The Washington times., 1906-01-14

nlC-CoOoPC Sums hO"HE
Il will away" said John Delaney,
ito the furthermost parts OF the
earth. l cannot remain near you.
and know that you are another's.
l will to Africa, and there amid
other scenes strive to for
For goodness sake get out, said
Helen. Somebody might come in"
He knelt upon one knee, and she
extended him one white hand that
he might give it farewell kiss.
Girls. was this choice boon of the
great little god Cupid ever vOuch-
safed you--to have the fellow you
want hard and fast, and have the
one you don't want come 9ith
damp curl on his forehead and
kneel 10 you and babble of Africa
and love, which, in spite of every
thing. shall forever bloom, an anna
ranth, in his heart? To know your
power, and to feel the sweet security
of your own happy state. To send
the unlucky one, broken-hearted,
to foreign chimes, while you con-
graduate yourself. as he presses his
last kiss upon your knuckles, that
your nails are we'll manicured-say
girls, its galluptious-don't ever let
it get by you.
And then, of course-how did you
guess it?-the door opened and in
stalked the bridegroom. jealous of
slow-tying bonnet strings.
The farewell kiss was imprinted
upon Helen's hand, and out the win
dow and down the f1re-eseape spFang
John Delaney. Africa bound.
A little slow music. II you please
faint violin. just a breath in the
clarinet and a touch of the cello.
Imagine the scene. Frank, white
hot, with the cry of a man wound
ed to death bursting from him. Hell
en-, rushing and clinging 10 him, try
ing TO explain. He catches her
wrists and tears them from his
shoulders-once, twice, thrice he
sways her this way and that-the
stage manager Will show you how
and throws her from him 10 the
floor a huddled, crushed. moaning
thing Never, he cries, will he look
upon her face again, and rushes from
the house through the staring groups
OF astonished guests.
And now, because it is the thing
instead of the play, the audience
must stroll out into the real lobby
of the world and marry, die. grow
gray rich, poor, happy or sad dur
ing the intermission of twenty
years which must precede the rising
of the curtain again.
Mrs. Barry inherited the shop and
the house. AT thirty-eight she could
have bested many an eighteen-year-
old at a beauty show on points and
general results. Only a few people
remembered her wedding comedy.
but she made of it no secret. She
did not pack it in lavender or moth
balls, nor did she sell it to a maya
zine.
One day a middle-aged. money
making lawyer, who bought his legal
cap and ink of her. asked her across
the counter To marry him.
I'm really much Obliged to you"
said Helen, cheerfully, but / mar
Tied another man twenty years ago.
He was more a goose than a man,
but I think l love him yet. have
never seen him since about half an
hour after the ceremony. Was it
copying ink that you wanted or just
writing fiuid?"
The lawyer bowed over the coun-
ter with old-time grace and left a
respectful kiss on the back OF her
hand Helen sighed. Parting sa-
lutes, however romantic, may be
overdone Here she was at thirty
eight, beautiful and admired; and
all that she seemed 10 have got from
her lovers were reproaches and
adieus. Worse still, in the last one
she had lost 3 customer, too.
Business languished. and she hung
out a rooms to let card. Two large
rooms on the third floor were pre-
pared for desirable tenants. Room
ers came, and went regretfully, fol
the house of Mrs. Barry was thu
abode of neatness, comfort ant
taste.
One day came Ramonti. the VIC
linist, and engaged the front room
above. The discord and clatter up
town offended his nice ear; so
friend had sent him to this oasis il
the desert of noise.
Ramonti, with his still youthfu
face, his dark eyebrows, his short
pointed foreign brown beard, hi
distinguished head of gray hair. ant
his artists ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II
1. N