The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-20

4WSnIy LILIES III lu6 past Two uays
had Hortense Heaton made up hel
mind to definite action; and 20 times
of course, she had allowed hel
thoughts to vacil1ate backward to the
old doubt, the old indecision. 1t il
80 supremely ridiculous" she said te
herself, softly. And the complaint
seems SO absurd and SO difficult tt
form into words. I can't tell Robert
| that he doesn't love me enough. His
| alteration is too evident in his eyes
! for me to doubt it, but I'm not mar
| Bile image and I don't want to be
| adored as if I Were an angel. / know
| I'm not. I know I'm Just ordinary
flesh and blood, but Robert doesn't
seem to think SO. I've tried every
way ! can think Of to convince him.
but it's no use"
Miss Hortense flung herself face
I downward on the most tempting piece
/ of furniture in the room, burying her
| pretty nose in the very middle of a
/ pillow stuffed with fir balsam She
did not attempt to keep back the tears
| which forced themselves to her ador-
able blue eyes or to choke down the
sobs which convulsed throat as
| dainty and fair as any models.
What would Robert say if he could
see me now?" she thought, smile
like sunshine in the midst of summer
rain flashing across her face. Just
| because we're both college bred, he
thinks he must act differently than
other people. And he was SO ready
to believe my jest about the danger
of microbes in kissing, that I've never
been kissed once since we became
engaged. He says huggings dem
onstration Of parliamentary affection,
and laughs at holding hands as
something peculiar to the lower class
es. Well, I'd just like to have little
rudimentary affection, and if some
body doesn't hold my hand pretty
soon, why, I'm just going slumming!"
Having finished her cry, Miss Hor-
tense felt decidedly better. She sat
up and began to fling soft pillows
into new positions with athletic vigor.
"The ideal" she exclaimed, sharply.
ST don't see what makes Robert so
stiff and prim. He's a good deal
like an old maid since he got those
horrid degrees of A. NJ. and Phi. D.
What good will they do him, anyway?
He's got the money to have a good
time without them; and il he hadn't it
now, he could share mine as soon as
we're married. | guess dad will give
me enough for both. AS it is, can
truthfully say I'd rather have been
born without silver spoon in my
mouth, if all the silver spoon is 60
ing to bring me is man gone daft
against kissing and hugging and hold
ing hands. Being engaged to man
like that is what our Mamie would
call the raw limit !"
Her brain formed a mental picture
of Robert Rouin, A. NJ, Phi. D., tall
and athletic of figure, clad in perfect
fitting evening clothes, just as she had
last seen him. Severity sat Centaur-
like upon his Gibson-modeled face, but
it was the severity of thought.
why continued the girl, indig-
nant1y. cant he cast it off for a few
minutes when he is with me? He
loves me: don't doubt that But it
is like the terrible admiration of Zeus
It is as if a god were making love to
a mortal, half fearing to sul1y him
self by touching the inferior being.
I'm sure Robert hasn't that feeling,
but that's exactly what it's like
Miss Hortense recalled the fact
that her unsatisfactory fance had
won his varsity letter on the foot
ball eleven. She also summoned to
mind several stories Of his athletic
ability which had not little inf1u-
enced her decision when she had to
make up her mind whether to say yes
or no to the great question which
comes at least once to every girl.
Since his classmates had sepa-
rated and scattered to the four cor
ners of the earth, Robert Rouin, A. |
M, Phi. D., had been continually, |
though uneonsciously, demonstrating
the difference which existed between
himself and Robert Rouin, right tackle
OF the varsity eleven 1t was, per
haps, accounted for by the fact that /
his mind had turned to newer and
graver channels; that he was CON I
fronted by obstacles Of Infinitely great
er difficulty and moment; and that,
being always set and obstinate and /
perseVeringly stubborn in his way, he
was bound to surmount them.
Now, what shall I writer" Miss
Hortense asked herself, dipping a
pearl handled pen into the cut glass
Ink well at ner right hand She
poised the pen above the paper for
q moment undecidedly. Then she
laid it down carelessly, not noting
that she dropped it into a box OF |
writing paper, over
which an ink blot spread itself alarm
lngly.
It has come to the point" assert
ed the young lady, as If seeking to /
convince herself that her action was
perfectly just, 1T has come to the /
point when must break off this en-
gagement; and it's SO ridiculous, too,