Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1895 — THE BEST OF LIFE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE BEST OF LIFE.

Not till life’s heat is cooled, The headlong rush slowed to a quiet pace, And every purblind passion that has ruled Our noisier years, at least Spurs us in vain, and, weary of the race. We care no more who loses or who wins— Ahl not till all the best oflife seems past The best of life begins. To toil for only fame, «■* Handclappings, and the fickle guests of _ praise, , ~ .■. ~ I For place or power or goM to gnd a name Above the grave whereto All paths will bring us, were to lose our days. We, on whose ears youth’s passing -bell has tolled, In blowing bubbles, even as children do, Forgetting we grow jld. But the world widens when Buchhopeof trival gain that ruled ns lies Broken among our childhood’s toys, for then We win to self-control! And mail ourselves in manhood, and there rise Upon us from the vast and windless height Those clearer thought that are unto the soul What stars are to the night. —The Spectator.

Three steely wreaths of smoke/from three 1 -cigars- floated toward the park The night was calm, with scarce a breath of air to set the tree tops nodding No one thought to jar upon the stillness of the scene by uttering his thoughts aloud. Besides there was no need of speech; they were friends, and, being friends, smoked on in peace, helping by their presence the unfolding of each other’s dreams. But the spell was broken at last The warm coloring of Lewis Forbes’ dream had vanished into a grayness of vacancy. He rose, and by his motion disturbed his guests. The three men rose and shook themselves free of the last remains of what they had just tried to conjure up again before them. The heat from the fire began to make them more sociable, and they talked on all sorts of topics, their conversation a wide range, from the newest book on conveyancing to the latest opera. At last the talk came in nearer circles and assumed a more personal interest. “I suppose you are both going to the Ransome dance next week?” suggested Lewis Forbes, the host. “Perhaps; 1 know quite know ye?,” replied his friend Spencer, in a tone of the least possible concern. “I dare say I shall go,” drawled Carew. Who could have connected these almost careless replies with Agnes Ransome’s bewitching eyes and cherry lips, whose unsubstantial image they had been kissing in their counterfeit of passion? Each slowly took from his pocket a delicately-tinted envelope, from which he drew a letter. A glance sufficed to show that the contents of all three were the same. The truth flashed upon them, lighting up for them the ludicrous side of the matter. To do them credit, they tried to be angry, but, despite themselves, they burst into a roar of laughter. When they had finished they consoled themselves by calling the lady a flirt, accepting their'”” Infatuation as a fact too real to be displaced by reason. Forbes was the first to suggest that they should discuss the matter in all its bearings. “What is the good of that?” asked Carew. “To arrive at some understanding,” was A < .' “Well, but after all,” insisted his friend, “the best man will win.” “Yes—or the first,” was the rejoinder. They sat for a long time propounding solutions of the difficulty. All kinds of devices were mentioned to ascertain the lady’s feelings on the subject. At last Spencer was seized with a happy idea. “Let us all propose together,” he ex. claimed. They looked at him in surprise. “All together?” they echoed. “Yes,” he explained, “why should we not all three call on her, or, perhaps, writing would be less embarrassing.” They sat a while and pondered, raising objections that were not objections. Finally they set themselves seriously to think out the details. CHAPTER 11. - Agnes Ransome, like a bee among the heather, hovering over the purple bells, was In her boudoir turning over with dainty fingers the books and pretty things. She left the mirror and lay on the couch before the fire, too indolent almost to think. She had not lain long before a gentle-* man was announced, and It was evident by her eager and loving welcome

was his first visit after his acceptance, and as yet he was still only a friend of the family. They were still talking—now about themselves—when the maid brought her mistress a letter. She read It and very demurely Landed it to her lover, but before he Lad half got through it she broke into a peal of'laughter. “What answer shall I give, dear?” “Well, I think you had better tell the truth," he replied. “Tell the truth?" she asked, repeating his words. “Yes, that you haven’t any preference.” “Oh, but suppose I have?” she rejoined archly. A kiss was her only reply. ’ This was the letter which caused her such amusement: “Dear Miss Ransome: We, the undersigned, having the honor to make you a somewhat curious request Each of us aspires to the honor of your hand, and, being dear friends, we cannot, in the light of this knowledge, set our own fancied individual claims before those of each other. We pledge ourselves to abide by any decision at which it may please you to arrive. Hoping that you will find It possible to help us, and that you will pardon what may appear impertinence, we have the honor to remaln, your most devoted admirers, “LEWIS FORBES, “HUGH SPENCER , “WILLIS CAREW.” They discussed the wording of the reply, and decided to couch it in such a form that no mention should be made' of the engagement, while no direct acceptance of the proposal contained in this note should be given, Agnes suggested that Jack should call on Forbes that same evening, shrewdly guessing that the friends would meet at his lodgings in eager expectation of the reply. CHAPTER 111. never strike 4. Would the court never rise, that poor juniors might doff their wig and stnff gown and hasten a way westward? But Lewis Forbes got home at last, eager for a letter that he hoped to find. But when he found it he did not open it, but, with his mind in a ferment, waited for dinner and the arrival of his friends, who were to dine with him. They arrived together, and both inquired: “Where is it?”

. They arranged themselves around the table. In the middle of which lay the precious envelope. “Open It,” suggested Carew. Spencer nodded approval. “Gentlemen: I thank you most sincerely for the honor you propose to confer upon me. I much regret that I cannot help you out of your difficulty by personal preference. Would not such a case be better left to pure chance? A pack of cards might work out a solution. Thanking you once more most, sincerely, and awaiting the result with some anxiety, I remain, Yours very truly, AGNES RANSOME.” He finished, and set a pack of cards on the table without speaking a word. They shuffled them still in silence. Forbes was the first to break it. “You see, cutting for the highest or lowest card Is one of the crudest of methods. Let us play vingt-et-un, the first to turn up a natural to be the lucky man.” They agreed, and the deal fell to Forbes. Play began and went on round after round, but still no “natural” turued up. Every other combination in the pack was dealt except a “natural.” A visitor was announced to relieve the monotony. He proved to be Millman, who, true to his proposal of the morning, had called and found things as he had anticipated. “We won’t keep you a moment,” urged “We are only waiting for a natural.” CHAPTER IV. Another round was being dealt; each one had a card. Millman, looking on saw the light In Spencer’s eyes; glancing at Carew he was surprised to see his mouth twitching nervously. Both evidently had a good card. Forbes dealt each a second. “Naturall” came from both simultaneously, as they started up from the table. Forbes looked at his own cards, rather from curiosity than anything else. “Natural!” he shouted, his face aglow with excitement “But" insisted Spencer, “you forget the, agreement the winner (Mould be the man who turned up a natural first" “Yes,” objected Forbes, “but surely we must keep the rule of the game. If the dealer gets a natural it cancels any others. Tho rule is, as you know, ‘Quits—pay the dealer.’ ” “But don’t you see,” argued his friend, “that this is not a regular game?” “Appeal to MUlman,” suggested Carew, himself uncertain whether to advance his own claim or not Forbes undertook the task, and after putting him in possession of the iea<h Ing facts, concluded by saying: “Now, who do you think is entitled to propose to Miss Ransome?" Jack appeared for a moment to be deep in thought At last he said, very slowly: “There is one way out of the difficulty—" “Yes?” “I will save you the trouble. I will marry Miss Ransome myself." “Oh, but it’s no' laughing matter,” protested Forbes, giving utterance to the feelings of his friends as well. “Of course not,” assented tb'b umpire; "but it solves the difficulty, doesn't ft? Besides,” he added, “it’s easier for me —l’m engaged to her.*

CHAPTER I.