New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1906-01-31
j.
TIE
TacflecsneGS
Of Ne
By INA WRIGHT HANSON
Copyright, 1905, by P. c. Eastment


pleasantries if they chance TO meet
abroad In cognizance of this law of
nature I was more than ordinarily de-
lighted to see Miss Alice Ruybottom of
California enter a railway train. 1t
wasn't that Miss Ruy bottom and I had
only bowling acquaintance. In truth,
We had had a great deal more than
that. Operas. balls, teas. picnics, ex-
tursions by land and water, walks,
talks and driyes-we had enjoyed them
all together. expecting SO to continue
to the end of our lives. But one day,
as we stood looking over the pictures
hanging for a prize in the Mark Henry
art rooms. among which was one of
Alice's. she suddenly tore my ring from
her finger. threw it at me- burst into
tears and fed, crying out that she
hoped she would never see me again
I am naturally a proud man and, not
being able to perceive any reason for
her actions took her at her word and
sailed that night for Europe. The year
Of my absence had dragged woefully,
and [ came home, all the while debat-
ing whether I should seek her again or
whether l should let pride dominate
love. Now, fate seemed to have given
poor love d chance. so with some little
trepidation l went forward and stood
at her seat.
Good afternoon, Miss Ruybottom,
[ said politely.
Shn ~nI t.nr1 frsnr, o,fI ntfs
with bushes Why, Joew she ex
claimed. How glad [ am to see you.
Do sit down.
| sat down, my heart throbbing with
happiness. | was about to blurt it all
out at once-my longing for her and
my delight at being with her again
when my eye CHANGED to fall on her
suit case. In great glazing letters
read, Mrs. DR.. Arbogaste."
l received two separate individual
j shocks-the first that she was denied to
me forever, the second that her charac-
/ ter had lost something Of its sweet sim
/ plicity to allow Of her proclaiming her
| self as Mrs Doctor
isn't it delightful that we both hap
pened to get this train?" she said. her
| sweet face still pink. 81 remembered
/ that your mother lives around here
somewhere. 1 suppose you are visiting
| her,
| I bowed assent 1 couldn't trust my
| voice just yet.
| Il am visiting. too, but I am going
home soon. I'm glad. I'm on my way
| to see No. 49, l don't think I could
stand many more relatives
| must have proved sorry conversa-
| tionalist. but Alice didn't seem to no.
ttce. She chatted in her charming way,
her voice thrilling me as of old, her per-
| sonality sending delightful Zigzags of
feeling all over me, but through it all ]
was tasting the bitter fact that she be.
longed to another
Alice" l said at last, ''now that it is
/ too late to repair mistakes, it probably
| won't be any good for you to tell me
| why you threw me off so suddenly that
day in the Mark Henry, but it would be
Of considerable satisfaction to me tc
know
You said you thought I should wiz
a prize. for it was the poorest collection
Of pictures you had seen for a Ions
while
/ meditated. Well" I acknowledged
sit was an ambiguous sentence. Bu1
why should you have chosen to take The
uncomplimentary meaning? You ough1
to have known me well enough to know
that I wouldn't have Intentionally hur1
your feelings I meant it all right"
Il know 1 acted very foolishly, Joe
but 1 was tired and nervous, and thai
speech was only the last Of many. AS
look back they seem unimportan1
enough; but, really, at the time yor
kept me in a nervous strain wondering
what you would say next. Do you re
member the time you had mentioned
some Mrs. Newrich whom you had me-
and / asked you what she was like.
You answered. oh, the kind Of woman
that you would expect to see wearing 8
purple bonnet and red waist"
L have some faint remem brance OF
some unpleasant occurrence over The
remark, but
/ Why. Aunt Rachel was present, and
her fayorite animation of eoIors is
red and purple. Don't you remember
her seathing rejoinder:''
Too we'll remembered it. So thai
was tiny penchant for saying the
wrong thing in the right place or the
right thing in the wrong place. l join
ed ruefuily in Alice's melodious laugh
ter and kicked surrephtiousIy at the
suit case
IF that Gnsightly object is in your
way remarked Alice sweetly, sset II
in the aisle. l don't know where the
owner is. but as I didn't see any other
unoccupied seat I ventured to take
this
And you are not Mrs. DIR. Arbo-
caster" I said stupidity.
no, nor Mrs. Anybody Else. But
where is your wife? From what you
said Inferred
why, grille, I'm not married. !
mean to be, though. If the sweetest girl
in the world will have me. Alice, I've
changed. | really have I'm older now
and have gained swads OF tact. Alice.
/ will y0u fry mo q ora in -.