Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 31, 1905, COMIC SECTION, Image 27

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N the center of the bride' table, banked
nroiiml with a glorious heap of brides
roses, nt the wedding of Francis B. Pat
tnn and Mix Jean Llvesay, In Brooklyn,
'an n square, ragged, rather dlrtjr desk
blotter. Ink stained and torn. The blot
ter, which wan mounted In silver and
covered with glass, was the feature of
the wedding. For. bad It not been for the blotter
there would have been no wedding and two loving
hearts would have ached for each other, perhaps In
vain through all thin life.
Pntton is a young real estate dealer, a member
of a moderately wealthy family, and Miss Llvesay
lived with her married sifter on Brooklyn Heights
and Is possessed of a comfortable Income of her own.
Patton has been In love with her over six years, and
she In love with him quite as long a time, yet had It
rot been for the old green blotter neither ever would
have known of It.
The main trouble was that Patton Is extremely
bashful and Just as extremely devoted to his busi
ness, and, besides, entirely too modest to think for
a minute that the young and beautiful girl whose
name he saw so often In reports of society events
arid whose beauty made her fairly well known could
be In love with him. And Miss Llvesay, although ?he
confessed to herself and to her closest friend, Tcodles,
her corker spaniel, that she was In love with the hand
some young rcnl estate dealer, could not tell him so,
although now that she Is married she declares she
often was tempted to, and that she made advances
that made her blush afterwards.
.4 .4
With a Chum Who Wasn't Bashful.
They met first at a summer resort up In Maine.
Patton didn't want to go away for a summer vacation
because he declared he would lone chances to put
through a couple of big deals, but his brother Insist
ed that he was working too hard and sticking too
close to business, so he went, and with him went Will
Hetherlngton, his closest chum. Hetherlngton wasn't
a bit like Patton Ills bump of bashfulness was In
growing, and every nlrht that they were at the re
sort he dragged Patton away from their hotel to
dances, beach parties, drives, or amateur theatricals,
ami be knew every girl at least every pretty girl
for miles and miles up an' down the beach.
Hut Hetherlngton. In spite of the way he scattered
his attentions, concentrated his affections upon one
girl- and she was Jean Llvesay. In fact, the Llvesay
rottage was the only place he did not offer to take
Patton. and on the evenings that he went there Pat
ton was left free to sit down In the store In the vil
lage and talk to the old sailors and fishermen who
congregated there. One evening, however, Hether
lngton took Pntton with him. He did not tell Pat
ton that he did no because Miss Llvesay had Inquired:
"Who Is the handsome young man who Is with you
at the hotel?' and pointedly requested him to bring
his friend to call.
.4 v
Beginning of His First Love Affair.
Thut night was the beginning of Patton'e first
love affair. He fell head over heels In love with the
pretty, gracious girl, who drew him out and made
him forget his bashfulness. She seemed glad, too,
when she learned that he also was from Brooklyn.
Hetherlngton noticed the chant; In his companion.
for the next night, when he called, "Pat, get on your
glad rags and Join with me In the festivities," Pat
did not object, as he usually did.
Also Hetherlngton. whose senses were a bit sharp
ened by Jealousy, noticed Patton's disappointment
when they went to another cottage to play bridge,
and also he noticed Patton's change of spirits when
he saw Miss Llvesay also was a guest.
Just how soon Miss Livesay fell In love with Pat
ton even she professes she does not know, but she
says It was soon after they met maybe the second
night.
The rest of that vacation was gloomy for Hether
lngton and ono whirl of delirious delight for Patton.
It was Hetherlngton who wanted to loaf In the store
and smoke and Patton who hardly could wait for even
ing to dash Into the social whirl only it was ob
served, regretfully by some of the young women, that
iff.
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Patton showed a disposition to fall flat and dash out
Rg.iln unless he met Miss Llvesay.
As they were preparing to return to Brooklyn
Patton took several long walks up the beach with
Miss Llvesay In tha moonlight, and In the final walk
shs asked him to call when she returned home In the
fall, and he promised ardently that he would.
" Hethcr, old man," said Patton, the night befor -they
started home, "I'm awfully glad you urged m
to come."
" I'm not," said Hetherlngton, who had seen Pat
ton strolling on the beach with Miss Llvesay.
"Why not old fellow T" asked Patton, who was
two degices blinder than most lovers are suppose 1
to be and who had noticed nothing.
"Well, you've cut me out of the only girl I ever
loved. I suppose I may congratulate you 7"
"If you mean Miss Llvesay, you are merely Im-
pertinent. She never could love me, and regards me
only as a seaside acquaintance."
