The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-01
Much Ado
About Nothing
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union,


how we were going to live. Would we
keep house or board? If we kept
house where was the furniture TO
come from? There were plenty of
such matters to talk over, but PHYLLIS
did not seem inclined to discuss them.
With her the question of how we'll 7
loved her, would / always love her,
had / 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 | was forced to talk |
about what / considered trifles though |
they were very delicious tribes, mas
much as all my assurances to her were /
REINFORCED by kisses. One day when |
the kisses were plentiful l said to
Phyllis:
Have you ever been kissed by a /
man before?'
Certainly not"
"That's very lovely" / replied with
another kiss.
Have you ever kissed a girl be-
fore?" she asked.
The innocent creature.
II cannot tell a lie," l said. ST
have"
She looked a trif1e disappointed.
"a long time ago?"
Il am sorry to say / kissed a girl
within a week"
l was holding her hand, she with
drew it as If mine were hot coal.
| expected to see a tear in her eve.
but l did not. She was hurt but she
was also offended. There was Just
| enough man in her to keep back the
| tears.
Forgive me-" l replied. IF you
| should see those pouting lips, you
would not blame me-"
| Il knew it." she said with heav-
/ ing breast. FL have all along feared
that in such matters you are not trust
worthy"
1T is my only fault"
Your only fault 1t Is the worst
fault Il man can have; that is one his
wife or fiancee would consider his
| worst"
THE temptation was very great"
pleaded.
There was an awful silence for some
time, then she said in q tone of bitter
disappointment:
II should think that you would not
care to kiss girl who would permit
you to kiss her, unless you were en-
gagged to her.
That's the girls lookout, not mine.
If She don't mind I don't"
But by kissing her you Influenced
her"
"on the contrary she Influenced
me-"
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"
5 II solemnly aver that I was not
F thinking of kissing her She put up
= her lips TO be kissed and-wen. | just
Il kissed them. l couldn't help it,"
Without word Phyllis rose and left
The room. l called to her To come
/ back; that I had an explanation to
make; but she paid no attention to
c me. Her mind was in that peculiar
/ state of a girl who has just become
( engaged, ready 70 take fright at the
r slightest appearance Of unfaithfulness
" TO her on the part Of her betr0thed
. | think that more engagements woult
4 hold If the parties We're separated the
# day after the betrothal and kept apart
\ without correspondence-till tho
r wedding
J There was nothing / could do-n
least for the present-to undo the dam
! age | I'D done Phyllis had left me
i deaf TO my recall. and would not com,
I back. | cursed myself for q fool.
in was to go away on a business tril
e for the firm I was with early the mex
Of morning, and would have no onpor
o. tunity to plead for forgiveness. Will
lS | was away Phyllis might do some
"a thing TO separate us forever. | though
" Of going to my employer and askin
~ permission to delay my departure
But what reason could l give him
Or That had had spat with my sweet
Ii heart and wanted an opportunity I
lit make 1t up before 1t became an
~ worse? Likely he would have accept
w ed the reason, but l did not nropos
- to give such a one. I took train tn
- next morning.
WI
nj | could have written Phyllis an @,
~ PLANTATION, but | feared that on col
at paper she would not believe 1t. wa
list only to be gone week and conclude
or that the safest plan was to let til
II matter rest till my return.
~ | confess that it was week (
~ anxiety for me, and ii must have bee
ily one of misery to Phyllis. On reacl
ms Ing home | wrote her note sayin
ds that the girl L had kissed would Q
Tic with me the next evening at SIEVE
a,e o'clock to plead my cause with her.
W received no answer but l expecte
none.
On the appointed evening appcare
as I had said l would with the gi
IS | had kissed.
!, Phyllis came down from her roo
!, evidently resolved to listen to no ian