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Stephens, Robert Neilson, 1867-1906

"Tales from Bohemia"

The air, whistled by the
boy, clung to Appleton's sense, and he unconsciously hummed it to himself
as his cab went on its grinding way over the stones.
The cabman was considerate of his horse, and he coolly ignored Appleton's
occasional shouts of, "Get along there, won't you?"
It was, therefore, not impossible for the bicyclists to keep in sight of
the coupe.
"All this concern about a man you say you don't care for," said Haslam to
Amy, as the bicycle turned up Broad Street. "It's unprecedented."
"It's only humanity."
"You didn't bother about following me around like this when you threw me
over."
"You didn't threaten to kill yourself."
"No; if I had, I'd have carried out my threat. But for months I endured a
living death--or worse."
"Really? Did you, though?"
Eager inquiry and sudden elation were expressed in this speech.
"Of course I did. Why do you ask in that way?"
"Oh--you took me by surprise. Why did you never tell me it affected you so?
I thought--I thought--"
"What did you think?"
"That if you really cared for me you would have--tried again."
"What? Then I was fatally ignorant! I thought that when you said a thing,
you meant it.


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