HE LOVED A BALLET GIRL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3737, 16 February 1891, Page 2

HE LOVED A BALLET GIRL.

i " Hermione, my darling, i cannot livi Without.yon IJ* > { •.>. ,■ ~ v l . • i Tremulous as the voice of an alto cat exe-' Cuting a difficult .Jbojero on the garden fenco at the midnight hour 1 : are the' tones of Tele* machus von Sawdoff. ' But to Hermione Welnhandlung, ther • stricken maiden eating corned beef and cabbage by his side, they are none tho lew fraught with a meaning all too terrible. ; "Not that, not that, Telemachus," shtJ gasps, gulping down a sob and a mouthful of cabbage, "do not speak of love to me ; do not speak of it, for that way lies madness madness I" ' H And wherefore madness, good my Hermione?" he queries. •• Why should I not declare my passion—>yhy remain silent now. my whole heart cries out for a wordt, ;t>f love from you, and my corns in newly mended.'shoes are .throbbing with, vast tbrobb froirf Throbvil(e? WaS" it fcr this 1 have anticipated your every wishhave -gilly-goolied around, here all winter Hanging tip mv board week after week Ini the one sweet hope of winning your young' unbllstered heart f No I perish the thought it is too thin—too altogether gaury for this inclement climate!" j His passionate reproaches broko her all up, and she trembles like'&awell-developed i rase of chills. It is, however, only a momentary struggle taking place.in her- comEonent parts between ! fpvcj - ; 'pride,* and eartburn. • i " Telemachus von Sawdoff," she at length exclaims, tearfully, jabbing her fork into another potato, "it is useless to plead further—to you lean never m augnt save'a friend. > True,, I. might work off the old chestnut arid'say thatTd always be a sister' to you, but I will not cause yoa unnecessary pain—at least,: not so much pain as yoa give me, Telly dear. Do not my reasons for this, ray irrevocable deoMU. Enough that they, are strong— the odour from the Hunter's Point oil receivers. Belleve me, ithese, words aie harder-forme to Speak than for you to hear, for ah, I do love you, Mr. von Sawdoff, ,witb one of those' great,' two-clasp, morocco-bound, give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death loves that Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, arid Ella Wheeler Wilcox have made us familiar with. For you, Telemachus, I would gladly endure any peril, suffering, orfatigue—would, ride in a New York 'L' train during'the : busy hours, or even on a Broadway car when In' a hurry; aye, would laugh in the very fatffl of the ' step-livcly-there' and ' botn-gme" fiends, and risk crushed fingers, torn garments, and cars without an unoccupied itrap to cling to in the attempt 1" | "Great heavens, Hermione I" he eHes, vehemently, " I ask no such sacrifices as these I It is to save you from such dangers that I crave the priceless boon of your love."

J He is very much in earnest now.hJs whole soul in his and the half sole and <**• heeling in the mended shoes he had referred W to grinding both corns and bunions with brisk, business-tike impartiality. f"As my wife, Hermtone, you " «■ Your wife I" she shrieks, hysterically; V your wife, ha, ha!—you know not at what you are driving, young man; better take a. drop on yourself or you will get into, trouble."

5 Then, her mood changing, she walls forthi f Oh, why did we ever meet, only to part when my hopes had almost leached tneir fullest fruition ? Go, go*, sonny, ere it be wo late; forget all that has passed between* ijs (even the borrowed money), and think of S<? pnlv as of one who loved you wolediy, but_ sacrificed that Iov«. tober • BtaflflO 1 ' rffcf ''fJltl-W-V-.'--" '•< 'V