"Get out," said Hetherlngton, "that girl Is In love
with you. I know the signs. If I were in your place
we would be engaged now."
"We will not discuss Miss Llvesay," returned Pat
ton, with dignity. But he thought all night about
what Helheilngton hud s.iid. and attributed it to
Jealousy unfounded Jealousy.
They returned home, and In the fall, when Miss
Llvesay and her sister returned to the Heights, Pat
ton called. In fact, he called twice, and then, imagin
ing that he was Intruding, he called no more. Miss
Llvesay felt hurt almost as If she had been jilted.
Hhe reasoned with herself that Patton was In love
with her, and she knew she was in love with him,
but she could do nothing.
She waited and waited, and then, because she was
giving a little musical, she sent htm a personal in
vitation. If he had known anything he would have
known that meant something but he wrote his re
grets and went over to New York that night and was
miserable all night, not knowing that she was crying
softly upon her pillow.
Meantime Hetherlngton called, and, finding the at
titude Patton had taken, plucked up his hope anew
and set himself about winning the girl he thought
he loved.
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Two Years at Cross Purposes.
Patton hurled himself into the real estate busi
ness which his father had turned over to him and his
brother, working ten or twelve hours every day, some
times longer, and his work showed both on himself
and on the business. It prospered and he wore down.
His brother urged him to go away again the nexf sum
mer, but he refused.
Miss Llvesay surprised her sister by wanting to
go back to Bar Harbor again, and they went, but It
was a disappointing summer.
It was that way for nearly two years. Twice more
Miss Llvesay sent invitations to Patton, but he de
clined them. Then one day they met by accident In
nn elevated train. She scolded him for refusing her
Invitations and made him promise to call. Patton
waited Impatiently just two evenings and then he
called. He found Hetherlngton. whom he had not seen
for a year, and he cut his call short.
He told himself almost bitterly that Miss Llvesay
was a flirt, and then got mad at himself for hinting
such a thing. He did not know that she quarreled
with Hetherlngton because he had spoiled her plan
or that she cried herself to sleep that evening. He
did not call again, and the girl waited six months.
Then she wrote him a note, asking him to call.
He was out of town when the note came, and when
lie returned ho wrote to her, explaining, but by that
time she, In despair, had acceded to her sister's prop
osition and gone to California for the winter.
It might have gone on that way forever, had It
not been for Miss Llvesay.
SCSesecsseSSSS3SSSS53SS39SS 333393333399
TOW
"For heaven's sake, wty do "ii v:mt to go bark
to Bar ll:irlnr every year?'' deiua nded her sister.
"1 like tt there." replied Miss l.lvesav.
" You don't. You know you don t. You're misera
ble every time you go then', and I believe you're In
love."
Then, for the first time, the girl confessed, and
told her sister the whole story. And the sister, be
ing married, wasted no time. The mxl d.iy. without
saying anything to Mls Llvesay. she ordered her auto,
drove down to Patton's office, nnd began dickering
for a piece or real estate. Hhe wanted to get better
ncquninted with I'atton and also to give him a strong
hint of the renl condition of affairs.
That real estate deal was one of the hardest rat
ion ever tried to make. He drove with Miss Llvesay't
sister. .. seemed to him. over half, of Long Island and
showed her every piece of property he handled, but
could not suit her. He was In despair, but not more
than she. A dozen times she spoke of her sister, hnl
could not draw him out. Ho simply blushed and point
ed out the good points of the property.
"I'll simply have to tell that man that Jean Is
In love with him," she said to herself.
.4 ,4
Deciphers Hieroglyphics on Blotter.
But one afternoon she was ushered Into Patton's
private office to wait until he returned. The only com
fortable seat In the room was his revolving chair, so
she took that and began drumming on the desk. She
did not mean to be Inquisitive, but she found herself
studying the strange hieroglyphics on the blotter.
Suddenly she sat up straight nnd began to take an
Interest. Over In one clean spot near the corner she
had seen the imprint of ink, upside down nnd back
wards, but, studying It, she spelled out, " My darling
Jean."
Bight there Is wlieie. according to her own story,
she lost her sense of shame. She deliberately set her
self to work to spell out all she could. And she suc
ceeded well enough to satisfy herself.
To add to her crime she deliberately stole the
blotter, rolled It up, and stuffed it Into her muff. When
Patton came In a short time later she bought a beau
tiful little cottage and piece of ground down on Long
Island, gave her check for the first payment, and In
vited and Insisted upon his coming to call on her and
her sister that evening.
