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Show A TimEE-SlDED STOliY. Eilrnct from tils I)lry or Alcernon Htnkes. I lmvo found hurl Tlio maiden of my dreams tlio fair, sweet girl of my soul! The poetic, tender embodiment of my heart's aspirations! I have written writ-ten threo sonnets, two madrigals, and a poem slucu midnight, all addressed to Miirjotiol Marjoriol What louder visions arise at tlio unmet Lot mo record re-cord tho happy event! The utter abomination, Tom drey, canto Into my studio yesterday after- noon in his "usual blustorliig. vulgar way. ami with tho voice of u huckstor calling "Wiitorniolousl" shouted: Hullo, Dickl" I suppoiiu I have told Tom Groy 1.000 times that I lmvo had my namo changed to "Algernon" by uct of tliu legislature, lint the bvuto porslsts In calling mo "Dick," because, when wo wont to school together, mv namo was "Hlcliaril." Tho "Stokes1' I can not drop, as my undo Uob loft mo his for-tuno for-tuno on condition that I did not drop tho family namo In what ho called my 'confounded nonsense," Uncle Uob-crt Uob-crt had no poetry in his ontlro competition. compe-tition. Hut I wander from my subject. Tom Gniv rushed Into my studio, shrieking: "llullo. Dick!" I was deeply absorbed In tlio shadows of my group of "Lilies of tlio Lake," and although my sensitive nerves quiverod under that horrible volco us If I had received a blow, I painted on wMiout answer. Hut a staggering blow upou my shoulder, almost paralyzing my right arm. compelled me to look up. "Come!" shouted my friend (?). Tom never speaks ho always shouts. "Come! I want you to go to tho Jalr with tno." "What fulrP" I asked. "I uovcr go to falrst" "Hut you must go to this one! Tiptop Tip-top girls! Lots ot fun!'' "1 (Icsplso fun! I abomluato girls!" ' "Oli. bosh! Come along! Stop whitewashing those old snowballs iu a puddle und cornel" "Will you loavo mo in peneo?" I cried, desporatoly. "No; I am going to sit right horo until you tako olT that velvet monkey-jacket monkey-jacket and put on a presentable coat to go with tuo. If I woro you, Dick, I would give that coat to an organ-grinder." organ-grinder." I ouly looked my scorn! That coat, made upon tliu strictest rules of art, was one of my triumphs over the commonplace. com-monplace. I hoped tliuduv would como when I could wear it iu tho street, with Venetian i utiles of laeo at tho wrists. UutTiim wnt not to bo daunted by ,u look, nud, lindlng I should lmvo no rest until I compiled with his reiptest, I rolurtiiully left mv work. Under hit rldleufu I dared not as-siiino as-siiino mv full tusthellc costume; but I ventured upon my riilllud shirt-front, my loosely knotted lie, nud low llyroii collar, 'lo my sururiso lie made no comment, and uvon pinned in my button-hole u bnquot of valley lilies with hi own clumsy lingers. Hut I fmglivn Tom all past sins when, after walking about iu a groat I'.ill tilled with fancy f.rir-tables, ho said wltii a start: "Why, thuro is niycotuiii Marjoriol" I foluincd tho direction of Ills oyet. Can I calmly write down a description of that Ision? Marjoiic! Locks of gold. Ii.ilf.eurllng. Ilti.iting down from illlois of elastic shape that confined them above the Ivory brow, but suffered suf-fered their luxuriance to fall unro-Ktralnod unro-Ktralnod far below the slender waist. A robe of palo-bluu cashmere, cunlined at the shoulders by cameos, fell In long, loosu folds to form a sweeping train Hint gavu majesty tu tlio perfect ' v form, sUlTes wore bfolitored on the edge, lilies rested upon tho bosom. Bands of gold upon tho whlto arms were the only ornaments Marjorlu woro. It was disgustingly conventional to be Introduced to "my cousin. Miss Giey," nud to bow iu sooioty form, when I was longing to throw myself nt her fcot and devoto my llfo to her service. ser-vice. Could I have drawn n sword and vowed to bo her faithful knight till death, it .would have been so mo relief, re-lief, lint, alas! 1 could, only bow nmi murmur something about mvr pleasure In meeting my