The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-10-12
LOVE FOR
PASTIME
BY RUTH GRAHAM
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

Rrdu1uS VI 1upIOP luS, tueIc Is Oue mat
ter in which men have been steadily
growing better. That is in their treat
ment of women. Half a century ago
among young men of the world there
was not the high sense of honor in the
treatment of women there is now
In the days of palatial steamboats,.
as they were called. on the Mississippi
Roland Storms, travelling between St.
Louis and New Orleans. met on the
boat Adele Southwood. a young girl
seventeen years old Storms, who was
ten years Miss Southwood's senior. had
considered making conquest now
and then one of those accomplishments
that was to be expected Of a young
swell Of the period. To him love was
a game in which all was fair. If beat
en- at it he would have considered that
nothing remained for him but to take
the consequences. If he beat the girl
it was her part to grin and bear it.
Miss Southwood was not only igno-
rant of such warfare. but was a girl
of deep feeling She and Storms would
sit ON the guards during the day look
ing out upon the ever changing piano.
rama, now passing under some high
bluff, now sailing above the surround
ing lowlands on a river built up by
the levees. In the evening they would
TO do II
ing the lights on the shore go by and,
when the boat stopped to wood up"
looking down on the line OF deck hands
in the glare of pitch pine knots trans
ferring a wood pile to the boat for fuel
All this was new to Miss South
wood. anG what was not only new
out much more fascinating to an i'm
Dressible girl was having a young
nan in constant attendance, saying
pleasant things to her one moment.
-clking seriously the next and finally
laughing at her for being so matter Of
fact. In this way he kept her in a
puzzled stale as to whether mature
man was really falling in love with
ler chit of a girl, or whether he
considered her merely child. Storms
before reaching the Crescent City
talked love to her-such love as per-
aims to the emotions without any pro-
;aic references to marriage. But she
vas too unsOphisticated to consider
his TO her it was spontaneous love,
something she had never experienced
before and the more serious features
of which were still blank to her.
At New Orleans the two parted,
Miss SOuthwood to remain there for
the winter. which was coming on, Mr..
Storms going by the gulf of Mexico
10 Texas The young girl considered
that the event Of Der life had occur
red the young man that a pleasant
episode bad occurred to relieve the
tedium Of steamboat travel This is
what he considered it at the time.
He did not know that a seed had been
planted in his heart which was not
destined to terminate for long
while. He knew that this case was
in some respects different from his
many other affairs, but he did not
consider it any more serious.
It was four years before he met
Miss Southwood again. He was
walking on the principal street of Gin
cinnati, swinging cane, beaver"
on his head. a velvet collar on his
frOck coat. a prOfuSiOn of cravat on
his bosom. his tight trousers strapped
down over his instep, in short, dressed
for a swell of the period, when he
met, incased in diminutive bonnet
of pink silk, one of the sweetest
faces he had ever beheld. 1t belonged
to lady about tWenty-one years old,
and she was looking at him intently.
In an instant he recognized the girl
he had f1irted with on the Mississippi
and Tilted at New Orleans.
Naturally he was embarrassed. There
was no expression in Miss Southwood's
face sufficiently defined for him to tell
how she felt toward him. He stopped
to speak to her, standing uncovered,
and asked If he might walk with her.
Receiving permission, he joined her,
stammering things to her which she.
on her part, received with composure.
getting over first love and first jilt,
and he could see no traces of suffer
ing, of reproach or Of forgiveness. All
seemed to be neutralized or, rather.
fused into an absolute nothingness.
Storms walked with her some ten
minutes. at first trying to regain his
eauipQise, then to discover some indi
cation Of the young lady's feelings to-
ward him. In the latter be failed. But
since there was no indication Of up-
friendliness he made bold to hint that
he would like to renew the acquaint-
ance. Before parting Miss South
wood invited him to come to see her
the next afternoon at 2 O'clock. He
accepted, and they parted
At the appointed hour Storms, hay
ing summoned up all his will power,
eourage, adroitness to win again and
win to keep what be had won and
thrown away. went to call on Miss
SOuthwood He found a number OF