Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-11-08

marry me. She knows me too well 10 Dt
SO foolish. l have inherited enough fol
only one person to live comfortably upon
and somehow I have never had the tim'
to earn any more than that. 1t is equally
matter of course that next year | shal
De just as madly in love with somebody
else-I can say that from long experience
and I believe that most men would admit
as much if they only had the courage /"
their convictions.
But even If Majorie does intend t.
hfeak our engagement before the terrible
1.-THE inevitable six months, the
fact that l am not going to marry
eher-or perhaps l should say that she If
not going to marry me-is no reason fol
my confessing my past life to her. Yet
have you noticed ?-most women are
like that, and Marjorie evidently thinks
that because couple who are about to be
married never tell each other about their
pasts, a couple who are not going to he
married always should. That is her idea
of logic, and no doubt that also is why
she wants to know all about my affair
with the rich Miss Van Astren.
wonder how she ever knew there was
an affair. Do women possess sex-secret
of clair-voyance 1t all happen' I'd five
years ago, and how Marjorie came to
guess that it happened at all cannot
imagine. Why, | do not believe that
Miss Van Astren knew about it until the
end, and am sure did not. However,
ignorant and innocent as | was, women
are deeper than you in y our callow youth
would suppose, and it is Just possible that
Gertrude saw it all along-and cared.
l dare say that it was sad abuse OF
hospitality. / was just ont Of college at
the time, and had nothing in the world
to recommend me except fairly good
presence, fairly good manner and a
fairly good name. | have since learned
that the first two OF these gifts will, if
we'll managed, go far, but did not know
until that one portentous evening how to
manage them, and the third is, at all
events, never a hindrance. Neverthe-
less, / was the Van Astrens' guest. They
had taken me up, and after little judic-
ious maneuyering, dear, old, delightful,
impossible Mrs. Van Astren had been
unwittingly persuaded to make me.
Moreover, l had been clearly given to
understand who, indeed, had not p
just how the land lay between Gertrude
and Lord Dulpudde, and so, n anifestly,
had no right to do it.
But Gertrude-with whom at golf and
hunt l have been having such jolly
autumn-was looking so uEcommonly
pretty that night OF the dance, and it did
seem such a pity that she should throw
herself away on the biggest catch in Eng
land, that-well, after all, there is no
accounting for these things. They just
occur, and that is all there is to he said
about them. Perhaps, in the last analy-
sis, the conventional New-York conserva-
tory, with the conveniently distant music,
was most of all to blame.
If it is any extenuation, | am bound to
say that at first was trifle afraid-jnst
a trife-and that the minutes slipped by
with bewildering speed, albeit we found
little enough to say. Nor, when we had
sat down there so absolutely alone, had
intended to do it. | was merely observ-
ant, and thus l suddenly discovered that
Miss Van Astren was perhaps have
never been certain, but perhaps just a
shade tentative
l was exactly at this point, when
Don't you think we'd better go back?"
she suggested.
II should like to stay here forever %
1 cried. Originality was not my strong
point in those days, but since by all the
plunge had to be made, there was no Use
on the bank because Of mere
platitude.
For moment Miss Van Astrel consi-
dered my desire in prospective, laughing
a little, but neither loudly nor, thought,
mirthfully.
''In the long rum" she remarked, lit
would be rather dreary existence for
you"
wondered if she was really subtle
"Do you find it SO r.
If she was, she dodg.d beautifully. 81
don't pass quite all my time in this part
Of the house." she explained "but
meant that if you, or anyone, was al
prisoner here-as you evidently seemed
to wish-you would find it, or any mod
ern conservatory, decidedly dreary OF |
Eden"
Obviously, this was an unfortunate
She saw it, but too late / |
had taken her up.
"Nor if there was an ideal Eye,' | re-
Joined.
She opened her fan, and for an instant
ooked hard at it. When she did speak
t was without raising her eyes.
Love in a garden" and Miss Van
Astren, sis no more poplar than love in
/ cottage-noways."
That settled it so sighed.
1T is unfortunate" said.
1t is absurd" said she.
Manifestly, we were at cross purposes
"Ah," I wistfully continued, "you
want to misinterpet Inc. But / suppose !
hould have expected it. Young as /
I'M, am behind the age. The girl of to-
lay has no admiration for effort. She
ant appreciate the nobility of labor.
And when man offers his life-work, she
'nly wants the fireworks negotiable re-
Iults."
I was rather pleased with thisspeech.
The nobility OF labor" is a good phrase,
wen If not strictly new.
Miss Van Astren seemed to think so
90. Indeed, presently appeared that !
lad struck her generally concealed hobby.
1t any rate she was certainly affected,
or she clasped her hands over her knees
nth a delightfully."- girlish gesture and
,oknd mn af mo with sarions-and heau. | ,