doar friend's cousiu. Tom grinned "llko nn ape. Hut Mar-jorio Mar-jorio lccognizcd n kindred soul. She clasped her hands and spoke in low, sweet words, her delight iu mooting tho author of "Tho Faded Jessamine." Our souls met and mingled. Sho quoted lines from my "Drooping Dallies," und bluthlngiy confessed to having all my poems collected In an album. She had seen my "Maiden by Moonlight" at tlio picturo dealer's, anil the one dream of her lifo was one dny to possess a gem from my pencil. Tom had sense enough to loavo us. nud we talked of art, of poetry, of music, and of flowers. Then sho showed mo n tiny vaso, an antique gem that had been donated to tho fair by a famous collector. Sho told mo tho agony sho had suffered lost this priceless treasuro should fall into unnpprceintivo bauds. Sho Implored Im-plored mo to add it to my store of gems, and I drew a check for the amount with ecstasy. It stands before me now, my inspiration, until I onco moro gaze into the soulful eyes ot Marjoriol Mar-joriol Another sonnet presses upon my brain. I wrlto to tho sunny locks ot tho maldeu, Marjorio. MAO'S LKTTKIfc Dear Sue: It was too bad, altogether alto-gether loo bad, that you could not bo at our fair last evening. Tom had an idea. You would hardly believe that of Tom, would you? Ills Idea was to have a "high art" tnblc, covered with tiiaqucs, tiles, statuettes, and old-fashioned bric-a-brac. I was to tako chargo of It, iu nn (esthetic dress. Wo nro not quite educated up to high art lu Downingrlllu vet, but Tom nnd I went up to Aunt Mary's in New York nnd "studied up." I wisli ou could see my drcssl Palo blue, with a broad bonier of needlework needle-work flowers liko those tho "twenty maidens" woar iu "Pationca." They may laugh at it at mucliat thoy please, but those dresses were simply lovely. Mine was a success. I never dreamed I was half so good-looking. You know my hair It very long nnd thick, and I let it fall loosely waved, with gold bands on tho head. My shoulders nud Arms were bare, and the dross fell from a band across tho shoulders, uu-conllued uu-conllued nt the waist. Hut Tom's Idoa was not solely centered cen-tered upon mo or tho table. You have heard often enough of his great chum and friend, Dick Stokes, who consldors himself a pnct-palntor, nud, Tom says, lias "gonu to soul" for lack of brains. i'on, between ourselves is half jealous of him, for he is very handsome, and tho girls ravo about him. I had uevor seau him, nnd Tom brought mo a lot of newspapers with his poems lu them and took mo to soo the picture lid had painted, exhibited In n stnro on Uroad-way. Uroad-way. Tom says tho Academy would not havo it. I wnt pledged to captivate Mr. Stokes, ami O Sue! Didn't I roll up my eyes? didn't I "attune" my Voice to'its'most melodious accents? Didn't I quote tho horrible trash 1 had committed com-mitted to memory for the purpose, with such emphasis that I fntrly pounced upon tlio telling words? Ditfu't I miiku an Idiot ot myself all around, ns Tom sajs? It was great fun, but the best of it was that I actuallv matin Tom holievo that iu placing with edged tools I had been wounded. All tlio way homo from tho fair I raved about Algernon's beautiful eyes truo poet's eyes! I quoted his remarks. I uxtirosscd a desire de-sire to sea the last oxqulsito production produc-tion of his gitted pencil. Sue, Tom was not green with jealousy, jeal-ousy, but purple. I thought he would huvo a lit oil tho porch! And so well, no matter about thai! It was all right when lie left mo. Hut to-day's mull brought me a proof of my conquest jyiem not, ono but half a dozen to my oyos, to my hair, to my smllol Nuver," never would I havu believed such tearful stulf could have been written with such rapidity, but for tho proof before me. Fancy (omu twenty effusions such ns tills: , "Soulful doleful, mj atlo maiden, With thy fulr brow nonius hiduu, Mulil ot beauty, uiuld of nouir, Lome tho uncoiiKcnliil throuir; 1'rlcMcss of a poofs theme, ' OiHldessnr an artist's d