Show J j LITERARY The Story of My Life WERE you JOU ou ever in love asked a abright abright abright bright haired golden-haired maiden of me one day Tell me your love story did they love in your day as they do o now My love story my child said I looking into the depths of her liquid blue eyes and pinching the rosy roundness roundness roundness round round- ness of the sweet innocent face II Was WasI WasI I ever in love Am I not married You astonish me with such questions as that II Yes but I mean tell mean tell me your love story right from the beginning Do I please wont won't you please z My inquisitor was exceedingly in earnest earnest earnest ear ear- nest and as she was about the romantic age of sixteen and very dear to me I reconsidered my first decision of passing lightly over her request and began turning turning turning turn turn- ing over the leaves of my memory that I might find something to satisfy her Her eager upturned face inspired me taking me gently back to the days of my girlhood and the first rosy dawn of the romance of my life I think perhaps perhaps per per- h haps ps this little minx before me is herself herself herself her her- self just lately a victim of Cupid and that may account for her unusual interest ne and everybody else's love story T Pere re is nothing n new new w in love it is as old v a s Mother Eve yet as fresh as those blossoms apple blossoms aple-blossoms yonder it is alVas ali al- al i Vas va s the the same Same pe old old story yet ever the sweet fresh Jesh dream of our lives But come dear give me your hand and since you wish it together we will fly back to a flourishing town in the western part of New York State where my child and girlhood days were spent My listener immediately became very attentive and this is the story I told her II My My parents were comfortable but not rich by any means and were descendants descendants descendants de de- of one of the most aristocratic and best known fam families of New Eng Eng- land My father was a clergyman and anda a gentleman and my mother one of the noblest and best women God ever let live I was the youngest of four children children children chil chil- dren the eldest a brother who died in childhood and two sisters Louise and Stella II Let me tell you something of my sisters that you may the better understand understand understand under under- stand my home life Louise was beautiful ful stately grand and in my eyes nothing short of perfection And oh she loved me so dearly dearly- I was the baby you know but I returned her love and would have gone to N New ew York on my hands and knees had I known that it would give her one iota of happiness She was in in truth the mistress of the home as my mother was delicate and unable to take the responsibility of the household II Stella my next sister was also very pretty and the student of our family She was fathers father's particular friend his companion on every occasion his business business business busi busi- ness woman in fact She was always reading it seemed to me and there was never a book published that she could not tell you all about from Genesis to 7 The he Sketch z Book She was so quiet though and reserved that try how I would I could never quite succeed in breaking down her placid exterior to find a warm little corner of her heart where I might nestle I often wished to do so but after many vain attempts gave up trying Her disposition was so different from mine that I could never i understand her Many is the time I If f have overheard her chide my mother for forI I simply humoring that child to death I w was a constant bone of con contention ten tion beX u her and Louise because Louise I would spoil me me entirely if if she didn't look out II And I think that Stella was partly justified in the opinion ion regarding the treatment of me As I look back I clearly see how my mother indulgently removed every furrow from my pathway and how my sisters especially Louise Louis carefully watched and guarded me against every trifling annoyance and sorrow I have always been excessively romantic and I haven't gotten entirely over it yet My early companions were butterflies fairies and day As AsI I grew older and always in fact my dreams day-dreams assumed the shape of love stories ies they never varied When I grew big So-and-So So with his beautiful face and great big big manhood would come to me and say Sweetheart lets let's away to the hills for a walk and I would lightly trip after him and together we would wander until we reached the secluded nook on the hillside where we could see everything for miles around but not be seen ourselves There he would take me in his arms and with one passionate soul-embrace soul he would tell me that I alone of all the women in inthe inthe inthe the world could make him happy While I with tears in my eyes and love untold in my heart would cling closer and gently whisper Yes II Alice come to dinner what are you yon doing out there any way It seems to me ne that you could find something to todo todo todo do instead of lying under that apple tree all day long doing nothing Thus in inthe inthe inthe the gentle tones of my wise sister Stella or in some other such material way would my reverie be broken and I be brought back to earth again You will see the proposal I dreamed of and the one I accepted