The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-05-09
THE YOUNG MAN TOLD.

| Greek band of ribbon in her hair
! patted back a refractory lock and
glanced with satisfaction at the good
| looking young man who sat beside
her.
TELL me-" she said with the as
suTance of one who expects to be con-
! trad -cted, tell me about the girls you
| were engaged to before you met me,
Herbert
They weren't any" said the young
man, promptly. How can you think
such a thing?."
! Having expected him to say pre-
ciSely that, the pretty girl was Yag-
uely dissatisfied. There must have
been!" she declared. II didn't think
you'd deliberately deceive me, Her
bert. And we've been engaged only
Two weeks. l thought you'd always be
truthful with ne and
4 am" declared the young man.
You cannot make me believe" pro-
tested the pretty girl with sad gentle
ness, that any one as handsome and
-and-spIendId as you are haven't
been bothered to death with girls
falling in love with him and of course
you'd get engaged to some of them.
You're so tender hearted | wouldn't
mind it so much if I thought you
hadn't cared anything about them, but
I suppose you did. I suppose you
thought you were really in love with
some of them. Maybe you were, Hef-
bert, tell me instantly-were yOu?'
Mabel" said the young man, how
can you doubt me? l never cared for
anybody before I met you. Nobody
else counted. It was all a mistake"
Then you were engaged to some
o. them!" cried the pretty girl ira
gically. Il knew it, On, HerbertI And
you never told mel"
well. I'm telling you now, am L
not?' demanded the young man. q
! couldn't very well tell you before.
Besides, a man doesn't tell about those
things"
We'll, telling me is different" said
the pretty girl. It's your duty to
tell me so we can understand each
other perfectly. How-thow many were
there, Herbert?"
The young man crossed one knee
over the other and frowned. Then
ne coughed. well, you see,' he said
at last, Il don't exactly know"
Herbert" gasped the pretty girl,
in anguish. Then there were so
many you can't count themi Oh. l
never thought"
= didn't mean it that way" inter
rUpted nUrriedly, bringing both feet
down squarely on the floor you mis-
| understood me, Mabel. What 1 mean
was that some of them were Just
er-understandings, you know, and
don't actually count
Some of themI' breathed the prettv
girl to herself in horror. Then there
were lot! Herbert, begin at the be-
ginning and tell me who was the
first! We might as well get it over
with"
Well" said the young man, "the
first was Annie Small and she was
10 years old and wore her hair in
pistails down her back
I meant The first real one!" said
The pretty girl, sternIy.
Annie was real enough" asserted
the young man, cIinging desperately
20 the subject. SHE
Who was next?" demanded the pref
u girl
"Oh, that didn't count" said the
young man. II was in college and"
Lots OF men marry the girls they
think they are in love with in col.
lege, accused the pretty girl. IT'S
generally serious"
well, escaped said the young
nan. 1T was just infactuation. i
didn't care for her one-tenth as much
as ] do for yOUi"
You thought you did at the time.
was next?''
II don't remember" said the young
man, Uneasily. why, | didn't snend
ny time going around getting engaged
to every girl I met. Besides, they
wouldn't have had me if =
"Oh, she refused you did she?"
asked the pretty girl. How long ago
was II? | suppose you consoIed your
self with me and will cherish a broken
heart all your life. Was she pret-0
You have such foolish ideas, Ma
bel! said the young man, with Sc
verify.
Who were some of the understand
lngs? quer1ed the pretty girl, relent-
leSsiy- Was Anabel Gerry one? Il
know she was-yOu used simply to
haunt her."
'.Nonsense." said the young man,
ajrily
I know she wasl" said the pretty
sirl with her cheeks growing pinker. |
And l just can't stand it. She's so
dcceitful. Was she One?"
Now, Mabel" protested the young
man. Then he quailed beneath her
eye. well, l did go with AnnabeI
for a time he confessed. What's
the use of talking about it? I've told
everything, really"
The pretty sri burst into tears.
Mabel" cried the distracted young
loan endeavOring to put his arms about
her. What is it?"
It is perfectly awful" she Sobbed. |
'N cur telling me so heartlessIy about
all these girls yoI were eHcaged co.
Why, l suppose yod'iEge tired Of me
and the n-n-next girl you are engag- |
gagged to yOu-youl be t-teldnS her |
= -ah