ream, llcnit to listen to my lyre. Deign my pencil to inspire; ' Tnno my Mul to ocstuey. Doleful, soulful Jlurjorlul" I was "Marjorio" for that ovetung, and I can not deny that I was doleful. Hut did you over? Tho fair was a great success, and I havo carefully packed my lovely, lovo-ly lovo-ly dross for somu futuro occasion. Mr. Stokos has nsked permission to call. Como and make me u long visit. Sue, ami j on may wear my bluo eiishmero and try to cntittvnto him. Ills' undo ieft him n handsome fortune, and Tom says hu is u llrst-ratu fellow, hut ho does not liko an idiot just now. At nuy rate, you can havu a bushel or two of sonnets written to your eyebrows, for you aro lllly times prettier than I am, nud iu that bluo cashmero you would captivate a heart of stono. I know it all! Como ami ryl Lovingly. I Mag. I TOll'S SIDE. Mag wants me to lull my side ot thnt swindle wo played on poor Stokes. Dick's a good fellow, with too much , ajaapajapaj lslSisW71iljiSr SSSr"S"afBB, money. If Dick had to work ho'd no run off Into fal-lals. Mag and I wanted to tease him, so Mag mndo hortotf bewitching and oh! how betwitohlng sho was! I Introduced Intro-duced Dirk, and Dick fell in lorn on the spot, head over heals, bonis over head. Hut I didn't calculato upon being be-ing pestered to take Dick to call on Maggie, and I well. I didn't wnnt him hanging around her. Dick's u superbly handsome fellow, anil somehow, some-how, though any othor man would look llko n fool In tho nrtlstlc(P) dress lie woais, he looks llko a poet and uu artist. Mug said I was very rudo not to bring him, and declared he llllod hor Ideal of manly beauty to a dot. Bo tween them thoy badgered mo so that at Inst I sat an ovoning and Mag promised prom-ised to bo at homo. Mag says I am j onions,, and perhaps I am, but I confess to a desire to choko Dick whon I went to his room to accompany ac-company him to my aunt's house. Ouch a get-up! I can't descrlbo the dress In the resthotle jargon, but I was not too blind to see that Dick was simply stunning. Then I imagined Mug in that "bewitching" costume rolling iier oyos nt him. quoting his doggerel, raring about his daubs and working myself up to a savago frenzy by tho tlmo I rang the door-bell. Tho piano was crashing undor heavy, horrlbio banging, and Mug was singing sing-ing no screeching a comiu soug in the volco of a llsherwomnn. I never imngiucd that Mag could mako such ear-splitting yells. Wo went iu. Wns thnt could that ho Mag at the piano, I nsked myself. Her hair was frizzled and banged and up to nn outrageous height, llerdrcss was of pea-green silk, snort, trimmed, fringed, bugled, und made in tho latest fashion. A scarlet bow at tho throat, bluo ribbons nt tho hair, and a yolluw holt completed tho bewildering rainbow. rain-bow. I could havo fallen nt Mag's feet to toll hor how I admired her lino of strategy. "Why, how d'yo do?" she cried. "I'm awful glad to see you I Sit down, do! My! wasn't it awful nt that fair, Mr. Stokes? You see I was to do the whot-d'yo-call-'em esthetic girl, and oh, my gracious, what up-hill work it was. You don't catch mo in that scrape again I" Dick fairly gasped, but Dick is a gentleman, and with a lino courtesy that belongs to him made himself agreeable, though I am sure ho was groaning in spirit. Hut hu gave way when ho saw upon the ceutor-table a half-dozen vases that were loft over from the fair. Mug saw his oyet resting upon them and laughed laugh-ed heartily. "The last of tlio fair relics," sho said. "Hut," Dick said, reproachfully, "you told mo " "I told j ou thoy wero antique, unique priceless gems, or ono wasl Hut you see thoy wcro manufactured by the dozen for the fair! Any little tictlon is permitted nt n fair-table." Hut whou wo returned to Dick's room ho hurled his priceless, antiquo vaso through tho window, with two words not admitted to pollto society. Still, Dick's wedding-prcscut to 5lag n month later Is ono of tho greatest ornaments or-naments of our house! Anna Shields in A". 1'. Ledger. |
