LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 780, 24 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

TIT IOU TAT. '*«• Why* won'* I 'marry'you 7 Oh, well, for several reasons ; but I will bo chaKiabte and give but one—l do not love you." She spoke in the most careless tone possible, as though a proposi of marriage was just the must everyday occurrence in the world, and hi who makes it e\ea more common place and so stupid. - He looked the picture of a disappointed lover—why was not ho boreo with her as she was undoubtedly with him ? He sat uncomfortably itan uncomfot table chair, and toye; nervously with the spoon in the cuj of tea that she had humanely giver him. She put up her hand to hide r yawn.

** More sugar ? " she asked with indifferent sweetness. " You look as if j. you wanted something." y •* " So I d-j—l want you ' " he blurt "*■ ed ,put desperately. * This was so ridiculous that she " laughed aloud. t ' " But you can't have me," she said .- her mood waxing more and mor. flippant as her patience waned. ." while you can have sugar. I advis '/■ you to take the sweet -that is with J In your?reach, a nd not cry for tlu !r noon. Don't you know the fate ol ■ the man > n l "c fable who cried fori Si. the moon?" she nsked iimoccntly. 1 "The moon laughed at him," arid a she rose and laughed wickedly ut f. this fiction. | He rose too. She did not expert he would have sense enough to ac- '' cept her motion to adjourn. lie gulped down his tc a and" p'accd tin «up on a table near, and pu'k-d himH - self together a new man—the djs - bad done him good. •.. " WiU you. allow me to finish the )r ** fa*lfc?" he asked politely. ."The moon has two faces you know ; and when the man has levelled a tekscope at her and soon all her iinpcr- , fectiojui, and Messed his stars that \,; he had* cried in vain, why, she—cai you guess what tho moon* did ? " And he picked up his hat, and, , bowing profoundly, left tin room. • * » *

,i By an odd coincidence It was at another tea that Uiey mot again a f ■.'-- ter many days. .* She > saw hiin approaching hir through the crov.d above which he ■S towered, and their last meeting was , . brought vividly to mind, and with P ■*• 8 bright flush to her cheek, fo. '- , *V?f h on that occasion she cowpfetcl* routed him. that parting shot ;-.- of hia wounded her vanitv. if noth- * ly else ; and 10-mght. as she look- ».-. « upon Bis handsome face, not wen ?, ■ ?** JonK. % fcit a sliarp pain rf , fa her heart that made her fear that |r ". too, was wounded. her thaught k' !2f **° ***&■ him - ln,i as the crush gy,, w«a.too great for her to get out F £w 8 Wa> "' Bbo tWMd h « r *«ck up- |.- on Mm unceremoniqu.sfv. P h *»° reas °"to *"- fmSS* ' '° r notw 'thstandin ff this K- tt r tU,n °" her P art tte nex? fr ' S?£L!r T° S «*"»"« her, ani «.»5°r do y , ou ab ? " hc **« with 5; SSrr a{ fl uain tance.s. with „o titU T k '- . *l!^i2 !,^ e L wM * a Hnk « f *•"*-■ " *V yoU nol crucl enough to me at our last mcetimr " he «winued pleasantly, -'that K!L lnllSt v y r, thh J k * am ««*« to t Brought the tears into her eyes *,« £V» ' * bß , s ?B hed - so lo« that' t *e had to bend his head to hear her " • (JTi !£! Bom f tod y e'se who was the »00l then—not you." I " *? asked ' with a ring of ■ in his voice.

She whispered the little n.ono-svl- £ SLiV 0 ,. shtt ™*»«<> a way that he had to bend still lower to Culch £ JS2L l °* hmnan 'ty has set tof wards the rooms where the refresh2!£f- We servod ' and 'eft theiu : Perhaps *«» fondI > ~ fanned that he would take Her in P " ™. a ||. tWs co " fes 9ion, but she J\ EI/J?* £ SBPP ° inted - Instead, he f\ drew himself up to his full h.-.iaht with a simle o n his lips that strtek * *£« £*• JW «W. ** *u;d coo iv £ •«■«" ry forbids thal X "*»'*» : - tSSIt ■ VOU - JCt l daru «*"«>«- an open <ruestion. Perhaps I si,-.ii p • answer it ,h,n 1 return from Amerg ica-l sail to-nio.row. 1 hope. v ou * . mil Wish me succtss-I have Leen so unsuccessful in u.y matrimonial ventures on this side of the water i ■-, am eoiag to try my luck ' ovel . * there." * " ll i

, Was not her humiliation v<.n:reaiice : enough for him, that he should tor- ; . went her in this way ? ll u had only X to look at her face to sec that he : wus tormenting her. l' or one mo . nicnt the room sw a m round lur. but the next,, by a supreme effort, -h----p couriered her faintuess and lookeJ at hiui unflinchingly. £-' " I wish you nil the success vou y deserve," bhe said calmly. U- For a moment each looked the other steadily in the face, as if each j- .were trying to measure the other's jj.... f""" - of resistance, and then, with-j ft out another word, they turned away. f* They were quits. I I- .... j ft They met again at another social > function, , \<.- "How do J'ou do?" she said. jj£ » Where is your wife ? " ( Is »" "MyWife? She is in the future. I; »j ion sorry to say that I am .so- un-; W - fortunate as to be a bachelor su'.l.; fr{' Vy quest for a wile was as uusuc-j j' " cessful In America as here, with this: ■;- difference—here the jrirl I naiitcl! h would not have me, there 1 would j f i»t have the girt whether I wanted j s her or* not. Somehow, foreigners/ \ and I do not hit it off verv wefl to-1 p. 9**&'. i l"*'. „.'"*t is soiiittlifnir of p>y expert-'. t / 'enec Wfth Count OfleiHlein,"* sin- ob-T £ "J served, smiling a little. I ,/..''-_'' Ah ! the Count—l hetrl son:e-i: •g* tiring about that. Vou arc engaged I }f> *° Wm, are you not?" ho askeiil; ;;__-, carries, ,'y. j' "H-+." 1 waß ~»ntil'l discovered thai ),■■'! thought I was an heiress, and he dii-l i i 3£T** his """take." I" So we arc both irtc-it looks as uwewere reserved for each other" JWmarked dispassionct-.-y. " IVr- 1 !M this meeting j s a 51 „.,. ial ~.! ™auon of Providence, and v. a I WMtefencclcss heads if w. ,1,, „,„ ' **t »* as such," " ,,t - „, CBII ?,?"*»." she lauehel. a WW be w thal c ™ »'■ i w*» Ue worse,thun the wish you to aoce,.t mv re..,- | ffiE&W answered. '

," True—a docfor is always think- , li!; of liis fee ! " sh« exclaimed. , " Well—perhaps—T will accept your j •onivdy if you promise not to make I'our l.e too exorbitant—remember, I mi not an heiress." " Uh, you can pay mc in kisses !" " Mow ahout that question J'ou lie going to answer when you rouru.'d from abroad?" she askoJ iiis.hieviousl.v, alter the fee had lieen aid. " Well, have 1 not kept my »voi"d ? iiiiMvenui it when 1 proposed we liould get married. I would not •.ant a foot] for a wife, would TV"