New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-07-15
"A Shock
Ioriginal.l

We were leaning over the front gate.
I held both her hands in mine and
looked into her moonlit eyes. I was
twenty, she not quite eighteen. was
going west to seek my fortune. When
l had made competence couldn't
bear to consider more than three
months sufficient for the purpsse-l
was to return and take her back with
me.
Life in the meanwhile" she said,
twill be one long period Of waiting.
ut will seem an age to me-"
you will be engrossed in business.
That will make you forget"
II shall never forget. | shall lay
down thirty days for each month on
paper and each morning check one off.
To see them disappear will be my only
comfort"
There was silence for awhile. A dis
tant clock struck IL.
"In seven hours my train will be pull
ing out of the station. I have yet to
pack"
Must you go?'
Eyes. Farewell
But another hour passed, and I was
not gone The same clock struck II.
I drew her to me. There was long,
long kiss. Then I turned and without
looking back hurried away.
A month Of daily letter writing,
month of alternate day writing.
| month of weekly writing-the three
months that had laid out wherein to
attain the wherewithal to bring her to
| me-had passed, and I had only just
found position giving me SIS week.
The correspondence died a peaceful
death. There were no reproaches on
| either side. had found pleasant set
| Of young people with whom I had be-
come Intimate, and my sisters wrote
me that great deal was going on at
home. In youth associations are form
ing and reforming rapidly. One au-
tumn it is Charlie and Will and Tom
and Lucy and Mary and Fannie; the
next spring it is Charlie and Arthur
and Pete and Ethel and Maud and
Kate.
/ Youth is but kaleidoscope
same colors under different groupings.
Two years after leaving home could
not tell who wrote the last letter, she
or I. Three years and couldn't have
told whether her eyes were black,
brown or hazel. Five years, and one
day In ransacking among lot of rub
Dish came upon her picture pic
ture had dreamed over for hours at
time. was astonished that should
ever have thought it beautiful.
She married and went to another city
to live. I didn't hear her married
name, or if I did forgot it. It was
twelve years from our parting over the
gate before saw her again. It was al
a summer resort. had become in
fatuated with a girl of twenty, FRESH
as new blown rose, and when the ho
season came followed her to the coun
try. She was chaperoned by her aunt
Mrs. Schenck, apparently about forty
with grizzly gray hair, pinched ex
preston and a sharp voice. She hat
five children, all of them with her. ant
no nurse. Surely was not that enough
to spoil any woman's attractiveness?
became engaged. It. was evening
and was obliged to leave the mex
morning. I told my story and was &C
cepted at the last moment before IA,
departure and as everybody at the no
tel was going to bed. When I set of
for the train she went with me dowl
to the gate, and we stood leaning owe
it, without, she within. held boil
her hands an mime and looked into he
moonlit eyes. assured her that
should look forward to her return II
the city with eagerness. and she prom
ised to cut short her stay in the coun
try. We heard a locomotive whistle, 1
distant rattle, drawing nearer, and {
train stopped at the station below
then presently the moon shone or
something white, and woman came
up the path.
"Oh, Aunt Juanita," exclaimed my
hancee, where have you been?''
I started. I had cause to remembe,
that name-that uncommon name-Jua
nita.
ITO the postof1ee to get Franks let.
ter. He always posts it to come on
this train
I'm SO glad you're here that you
may congratulate us on our engage.
ment. It only occurred few minutes
ago. I am so happy
II rejoice with you, my dear. know
just how happy you feel, because your
lover made me feel just as happy a
dozen years ago.
'You are exclaimed.
Certainly ann
"Oh, aunty, what does this mean?"
"a case of puppy love between two
puppies 2
"And did he surely he did not play
you false?''
mo more than did him.
I Singular I interposed, "that I
didn't recognize you.''
Not at all. A woman, especially a
married woman with five children,