The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-11-20

5 AN UNSATISFACTORY FIANCE. )
& By FRANK II. MEL0ON. 8
By FRANK H. MELOON.

when | love Robert, and he loves me.
But the gist of the situation is that
we aren't fitted for each other. We're
too opposite. 1t would drive me wild
to have to live with Robert the rest OF
my life and be admired from a dis
lance. ! want to do part of the ad
miring myself, and | am obviously
unfit for doing it in Roberts way
| suppose it will make the poor boy
dreadfully unhappy, but I've heard
that men get over affairs of the
heart very easily. | wouldn't do it,
if | thought Robert would feel very.
very much cut up oyer it, but it
somehow seems to me as If he is the
sort to find plenty of solace in his
pathological researches. Anyway, he's
perfectly set on a trip into the South
seas, so that he can study the Poly.
nesian tongue at first hand"
AS Miss H~ortense reached this stage
in her soliloquy, she glanced at a
little jeweled ~timepiece, suddenly re-
calling an engagement to attend a
production of amateur theatricals by
the alumni of Roberts university. Shs
had barely time to make her prep
arations. Everything else vas imme.
diately laid by, and a half hour later
found her at Conservatory hall, await
ing the rise of the curtain.
Did you know your tiance is to
take he leading part?" asked Miss
Ridge, her boon companion.
Why, no." admitted Miss Hortense,
"he never said anything to me about
it,
Well" rejoined the other, 1T was
no known until the last minute that
1t would be necessary. Mr.. Rouin had
taken the part once before, and his
old friends wouldn't listen to his say.
ing no."
The select audience that afternoon
was accustomed to witnessing the
performances of the worlds leading
stars, but it was unanimously con
coded that the part of the passionate
lover had never been so perfectly de.
! picted as it vas by Robert Rouin. II
was so natural that, in the language
of the press agent, the audience for
got to applaud.
Il congratulate you, Hortense, on
having a lover like that" exclaimed
Miss Ridge, roguishly, yet more than
half in earnest.
The face of Hortense flushed Grim
son, but inward agony was her por'
ton. "Oh, if it were true, If 1t were
true!" she exclaimed, again and
again, but always, with the realization
of how very far it was from being
true. 1t is, however, very seldom
that a sensible American girl fails tC
accomplish what she desires tC
achieve; and this is especially true in
love affairs. In a flash of pure inspir
fore the girls eyes. She laughed
aloud. That night it was carried into
execution.
When Robert Rouin, A. M, Phi. D.
seated himself in the usual chair, and
faultlessly attired, without so much
as an eyelash awry, began his Gus
tomary long distance admiration OF
his fiance. Miss Hortense, with a look
of determination to do or to die liz
her eyes, after a few minutes CONVEX
sation, rose from her chair, walked
over to her lover. and pumped herself
into his lap with a solid drop of 1875
pounds that fairly made the floor
creak and the chair threaten to give
way at every rung.
At the same time, she threw both
her shapely arms around his neck
and, careless of germs, planted a re
sounding smack on his lips, which
as soon as he recovered from his first
establishment, he made haste to return
with interest.
And you aren't play acting now
Roberto she asked, anxiously, after
a time.
Not a bit, little girl" he replied.
heartily. You see, I thought you were
really opposed to kissing and holding
hands and lovers embraces. You said
so, | remember, in your valedictory."
Il said a lot of things in that l
didn't mean" was the girls reply
and, Robert, | cant tell you what
| started to write to you this after.
noon"
But after awhile she did. She had
no fault to find in that quarter since
she explained why she had mentally
referred t. him as her unsatisfactory
fiance.
Copyright, 1906, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Actress Arm as a Relic.