are vastly different II And now comes the real man upon the scene Cah ah I see your eyes sparkle these tell tale eyes and there are two of them troubles never come singly you know We lived on the outskirts of the town on what was once a large farm Reuben Dell lived in the town clerk I and was a very swell goods dry-goods think the first time I ever saw him was once when I went to town to buy ribbon or something of the sort and Reuben Reubena a waited on me I shall never forget the first impression he made upon me Although Although Although Al Al- though I left him in the store his blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes and irresistible smile went home with me and remained with me until the next time I went to the store store- this was very soon 4 Y II Reubens Reuben's aunt lived about half a aJ amile J mile from us and soon I noticed he del developed developed de de- an unusual fondness for her I had him there before but l never seen used often to meet him him on the road road to and from her home since our meeting over over the ribbons I Once I met him in inV inthe li t V t the e eveni evening g and for the first time saw him smoking smokIng- I Reuben do you smoke II Why yes Miss Alice of course I Ido Ido Ido do all men smoke you know II My father does not II But he is a minister Ha ha ha l II A rather sensation passed over me me but hut I soon became accustomed accustomed accustomed ac ac- to his smoking and thought no more about it iL In the usual course of events we met in the formal way we saw F and we loved at least I did Scarcely a a moment in the day that Reubens Reuben's presence his bright dancing eyes and winning smile were not with meAt meAt me II At At this stage there looms in the distance another man a lawyer and a aY ayoung Y young friend of my fathers father's Mr Lawrence Lawrence Law Law- C rence we will call him He lived in the city about an hours hour's ride from our town in a most beautiful residence His father was wealthy and of course i being the only child he had inherited it all He was large w well proportioned with brown eyes and brown hair very r dignified very reserved and as my father had often made a point of saying in in the presence of his girls One of the o i i- i 1 I f j- j if i ij j jf f j iio ih brainiest men in N New ew York State and a I most excellent young man my dears a a. most excellent young man II I I first remember him as bein being a aa ayoung a ayoung young man when I was a mere child child 1 and inspiring me with awe rather than any other feeling I can describe be He Her r used always to come and see my father when in town to talk I suppose on the affairs of the world and kindred topics As the years passed we saw more of him he came often ostensibly to see father but I knew his little game did he think he could deceive the eyes of a aw w woman man Sly man he was in love with Louise and once I saw her blush when he asked her to bring her sisters sometime sometime sometime some some- time when she came caine came to the city and he would be delighted to show us a fine picture he had just bought Louise thanked him and said that when mamma mamma mamma mam mam- ma was able we would be pleased to visit his home II How glorious for Louise thought I but I would not live with that Bundle of Wisdom for all aU the palaces of the United Kingdom He was so severe I that he would frighten me to death and if he told me to jump into the river I would do it simply because he told me to I wonder if Louise felt that way but ah how I feared that she did not She would marry him my lovely my ideal sister and live in that big house with that big Icicle but then theres there's no accounting for peoples people's taste any any- way II Next upon the scene comes a storm the first I ever experienced and what was to me then the bitterest pang the human heart can endure proved to be bethe bethe bethe the most providential blessing of my life II For some reason my parents did not like Reuben I did and that is how the quarrel began He was my friend my hero and my love and I would take his part against the accusations of the recording recording recording re re- cording angel The more father said 4 j t f f l J A o i J t against him and his insolent ways the mote more determined I was in my heart of hearts to love and cherish him always Even my gentle mother suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that Reuben was very nice look ing and all that all that but not good enough for me Pooh Mother thought no one good enough for her girls Stella raged It was perfectly absurd for me t to think of such a thing as marrying that insignificant low-bred low chump His parents were clerks before before before be be- fore him and doubtless all they knew was the buying and selling price of dry goods and groceries with a little smattering smattering i knowledge of profit and loss sandwiched in between A very aristocratic aristocratic aristocratic aristo aristo- cratic fiance indeed and a most agreeable agreeable agreeable agree agree- able prospect for your family Stella was engaged to a young man attending Cornel Cornell and she could well afford to assume superior airs and talk of the aristocracy of knowledge and the bedlam bedlam bedlam bed bed- lam of ignorance but for all that she knew nothing of pure sweet love