The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-12-16
q LcUe Game
1Original.l

| and / were playing on the dining room
able. A cheerful fire blazed IN the
fearth. which we cid not need for heat,
sut,sppreciated for comfort.
"You Serve" said Miss Spencer.
l served the ball so hat it fell on the
edge of tie table, very nearly before
her. She was standing too close and
missed it
THAT'S a horrid ball." she said.
L served again. This time Miss Spen-
Ger stood far back from the table. |
served so lightly that the ball barely
fell over the net. She hadn't time to
move forward and missed again.
That's mother horrid ball." she
said. pouting. when l play with Mr..
Austin he never gives me such balls"
Mr.. Austin. being in favor. can't af-
ford 20 play II VIZ"
She was about to pass me the ball,
but ut this she stopped short and look
ed at me.
What 10 you mean?" she asked
coldlv
Tile English language is not adapted
to making my meaning any palmer"
| knew perfectly well that Mr.. Aus
tin, being in possession of $4,000 a
year. was considered by the Spencer
family II suitable part for Miss Spen-
Ger. Mr.. Austin was a globe t%rotter, /
a poor man of business. Miss Spencer,
fearing | would explain still further,
passed me the ball. / preferred to con-
tinue the subject.
"Men of Mr.. Austin's age began.
81 suppose o consider your own
age the most desirable"
81 would not venture at twenty three
to compete with a man Of
Its thirty-love." interrupted Miss
Spencer. isn't it?'
"Forty." l replied.
~Thirty- eight" said Miss Spencer.
81 was not aware that there was any
such count in pingpong."
"Oh, pshawI You know well enough
that I-why can't you play the game
and let Mr.. Austin lone?'
why can't o let Mr.. Austin
alone?"
do you mean to imply" she an
swered, bristling. that l am demean-
ing myself by trying to catch Mr.. Aus
tin?"
"You don't need to do that"
Are 0 going to play pingpong or
continue to discuss disagreeable sub
Jects?'
So the projected marriage was a dis
agreeable subject. 1 concluded to play
pingpong for awhile and think over the
situation. Indeed. l paid so much at
tention to my play that l beat three
straight games. The last ball rolled
off where we couldn't find it, and we
sat down to rest.
81 wish.' said Miss Spencer, "to cor
rect some impressions you have with
regard to Mr.. Austin"
81 thought your love affairs were dis
agreeable subjects which you preferred
to have me let alone"
81 only referred to Mr.. Austin"
Then the attentions of Mr.. Austin
Involve a love AFFAIR.""
GLOW horrid you are tonight! I
didn't say that"
"You mean. after all, that the sub
ject of love, or. to speak more particu-
larly. any mention of you owe affairs.
In ~disagreeable to you"
"I don't have love affairs, hank you.
One can have but one low affair"
A a time"
81 mean that when a girl has two
suitors she viii only love n of them"
"While her family may love the 9th
err"
To this Miss Spencer made no reply.
She was picking at a button on the
skirt of her dress.
'"Then / am to that your fam
lily wish you to accept Mr. Austin.
while you
left her to finish; but, since h
would not speak her part of the dia-
.ogue. | was obliged to speak it for her.
Not having yet fallen in love and
mindful hat Mr.. Austin is able to
make life easy for III, you are about
to yield to the wishes of your family
and accept him."
Miss Spencer was still silent. 1t is
said tina silence means consent. There
fore the logical deductions were that
Miss Spencer loved no one, but she
would marry Mr.. Austin. But l felt
pretty sure hat if Miss Spencer had
not yet fallen in love n was about
to marry Mr.. Austin she would assent
to my proposition and admit the a
She did not admit it; therefore l took
her silence for denial. This may be a
fine distinction; nevertheless l acted
upon it.
Don't you think" l went on, that
you. being a woman of age and capa
BILE of Judging for yourself. would 10
better to choose a poor man with a fu-
ture than a rich man with none? II
you have not yet loved. 1 have. i
love-
The door opened, and Miss S~pencers
father came into the room.
81 thought you two were playing
Pfngpong," he said. going to the side
board where there was a racket. His
back being turned, I darted a quick
glance at his daughter. Her hand was
close to mine. and 1 clasped it She
gave mine a pressure that sent a thrill
mn nv orrn fo INV haarf