There was no escape. Patton called. He did not
see his customer. Instead he was met by Miss Llve
say herself.
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Asked to Explain, and It Comes Out.
They chatted for an hour on ordinary topics, and
then Patton, 111 at ease, arose as If to go. Miss Live,
say said: "Stay a moment. Mr. Patton, I have some
thing I would like you to explain."
And from another room she brought the blotter.
"My sister took It from your desk." she said. "There
was something on it that Interested her."
Patton gave one look, turned red t purple, his wife
says), and began to stammer.
"Perhaps there Is some other Jean," remarked
Miss Llvesay, calmly.
"No no other only one never was but one "
Patton was mumbling and stuttering.
Then suddenly he recovered himself and In an
Instant he was holding Miss Llvesay In his arms and
trying to make up for all the kisses lost by his five
years of bashfulness.
"Why didn't you mail the letter?" demanded Miss
Livesay, when they were sitting on the sofa some time
later.
" Which one?" asked Patton.
" Why, the one you blotted?"
" I blotted them all, I expect," said Patton, kissing
her again.
"All! Did you write more than one?"
"Why, yes. I've written one almost every night
since I first fell In love with you, but I was afraid
to mall them."
" You you you I don't know what," said Miss
Livesay In exasperation.
" It would serve you right If I never married you
at all."
And she didn't marry him for seven whole weeks.
ssssssssssssssssssssCss
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DAHOMEY.
VOTING FOR KING.
TRAVELS ON WATER OR LAND.
WARN I A G TO THRIFTLESS.
FOR A UTOMOBIL1NG.
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This form of capital punishment was practiced until a short time ago In Da
homoy. The victim was crushed between great atones Stttd with sharp points,
which caused Immediate death.
OLDEST BALLOON
COBRA'S HEAD.
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H .v?-!r.4',v..f.Y..ry
p - ' !y It
' '""A Voting paper used in Norway durinx
jY"' the plebiscite as to whether there should
j. i''""V'i " e a king or republic. " Ja " signified
S ?JirX " 1 " In fvor of Prince Charles of Den-
y 'XJV mark.
'r . ; W WEDDING RINGS OF STONE.
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T. Richmond of Jessnp. Ja., is the Inventor of this machine, whose operation
on land is shown in the photograph. In the water a set of hinged paddles, which
can be attached to the wheels, automatically open and close as the wheels revolve.
For an Ice boat spikes are fastened to the driving wheels and a runner placed under
the forward wheel; two runners are also placed beneath the craft Inside the driving
wheels. Any of the three changes can be made In a few minutes.
TO WASH DISHES.
This air balloon, now in the arsenal
museum, Vienna, was captured by the
Austrian at Wuritiurg In 1TIM. It la one
of tbe six made by the French Aeronaut
society during the years HU4-'0 for use
during the war, and la the only one of
them now In existence.
A quaint tablet is fixed on the exterioi
wall In the center of almshouses built for
four widows by Mrs. Hester Clark in 17,'l.Y
The tablet has a curious figure of a
man wearlnga cocked hat. Formerly this
figure held a hatchet In his right; hand,
but, the hand having dropped off, the
katchet Is now suvpended againet the
wall. The following Inscription appears
below the figure:
" He that gives away all before he Is dead
Let 'em take this hatchet and knock
on ye head."
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This Is the latent style in auto togs worn
by Frenchmen.
SFRA'ON B) THE KAISER.
This is the kind of machine that is used
In hotels to wash dishes.
MUCH DRI.SSED GO A T.
. A.' ri t il
Is (toe middle ages swings were hung by
an Ingenious pulley device. The rope was
passed over a grooved wheel that was
fastened to tbe celling by bracket. The
one who was swinging was not only
pushed from behind by ene of his fellows
but was also hWprd from tbe front by
striking with his (toot the outstretched
foot of another comrade. Thisj sport was
favorite pastime of page.
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In the ancient church of Kirk Braddan, In the lale of Man, leaning against the
north wall, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph, are ancient rings i f
sloue, through which. In days of long ago, before the Jewelers' windows glistened
with wedding rings at all prices, the bride and bridegroom Joined bands, it Is said,
and were wedded.
4
m in m i hi ii. m. m-.AJk.
Pet of tbe sailors of I tie lnuti ahip
Ulldura.
Emperor William usually preaches the sermon when he spends Sunday on hi
yacht