not throw me
over for mere caprice or fancy. If
we have loved once it should be for
aye, for true love can never alter
Now you are talking like Sylvia,o
answered George, softly, gazing at
her.
She certainly looked very sweet with
the love-light trimming in her pretty
eyes. After all, the writer of the
poems might turn out to be dyspep-
tic. Most of the minor poets he knew
were afflicted in that way.
George, DEAR" she whispered, sit
would be so awful to change now we
have fixed the day-that is, if you still
loye the Gladys you imagined me to
be-"
Il know, darling. / have been a
brute. Forgive me-" he said con-
tritely. II will read Sylvia no more. L
will imagine You are at the easement,
and I will give you the picture for
wedding present.
He kissed and fondled her as he
spoke. He could see how unhappy
she looked.
And l." she answered, shyly, blush
ing under his kisses, twill give you
my present on the morning after we
are married"
George kept to his word and his
sweetheart.
The onlookers declared, therefore a
lovers quarrel had been made up.
The day of the wedding had arrived.
Everything passed off beautifully,
until, at the supreme moment, George
suddenly remembered Sylvia and shud-
dered. The girl at his side pressed
closer and gave him a pathetic little
glance.
At the breakfast he appeared quite
distract, and the guests commented
on his preoccupied air.
He talked to his newly made wife
with great effort for the rest of the
day, but she only smiled tenderly at
him and would not notice anything
amiss in his unloverlike behavior.
At breakfast the next morning he
still appeared i'll at ease. In reality he
felt ashamed of himself. Sylvia had
filled his dreams all night.
George, dear husband" said Gladys,
at the end of the silent meal, II have
left your present on the dressing table.
Will you go and lock at it, She
flushed painfully as she spoke. Surely
a woman should not need to WOO her
husband
Certainly" he answered, glad of
an opportunity of escaping from his.
uncomfortable position
He hurried up stairs, where he
walked to the dressing-table, and found
a copy of "Sylvia's Love-" 1t bore the
inscription: From the writer, Gladys,
to her only love-"
In the meantime Gladys had walked
to the window There she watched the
play of a wave-kissed blue sea spark
ling with sunshine. And there George
found her.
He put his arm about her and drew
her to his side with a tender, clipging
caress. Once more he was the dear
George of old. She knew no shadow
of misunderstanding would ever come
between them again.
Presently he spoke. write me-"
he said, slowly, "as one of the biggest
fools in creation. / ought to have
guessed you were my Sylvia. How
could have been so blind! My dar-
ling! 1 hope may ever prove worthy
of such love-the love of my ideal
woman
She smiled at him through happy
tears as their lips met in one long
kiss.-American Queen.