The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-08-12
An Engagement Kiss


cd from two weeks vacation / ex-
tracted so much in the first twenty
four hours that-but ] anticipate.
! alighted at the hotel, gave my
hand baggage to porter aud was
climbing the piazza steps when saw
a girl whom / was sure | had never
met before coming to meet me with a
radiant smile.
Good graciousF' she exclaimed. Il
thought you were not coming till to-
morrow"
but you see | have come today /
replied, humorlng her mistake, for
knew she was In error as to my iden-
tity.
well, declare! You quite take my
breath away she went on, looking
at me admlringly from tip to toe.
How you have improved! I'd scarce
~ have recognized you"
''You are the same lovely girl; you
couldn't improve"
] was treading on dangerous ground,
but relied as soon as the error was
discovered on my ingenuity III making
up plausible story to let me out.
We'll" / said looking at her visit
fully, s'are you of the same mindT
Those people over there are looking
at us. Leave me till after supper;
then wen walk on the beach
/ was glad to comply, determining
that as soon as ! rejoined her would
let the fact come out that | was not
the lover she expected When we met
again my resolution weakened /
could not resist the temptation to en-
joy a brief period with so charming a
girl We went down on to the beach
in the cleaning and strolled on the
line Of foam The moon rising out Of
tie ocean glinted the crests of inter-
venlng waves The stars were coming
ou There was no sound but the pIash
OF wavcs l knew that If l talked of
anything except love I would expose
ms hand, ANA 1t seemed as natural for
me to talk love to her as If we had
long been lovers. / told her how dur
ing tie four years Of absence my heart
had yearned for her and begged her
to tell me If was to be made happy.
Sailing on the broad sea of love
struck never a rock, and when 1t was
time for us to 20 Ia she had no sus-
picion that she had made an exchange
of lovers.
And now" I said before parting,
give your reply In kiss.
She kissed me, and that kiss was the
loyeliest, longest most rapturous
ever took from woman's lips.
The next morning / rose late and was
the only person in the breakfast room.
Sitting by window, heard voices
on the piazza,
who was the fellow asked a
mans voice. "and what did be look
like?"
Like you, very much improved from
what you were when / saw you last. !.
HIN! You don't seem to consider
me improved"
mot in disposition. You blame me
for very natural mistake"
"A very unnatural mistake. If you
make such mistakes after we are mar
ried, there'll be the deuce to pay"
Were not married yet"
I peeped through a slat IN the blind
and saw man sitting with the girl
had made love to the night before.
He looked very like me, though did
not feel fattered by the likeness.
What should / do-slink out unob-
served and take the first train or
brazen it out7 / marched boldly out
and Joined them.
| certainly expected both to receive
me scornfully. Without waiting for
either to speak begged thousand
pardons Of the girl for not rectifying
her mistake at once, giving as my only
reason that she was so charming /
could not bring myself TO do SO. While
was speaking, which / did humbly,
the face of the girl slowly broadened
into smile; that of the man grew
momentarily surlier. Having done all
could to atone for my sin, / turned
and left them
/ resolved to leave the place that
afternoon, but meeting the girl with
out her lover, she extended her hand
to me and asked me to take a seat be
side her. | did SO and told her OF my
intention to depart, which had been
formed on the ground that my pres
enee there would not be agreeable to
her and her lover She declared that
she would not be the cause Of my de-
parture and begged me to stay de-
termined to remain for awhile, but If
my presence proved Objectionable /
would go at once.
That evening, observing the young
lady sitting alone on the piazza, ]
Joined her To my surprise, at my
mention Of her lover she said that he
had gone.
Then she gave me her confidence In
matter of which / already knew the
principal part AT eighteen she had
admired a man whom she had known
but short time when he removed to
another place They had correspond
ed, and after four years absence he
had returned, hoping to get favora-
Bile answer to his suit She had been
disappointed In him and had rejected
him
! chatted with her till the moon rose,
then boldly asked her If she would
walk on the beach She accepted the
invitation. and, walking over the same
sands as the night before, made the
same love. she proposed that should
60 away and return for an answer in
fonr years. hut I told her I had hnnr