Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-10-08
AMETHYST
JONES
Copyright, Puck
BY FRED. LADD.

G ATAN IS very like unto Love-" said
~ Amethyst Jones, wiping the steam
from his glasses and Immediately
sampling his hot Scotch with rare
grace. We at the club prepared to
listen.
"In this regard" explained Anne
thyst: Satan finds employment for
the idle. l have often noticed that
when man is hustling to put through
a legitimate business deal neither
Satan nor Love dogs his footsteps or
attacks his heart with that assiduity
characteristic of the Fiend or the God
dess when a gentleman's days are
days of leisure and his nights are fill
ed only with sad thoughts and pensive
yearnings. Single hour of unOccupied
moonlight is often responsible for the
birth Of a Passion so momentous that
Byron expresses some sentiment along
this line in his infamous Don Juan.
'The Summer after the Summer of
my perfect passion for Nettie Darling,
the red haired beauty who wrote to
me in pale blue ink, l fell in love with
Emma Upton, the charming daughter
of the man who kept the very worst
hotel in Connecticut. Some of my
fathers workmen were putting in a
new baptismal tank at the Baptist
Church in the town where Emma
lived, and I was sent up there to loaf
around, and watch the workman. Let
me say right here that it was nothing
less than sacrilege for the same indi-
Vidual to supervise the Baptist tank,
and board at TiptOn's Hotel. Emma's
mother ran the dining-room. She was
frequently braced to the performance
CT ner duties by liquor. She ran the
dining-rOOm better when not entirely
sober. Emma's father had not been
sober at all for twenty years. Emma
waited upon my table the first noon
after l had arrived at Tipton's. Beef
steak, and Eggs" said she, in a voice
like the gentle music of the flowing
woodland brook.
EYES," said l. gazing at Emma's car
mine cheeks and lustrous violet eyes,
and noting the glory of her beautiful
golden hair.
which," said Emma, in a hushed
voice
Both" said l. madly.
Emma admired my bravery; for her
mother was within nearing. Emma's
issome, queenly figure swayed, and
oh oil 6iY1i1 n
the grace of a sylph l got Both"
There had been no objection other
than a surprised snort from Emmas
mother My audacity had carried me
far. | shall never forget Emma's soul
full look when she placed my dinner
before me. The mother had hurriedly
retired, in quest Of stimulants. 1t was
not customary to serve guests at Tip
toms with Both" l wandered away
from the repast with a desire to see
more of Emma.
"That night we sat, she and l, in a
secluded corner of the hotel veranda.
'Uprose the yellow moon My arm
twined itself about Emma's waist. l
drew her to me. There was long,
long kiss of Youth aud Fire. Emma
gasped You mustn't Oh, you
mustn't" breathed Emma.
But, yes, must" murmured |.
You're the first man who ever kiss
ed mel" she half sobbed, in an costa
cy of newborn love. The first man"
Oh, Ye Gods! was ever youth of sew
enteen lifted higher in mad Devotion
than |, when Emma's lips said that
cherished word? Oh, Ye Gods and
again Ye Gods! Ny soul rose to the
stars.
''Those days linger in memory like
mists of glory. Those mad nights of
desire and delight and Emma are jew
els hidden in my soul forever. | tell
you the truth, small fragment Of
the truth, when | say that Emma and
| lived exclusively in Heaven. Tip
toms hotel the Baptist tank, and En-
mas parents were but Pigments of the
For one another We lived
and prayed and sighed. She gave me
flowers, which | wore over my heart.
We wandered and strOlled by day in
uSSp dEd1 w ODuCI Iu1 @OOOO. AZ 1ISoAb
we sat on the second story veranda
so close that no ray of n1oOnshine
ever got between us. And she used to
take me into her own little boudoir,
which opened off that VeTanda. Emma
had piano, and could sing. No voice
the Angels could be so sweet
as hers. And when she had sung, she
used to lay her fair head upon my
breast a.. and | restlessly rock
her to rest
"Ah, my Emma! So sweet you were,
so wonderful your lips, SO soft your
voice, SO clinging your arms that had
died, the death would have been bet
ter than endless years upon a dull,
lrab earth alone.
And yet. we were to be ruthlessly |
,orn apart. The Baptist tank was
lone. Went back to the city, engaged |
% be married 10 Emma. | had five |
ocks of her hair. The other day, / |
ound one it was done up in |
issue paper, with a faded flower that |
.T.1Yrn bIad tO d11c4 of tho tOuah-O