Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-03
A Tender Conscience


pleasant road of newly engaged peo-
pie week when we encountered our
first stumbling block. / called Wednes-
day and Saturday eyenings-to arrive
not before s. to leave not after IL. !
invaria bly, arrived as the clock struck
the hour of meeting and departed
well. | stayed It's long after II as l
dared. On tie seventh day after our
engagement | was on time and was
ushered into the green drawing room,
which, it had been stipulated. should
be reserved for our exclusive use. Eva
advanced as usual to meet me, and l
was proceeding to greet her with the
usual kiss when she stopped me.
My heart sank. | had had a hard
struggle to get her away from rival,
and it occurred to me that she had,
after ALL discovered she loved him and
didn't love me. However, l withheld
any expression of trepidation and sank
on to the sofa where l usually sat. But
tonight instead of sitting so close to
Eva that a sheet of paper could not be
thrust between us / sat on one end of
the sofa, while Eva sat on the other.
1t was plain by her expression that
something of Importance weighed on
her mind. l dreaded to hear her speak
! the word that should undo all that had
been SO delightfully."- done. She had
| taken me up into the ''delectable noun
tains," and now she was about to cast
| me into "bottomless pit"
Harry" she began, something has
been on my mind ever since We've been
| engaged"
what is itY' faltered.
"You know I've always said l
wouldn't marry any but perfectly
pure man."
IL know It, / see it all. You're go
ing to break our engagement because
I'm not good enough"
Don't go so fast. Often when you
have kissed me | have wondered if
you have ever kissed any one else.
I've thought that it would be better to
ask you and get the matter off my
mind"
But surposing have"
| "Supposing you haye-Well. suppos-
| ing you have" 4 touch of feminine
! curiosity came into her eyes aud voice.
| I'm that case it would depend upon
whom you have kissed"
| 81 never kiss and tell
| "{t's not telling; it's confessing."
"But what right would l have to tel!
that had kissed gtrI?"
You have only the right to tell me,
! No one else, Of course"
DO you think the girl who has been
! kissed would assent TO thatE'
''She has nothing to 60 with the mat
ter
"Humph"'
This TO me was a reductio ad alb
surdum, but to Eva valid argument
on her side Our relations were be-
coming strained.
''Do you remember the autumn we
all went nutting?" Eva asked.
Perfectly
land how you and Daisy Langdon
wandered away and sat under the
bridge?'
did we?'
"Of course you did. You remember
it well enough. You put your arm
around her waist and kissed her"
How did you know all this?'
| Hdppeueu 10 De "dlkllS LOWdIO
the bridge and saw YOU"
There was a pause, during which we
sat studying on the important problem
that had come up between US.
"Well," / said at last, "since yor
won't marry Il man impure enough tt
kiss pure girl l don't see but that
I'm not immaculate" she said, hang
ing her head.
"Then why do you expect an immacu
late lover?''
= q have long had a confession on N.
mind"
MAKE it,
at that same nutting party
"WelI?"
cat the moment l came upon you AM
Daisy
"Well?
II was walking with-with friend.
you're sure he wasn't lover?"
"a friend who might or might not b
lover. When we saw you go ava.
from under the bridge we went Their
ourselves and sat down. Then b
kissed me-"
All this came hard, but 1t all came a
last, and felt that l was safe iron
further molestation as to my own pee
cadillos. 1 was a trifle irritated at hav
ing had to go through SO much for 9
little and, rising, said coldly:
$50 l suppose your knowledge
knowledge you have had for more thal
q year-that l am not perfectly pur
ends all between u.s."
II have confessed to an equal sin.
you will forgive me, will forgive you.
"Oh. / see it all now. Having a sin O
your conscience, you first bring up a
equal one on my part"
Il think you are very unkind-"
There Is one thing don't like abou
this matter, one thing in which 20
have had the advantage of me. 70
know the girl kissed; don't know tn
man who kissed YOU"