Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-01-18
acopyrisat. Y. Newspaper Union.1

such matters to talk over, but Phyllis
did not seem inclined to discuss them.
With her the question of how well I
loved her, would / always love her,
had I ever loved any one else, engaged
her thoughts. At any rate this was
what she was continually harping on.
Since she would not discuss prac-
teal matters l was forced to talk
about what I considered trifles, though
they were very delicious trifles, mas
much as all my assurances to her were
REINFORCED by kisses. One day when
the kisses were plentiful said to
Phyllis: --
"Have you ever been kissed by
man beforeT
Certainly not"
"That's very lovely" I replied with
mother kiss.
"Have you ever kissed a girl be-
iore?" she asked. 49,.
The innocent creature.
az cannot tell a lie" I said. 81
lave."
She looked q trife disappointed.
"A long time ago?"
II am sorry to say I kissed girl
rithin a week."
I was holding her hand, she with
rev 1t as if mine were a hot coal.
expected to see a tear in her eye,
ut ] did not. She was hurt but she
vas also offended. There was jus.
'nough man in her to keep back the
ears.
Forgive me-" I replied. eff you
'hould see those pouting lips, you
would not blame me-"
II knew it." she said with heav-
ng breast. 81 have all along feared
hat in such matters you are not trust
worthy"
sit is my only fault" ..
"Your only fault! 1t is the worst
sault a man can have; that Is one his
wife or fancee would consider his
worst"
"The temptation was very great"
[ pleaded.
There was an awful Silence for some
line, then she said in tone of bitter
disappointment:
81 should think that you would not
are to kiss a girl who would permit
you to kiss her, unless you were en-
;aged to her"
"That's the girls lookout, not mine.
# she don't mind don't"
"But by Kissing her you Influenced
ler." ~
"On the contrary she Influenced
ne."
"You mean that it was all her fault.
That's just like a man; he is always
ready to throw all the blame on the
woman"
st solemnly aver that I was moi
linking of kissing her. She put up
her lips to be kissed and-well, just
kissed them. I couldn't help it."
Without a wsrd Phyllis rose and left
the room. I called to her to come
back; that I had an explanation to
make; but she paid no attention to
me. Her mind was in that peculiar
state of a girl who has just become
engaged, ready to take fright at the
nkshtest appearance of unfaithfulness
Per on~the part Of her betrothed.
think that more engagements would
hold if the parties were separated the
day after the betrothal and kept apart
without correspondence the,
There was nothing I could do-at
least for the present-to undo the DAM
nge had done. Phyllis had left me,
deaf to my recall and would not come
back. I cursed myself for fool.
was to go away on business trip
for the firm I was with early the next
and would have no oppor-
tunity to plead for forgiveness. While
I was away Phyllis might do some
thing to separate us forever. I thought
Of going to my employer and asking
permission to delay my departure:
But what reason could I give him?
That / had had spat with my sweet
heart and wanted an opportunity to
make it up before it became any
worse? Likely he would have accept
ed the reason, but I did not propose
to give such one. I took train the
next morning. ~.
I could have written Phyllis an ex-
but I feared that on cold
paper she would not believe 1t. / was
only TO be gone week and concluded
that the safest plan was to let the
matter rest till my return.
I confess that it was week of
anxiety for me, and it must have been
one of misery to Phyllis. On reach
ing home I wrote her a note saying
that the girl I had kissed would go
with me the next evening at seven
o'clock to plead my cause with her.
received no answer but / expected
none.
On the appointed evening I appeared
IS I had said I would with the girl
I had kissed.
-,pAs1lrs came down from her room
" htly resolved to listen to no lame
It mSOn entering she saw my lit
Aa&lica four wears old. Alice