Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-11-10
LOVE FOR
PASTIME
By RUTH GRAHAM
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

lcE Al WHICH mcu nave Utcu SlcdulJ |
growing better. That is in their treat
ment of women. Half 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, 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
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 1t.
Miss Southwood was not only igno-
rant of such warfare. but was 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 river built up by
the levees. In the evening they would
go up on to the hurricane deck, watch
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 wood pile to the boat for fuel.
All this was new to Miss South
wood. and what was not only new
but much more fascinating to an i'm
pressible girl was having young
man in constant attendance, saying
pleasant things to her one moment.
laughing at her for being so matter Of
fact. In this way he kept her in a
puzzled state as to whether a mature
man was really falling in love with
her, chit Of girl. or whether he
considered her merely child. Storms
before reaching the Crescent City
talked love to her-such love as per-
tains to the emotions without any pro-
sale references to marriage. But she
was too unsophisticated to consider
this. 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, MI.
Storms going by the gulf Of Mexico
to Texas. The young girl considered
that the event of her life had occur
red. the young man that pleasant
episode had occurred to relieve the
tedium. Of steamboat travel This i:
what he considered it at the time
He did not know that seed had beer
planted in his heart which was no
destined to terminate for lont
while. He knew that this case wal
in some respects different from hi
many other affairs, but he did no
consider it any more serious.
It was four years before he me
Miss Southwood again. He wa
walking on the principal street of Gin
cinnati. swinging cane. beaver
on his head, velvet collar on hi
frock coat, profusion Of cravat o.
his bosom. his tight trousers strappe'
down over his instep, in short, dresse'
for swell Of the period, when b
met. incased In diminutive bonnie
of pink silk, one of the sweetes
faces he had ever beheld. 1t Belongs
to lady about twenty-one years old
and she was looking at him intently
In an instant he recognized the cir
he had flirted with on the Mississippi
and Tilted at New Orleans.
Naturally he was embarrassed. Their
! was no expression in Miss Southwood'
: face sufficiently defined for him to tel
how she felt toward him. He stoppe
to speak to her, standing uncovered
and asked If he might walk with bel
Receiving permission, he Joined hel
stammering things to her which she
on her part, received with composure
She had been through the agony Q
getting over first love and first jill
and he could see no traces Of suffer
ing, Of reproach or of forgiveness. Al
seemed to be neutralized or, rather
fused into an absolute nothingness.
Storms walked with her some te
minutes. at first trying to regain hi
eQuipoise, then to discover some ind
cation of the young lady's feelings te
ward him. In the latter he failed. Blu
since there was no indication of un
friendliness he made bold to hint tina
he would like to renew the acquaint
ance. Before parting Miss South
wood invited him to come to see he
the next afternoon at 2 o'clock. H
accepted, and they parted.
At the appointed hour Storms, hav
ing summoned up all his will power
courage. adroitness to win again ant
win to keep what he had won ant
thrown away. went to call on Mis-
!. Southwood. He found a number O
guests present, and few minute
after his entrance the lady stood VI
to be married.
This was Roland Storms last affai
of the heart. He never took any in
!, terest in another, for he never recov
cred from this one. He died bach
elor and an old man.
Since that day. while youth is tn
same and affairs Of the heart are tn
same. what would have then been con
sidered feather in a fashionable
young mans cap Is now held to By
! 6ishOnOrable.