John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor lifeAdams, Frederick Upham
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John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor life
Adams, Frederick Upham
Humorous stories; Outdoor life -- Fiction
Of least importance, but none the less satisfying has been the wonderful
improvement in my golf game. I am driving as long a ball as any club
member. I have won the club championship and the Harding Trophy. I hold
the low amateur score for the course, and only yesterday came within a
stroke of defeating Wallace. I must admit that the poor chap was off his
game. He is still thinking of Miss Lawrence. It's a shame the way she
led him on, but he is young and will get over it.
It was my privilege to be instrumental in saving Mr. Harding's life from
the mad rush of that bull. I showed a little judgment and nerve,
perhaps, but luck gave me the opportunity.
Every incident preceding, during and after that tornado was in my
favour. Even my mistakes resulted to my advantage. Fate smiled on me
through the awful fury of that tempest.
These fortuitous happenings and incidents are nothing compared with one
consideration which makes me the happiest man in the world. It is not
that I made a lucky venture in stocks and acquired more millions than
all of my ancestors ever possessed. That is something, of course, but I
had enough money for any rational human being before this flood of
wealth poured into my lucky hands.
These are not the things which steep my soul in joy ineffable!
I know that I possess the love of Grace Harding!
She has not told me; it is not necessary that she shall say the words to
confirm the truth which has come to me. I know that she loves me; is not
that enough?
Chilvers passed while I was sitting here and caught me smiling. I was
reading the sixteenth entry in this diary.
"What are you grinning at, Smith?" he demanded.
I did not tell him. I had been reading my soliloquy to the effect that
the knowledge of love is conveyed without verbal expression between
those who love. I had written: "The man who fails to avail himself of
this silent but eloquent language, and who stupidly assaults a woman
with an open avowal of an alleged love deserves to be coldly rejected."
Then I wrote that these voiceless messages to the one you love would be
considered and finally answered, and that there might come a day "when
over the throbbing unseen wire there comes a telepagram sounding the
letters 'Y-E-S,' then proceed with the sweet formality of a verbal
confession and avowal of your love, and you will not be disappointed."
I have received that glorious message! Grace Harding has told me that
she loves me!
The message was transmitted from the depths of her beautiful eyes! It
has been confirmed by the gentle pressure of her hand as it rested on my
arm! It has been echoed in the accents of her sweet voice! I have read
it in the blush which mantles her check as I draw near, and I know it
from a thousand little tokens which my heart understands and which my
feeble words cannot express.
I am
ENTRY NO. XXII
I AM UTTERLY MISERABLE
_On Board "Oceanic," East-bound._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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