7 'V Woman, "yon know not what you do," he "Stutters; that wild maniacal laughter still ringing in his ears as if ten thousand mocking fiends were reechoing it —"what rubbish is this you talk ? Can you not realise that what I offer you is not the first, fleeting-rapid-transit, electric-motor passion of a beardless boy for his new mash, but the one great overwhelming love for a man's lifetime—a man through whose ruby whiskers the pentle summer zephyrs and winter's howling blizzards have time and again whistled ? How shall I make it clear to r-. you, carita, that my only ambition is to be * supported by you in a style befitting my birth and station ? You cannot quench such deathless love as this; you cannot drive me from your side to face a dreary, hopeless future and mycreditors I VSa cannot, I say, do this thing—you shall not!"» t His oratorical bursts of Presidential-cam* ~3 pain-like eloquence completely unnerve the sorely tried Hermione, and she turns with an indigestive sigh from the strawberry shortcake she was about to tackle to the big, blighted clam by her side. " Telemachus," she simpers in low, Dutch accents, " why prolong this interview further?. >.Each moment but increases out" pain and the amount of the bill.here? I will confess that your appeal has moved me—that each lurid avowal of yours finds aresponse in my heart that thrills my whole being and makes me tremble like blanc mange or a cornstarch pudding. And yet, alas! 3 barrier worse than death divides us ? Gladly, oh so gladly! would I lavish upon yon the rich treasures of my love and my safe-deposit vault, but you see' I am engaged for the ballet in the approaching production of * Nebuchadnezzar,' and that and the care of my eight little grandchildren will occupy myjßpte attention. Were 1 differently circumstanced. I " ~~BuVshe is talking to the empty air. Wifi a low groan In a minor key. deep below tba staff, Telemachus von Sawdoff has grabbeaf his hat, and rushes forth into the darkness seeking some saloon where he can drown in foaming hock the memory of this ancient ballet girl and her eight little grandchildren. SHE WAS A BOSTON GIRL. ' • "Marion, I rejected Mr Darrioger last evening." "Why, Kate?" entirely' too profuse." A'lover couldn't be." • " And he was as gushing as he was void* urinous. He praised my eyes, hair, and complexion. He " " Oh, Kate, that wasjust lovely." " But his grammar, Marion; that was the bidden reef which wrecked him. He said • Yonr eyes is,' and all that. Goodness 1 I expected. to hear him say Your nose are 1' I'Jove him, and. it makes my heart ache to think. 'abijut it, but. I can never trijdrryhfm. No, never!" . SPOILED ALL THE FUN. A German brass band brayed for ten minutes, in front of a store in Christchurcb recently. " Let's heat a hickel and have some fun," said pne of the clerks. The nickel was promptly heated and laid on the counter. The clerks grinned and waited. Soon the big man, who fills the brass horn with wind, entered.' " There's a nickel on the counter," said One of.tWclerks carelessly. • The big~mari walked 1 up to the counter, glanced curiously at the nickel, drew from his pocket a piefce 'of. leather and picked up the coin. Turning to the clerks he smiled expansivelyand said:— " Dant you, clever young man." • "He's been there .before," said the first clerk, and then all hands went to work as if they had just returned from a funeral. THE LOVER'S PROMISE. ...

A yOungrouple' were occnpying-a rustic seat in the Wellington Botanical Gardens one"evening lately, and from the. expression of the masculine representative's face it was evident It were, over: the. gara of affection; .was even, then being dizzily whuied atw&?J&a : whirlpool of sentiment. s--' ti " Oh, do l , ' he said; 'attempting to draw her a'''littte "nearer his end of the seat. She made herself rigid and heaved a sigh. " I'll be a good man and give up all my bjjd habits,' j he. ut rged. >No reply. '• I'll never drink another drop," he continued. Still unrelenting sat the object of his adoration. :'* And f give f up smi6rtaking.\ h ; No response":Ahd'smoking.'' Cold as ever. " And go to church." She shook her head. "And give .you a. diamond engagement hf added. in desperation; i \ ' - .Then'the. maiden lifted, rfaer eyestohis,arid, leaning her frizzes ion his shoulder, tremblingly murmured in his ravished ear : "Oh, Edward, you—you are so. good!" And there they saf, "and sat rmtil—nntil tho soft arms 6Fnight, that dusky : nurse of the world—had folded them from sight, pondering, planning, thinking—she of the diamond ring and he of how on earth be was to get it ' •