as I Idid did of did of that I was absolutely certain II Louise alone understood and sympathized sympathized sympathized sym sym- with me One day on my return return return re re- turn from a long romp and ramble with my favorite dog Snap I noticed that Louise seemed languid and worn out I noticed also traces of sorrow on her face and I immediately threw myself upon her neck and begged her to tell me why she was sad and what the trouble was She gently embraced me and told me that she had some very happy news for me and a faint smile glimmered through her tears II Yes but dearest my happiness never makes you sad I dont don't understand it at all What is it all about II For the first time in my life I saw my stately sister completely overcome with emotion She arose after a moment moment moment mo mo- ment and told me to come to her room after dinner and she would tell ten me allI all II I I was sorel sorely perplexed Louise in tears because of my happiness It was wast t M.- M. t simply inexplicable to to me and I could scarcely ly wait until dinner A very constrained constrained constrained con con- strained feeling pervaded the meal and andI I was glad when my sister motioned me meto meto meto to follow her She was calm by this time and an unpracticed eye would have noted nothing strange in her manner She sat down beside me on aD the couch and for a few seconds gazed abstractedly out of the window II Mr Lawrence was here this morning morning morning morn morn- ing Alice i 3 II Yes what of it II After a pause He loves you and wants to mar marry y you He wished wished- II What shrieked I starting up and staring at my sister as one dazed marry me wished me love wished ha ha ha hat I S Surely rely Louise you are joking Why he he loves you he always has every everyone one knows that II A A pained look passed over her face she was was still gazing abstractedly out of the window Presently she turned looked at me with oh such a longing indefinable look and and- motioned me to sit down beside her again She took my hand and gently caressed it II Yes it is sudden my dear we were all surprised But listen love you are about to take one of the most important steps of your life Mr Lawrence is good noble and true and so able and willing to love and guard you always from every sorrow every care and will always be to you a father a friend and anda a lover I could trust my little Alice to weather the stormy sea of life with such sucha a helmsman as Mr Lawrence while with one less noble less perfect 1 I should fear greatly for the happiness of my darling An And she gently kissed my cheek II I I was dazed simply stupefied I could n not at think and gave up trying i. i Marry wished Marry love wished rang in my ears earsin earsin earsin in such chaotic confusion that 1 I began to fear for my senses Even Reuben could not take me out of myself and arid M i ii ti i i h i gave me up saying that I had been deucedly dull the the- thelast last few days My feelings were utterly indescribable so I will leave you to imagine them After two or three days of moping and brooding 1 I had decided upon my answer Marry him indeed One even- even ng I was sitting in the room dining-room reading when 1 I heard some one enter the next room Louises Louise's voice and one that thrilled me through and through and caused my heart to beat so fast that I could scarcely breathe A faint sinking feeling came over me I decided to go goto goto goto to bed at once I just would not see him Louise knew my feelings and since he lie had asked her the question she could give him the answer The beast he ought to have loved Louise any way and then all this trouble would have been saved I wouldn't see him any anyhow anyhow anyhow how of that I was sure I would go to tobed tobed tobed bed but horrors but there was no way of my getting up stairs except by passing through a corner of the thee room in which they were sitting What in the name name of all that's good should I do The door dooris is ajar I tremblingly make my way to it and peep in Louise very calmly talking and saved and saved at last last Mr Lawrence Lawrence Law Law- rence sitting in a low rocking chair with his back to me Now is my chance and my only chance of escape I gently push the door open no creak thank goodness cautiously enter still enter still talking quietly gently make my way step by step no noise as yet j I am halft halfway half- half t way to the ne next t door only a few more morel ste steps a and d I will be safe thank thank l 3 Alice Allee in a deep resonant vOice voice Z O 0 heaven I am chained to the spot spots s i with ith my eyes cast down and every muscle muscle mus mus- cle de relaxed I am powerless to move or oriL iL iw speak k The Th e man man rises I can feel though I J cannot see 1 fJ i Have you ou your answer ready Yes sir SIr ver very weakly He a approaches me I can feel him he takes both of cold coming my little hands in his his gr great at big warm ones I J cannot resist Little one look at me 0 into the of I I obey and gaze depths eyes that are not nearly so stern as I thought them I see a face beaming j with love and benevolence I am somehow somehow somehow some some- how made a aware ware of a presence almost divine in its nobility and unselfish de de- I drop my eyes for I can look no longer What is your answer little |