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Show LIKE A SUMMER'S SIGH. Once Almost in Love. No-w Half Disenchanted. Disen-chanted. One week ago a man living in this city was almost in love, but now his mind is in a chaos and he is half disenchanted. It is either that or his heart is more hopelessly enthralled than it was before. Both of the characters in the little romance live in that world called "Bohemia," which to the ordinary mortal, is a tti-ra incognifi which they cannot enter. Their ideas, sympathies sym-pathies and tastes ran in the same grooves and their ambitions are directed to a common com-mon object that of success in their chosen pursuit. He is about thirty, and for neat ly one-third j or his life almost his only friends have been professional people, those who earned their bread in law, medicine, music, art, on the stage or in newspaperdoni. Other society he did not know, neither did he care for it, for his life was a sort of genteel vagabondage, vagabond-age, that no one other than a boheuiiau could understand or sympathize with. I Possibly she is twenty-fdur or tw enty-five. From choice, rather .than necessity, she went out from her home a few years ago and has since been jostling up against the rough edges of tho world, making her living by imparting her natural aud acquired talents to others. Iris less than six months since chance threw them together. Their friendship reopened fast and they were soon hale comrades. Both were unconventional aud as her talents commanded a ready market, she could snap her fingers at Mrs. Grundy. And yet she never did anything very shocking. shock-ing. io both of them life was a realty, every hour apparently had some duty for them to perform, and when one was spent in pleasure pleas-ure it seemed as if it were stolen, but the enjoyment was not the less sweet ou that account. Their meetings have not been frequent ; but for some reason their attachment has grown stronger, at least on his part, and before be-fore he was aware he was half in love with this peculiar woman. And she is a rare crea-ure. crea-ure. Her face is pretty, her form is exquisitely ex-quisitely curved and outlined, her carriage is queenly and in maimer she is sweetlv eccentrical. eccen-trical. When they went out together in the evening. to the theater or elsewhere, there has always been a little supper afterwards in her rooms in which she prepared the coffee, that was a nectar tit for the gods, and he provided the oysters and the rest of the simple menu and the wine. The pleasures of those little lete a tele lunches no on; could describe, not even cither of the two vvho participated in them. They had not st en each other f r a week, "nd he, fearing if he saw her too of. en his heart would bi come involved, hau been avoiding her. But a few nights ago they met by accident on the street. Their grcct-ino-s .vere warmlv eordi:.':. uud when he took her hand, it scit a magnetic thrill through every ucmc. She chided him for having deprived de-prived her of his socie'y lor so long and insisted that lie should ai! that evening. Her time would be taken up un'i1 ! o'clock but often that it was at his disposal. Hesitating for an instant, for he eoi.bl feel that she was weaving a spell about him that might in linn: prove irksome r hard to escape from, tuen he promised he. would call. At the hour appointed be knocked at her door and hr. r voice, slrangi '.y swi t he. thought, bade h'.m enter. She w j- looking even more than usually charming. S'se wore a rose-colored gown of roni- soft woolen material that clung lovingly about her figure, aud which was peculiarly becoming becom-ing to her olive complexion and dark eyes and hair. Her manners could not have been more, gracious nor rctin -d. Two or three hours flew by and every moment he was becoming more and more bewitched. The gas was turned low and the lire light flickered over them and cast strange shadows on the wall. The uniqueness of the situation aud her unconciousness uncon-ciousness of w hat the world would think could it look in upon her at that hour, charmed him in a way he will never be able to understand. His soul was tilled with the tendcrest sentiments for her. There was a woman and a queen! The conversation lagged for a moment and she w ishing to start it again Informed him that he had her permission to smoke a cigar. He did not happen to be supplied with a weed, but said he would smoke a cigarette if she would join him in the pleasure, at the same time he passed her one of those daintily rolled indulgences. To his surprise she accepted one, and to his greater surprise still, when he lit a match she permitted per-mitted him to light it for her. At tirst he thought her affecting a fmiiliarity with such a habit as smoking; but a moment's observation convinced him that she was not a novice, for she inhaled the smoke into her lungs with all the gusto of an habitual user of those seductive little stimulants. He watched her for a moment, scarce able to Kelievc his senses! But there could be no doubt, for she was puffing ou in a matter-of-fact way, in supreme enjoyment and an utter disregard of the shock she had given him. 'Could it be possible"?"' he thought; and then he looked at her again. The pale smoke was curling about her, her attitude was one of sensuous repose, and her wiiittc was positively bev itching. He did not dare ongtr a second longer bj-her bj-her side! His feelings overpowered him, aud he did not know whether he was more or less iu love w ith her than before. In all his experience w ith women he had never had such a one as that, and asking; for his coat, he sought the cool air so that he might think. Of the purity of her character he bad not a doubt, but he was bew ildered to think she should have the temerity to do such a thing. Since that night, he has been, and is still in a quandary, and he cannot tell for the life of him w hether he cares for her any longer as he did before, for the smoke of that cigarette has obscured loves troubled course. |