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.-V- -- J/ L^ir^CtH&^BE^t^&n'HE^' ! fWJ^L^C ss '
i \ r OL. XXVI—-NO. 42.
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1
ORNADY had finished
liis story. His six
friends smoked on re
flectively. To him it
seemed as if they were
waiting for the point to
strike them and
were giving to the
subject an absorbing
mental effort. The qual
ity of the story was to
A
7 I \
his practical mind above the average. It
had more of common sense 'han Major Nes
bittks narrative and less of foolish sentiment
than Cardgrove’s story of love an<i Indian
lighting. lie fancied that it would rouse
his friends to a high pitch of interest; that
it would strike th if sense of appreciation
of the novel—the unique.
But there was no evidence of fascinated
interest on the calm faces of his friends;
no craning forward near the end: no ex
cited questions as to fuller details. The
fix men sat listening with expressionless
faces throughout, the only change being
Harding’s smile of polite attention to a.
stolid, unreadable stare. Blake Hornady
tilted back his chair and waited. Ilis
friend- sat in n-iie : ve silence. Major
Nesbitt bit off Tne end of his cigar, Card
grove stroked his brown mustache, while
S'mmy gazed at Harding. The newspa
per man s in a whirl of smoke toward the
ceiling and said:
“1 lornady, it strikes mo that your story
is too full of common sense to suit this
crowd. All the people calculate too much '
on tile probable result of a tiling; they act
j ’st like a business man with your ideas
■’would act.”
"!■ ’ os -'.'o'd to-d " 6,'ld Cardgrovo. “hut
it is too bair n of smi'itnenf- 1 iprnady,
1 knew you were a business man, but I did
not know that you v. re totally devoid of
’all sentiment.”
“Nor 1,” sai l Roger Cleary. “I’ve bm
accus'd of that my-e/. but the imputation
belongs to Hornady. I'm a very sentimen
tal man compared to him."
“All stories should have :■ little sentiment
in them,” said Major Nesbitt, with a vague
■idea of defending his story, which had a
great deal-
"Yes” said Carter Handy, the calculat
ing politician, somewhat reluctantly.
"There's lots of it in real life." He sighed
as if he were sorry that his statement was
true.
“Yes," said Sammy Smythe, coming from
behind his immense bouquet. “Yes, atm a
story isn't good if it isn't like real life-"
He Lad heard Harding say something to
'that effect.
Hornady lit a cigar and fished a new
looking b-tter from his jnm r pocket, a .sud
den thought striking him.
"It's highly discouraging to a man to
have his story disapproved of in this fash
ion." he said, "it’s worse than I thought.
Your mind--, I discover, are upon love sto
ries, amt 1 have one Her.' that's fresh at; I -
true.”
He drew the two sheets of writing pa- I
per from the envelope, wiii' li was marked I
with a picture of a .sixteen storied Chicago |
ho: I. , nd op ui'd them out. |
. ■ > j< juii exaetdy the place 1 would
sei" '-. tire sc-m • of a romance if 1 had
tii-' meiie- wholly in toy power, it ■ said,
“but th'- I'trb' romance to which litis let
ter i- the .--quel happened in Chicago un
der my very eye-, neither of which facts
' “Fa tin tied, iiungr. tirnl dust covered I
went to i .: Alpmirc:t:t bote, on the iir-i
evening *f : y fi** v.t t in line fair city, not
%
jj ■ Irw
—1 ■ ■. •■- u£ „■ • I >
~ -i//
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- MPf
thiched him on Tim shoulder.”
knowing that it was the abode of romance
and love making. ■ was >uiiuenced to go
t ■ hat i expec ■ i to be entertained
by a 10l ot pretty gitis being made love to
by a lot of ordinary, every day men, but
because of its claims as a superior pub
lic hostelry. My uppermost thought, when
1 reached the hotel was to gel something
sitbstamial to eat to make up for the two
.lays iutile dependence for .subsistence upon
the coon who operates the buffet in one
of Mr. Pullman's sleepers. The moment 1
fre ■ 1 myst-if from the exterior polish of
granulated soil which I had acquired on
the journey. 1 went full tilt to the case.
"1 ih 're discovered that 1 had no monop
oly on th ' desire to eat. I found that it
■was pre ' cninant in the minds of about
tin Immired world's fair visitors, who
were hugging tin- tables, eating and chat
ting. How aiiot]-.-'- mortal could get a
s-ai in the biittgry. feeding throng I could
not s< e and started out to se; reh for a
quiet case down the street. But the din- I
n m 1 bed< eked am p, k. permit looking 11
young man who gei I -s the footsteps of
thee > who wander into hi etifo to be f d 1
beckoned tii" to him and said in a tone
(•mir instantly made me feel at home; |1
‘There's a -eat over there at a table where jj
two young gents and a young lady from out
in Washington state are silling.'
“1 took the seat with such alacrity as to
startle into silence one of the young men—
a spectacled, clerical looking young fel
low with college airs about him, Wiio was
talking about the relative merits of water
and land transportation to the fair in a
very enthusiastic way and incidentally en
gaging himself in suppressing any remarks
that the hale am! hearty young fellow with
the blonde mustache might attempt to
make.
“The three gazed at me reproachfully,
as if they thought 1 was intruding upon
them. The young lady was a unique bit
of western beauty, with bewitching eyes ami
brown hair, Which had an ovcrweatiing de
sire to go astray on the sides and dangle in
the Chicago breezes. She mentally sized
me up and apparently approved of me, and
softening the gaze, she turned in my di
rection. The hale and hearty young fel
low with the blonde mustache and diamond
pin scowled at me and the young fellow
with the clerical look and gold-rimmed eye
glasses vainly attempted to wither me with
his gaze. The young lady perceived tlies
well meaning attentions of her escorts ami
became very gracious in her bearing toward
ine.
“liven a married man is tempted to dis
pense with iiis wife and children when tie
gets seven hundred and titty miles from
Imine and meets a pretty woman who beams
delightfully, charmingly upon him. 1 saw
that 1 had created the impression of a
single man and 1 adjusted my facial ex
pression so as to look as juvenile as pos
sible. My unceremonious coming, in had
si a damper upon the tittle dinner party,
but their conversational powers soon re
vived under the coaching of Miss \\ < sterner.
“ ‘1 don't agree wit it you at all about rhe
woman’s building, Mr. Spinks, she said
in musical tones. "1 think it is the most
c iiph department ol the fai . It '
ougiiiy represents the status of woman in
art. industry, domestic life-—everything
now don't you think so?’ The little fellow
I in the gold-rimmed glasses shilled in Ins
chair and smiled all over himself al the
pf ispect of an argument and the more de
lightful prospect of convincing his pretty
sweetheart (for that's what she was) by
the power of his eloquence.
■‘'Artistically it is very good,' he said,
‘but it is somewhere lacking- I here s a
missing link. Il's hardly the thing, you
know, for a woman to put up buildings
and till them up with trinkets of her own
make. It's out of her line. Woman- ’
ami lie beamed upon the young lady. _ ‘Wo
man. Miss Silvey, is in her sphere in the
realm of home. Then* she is a queen,
but when she leaves home and goes to
drawing plans for houses and sotting up
exhibits and running things she spoils it all
and drops a peg or two from her diviner
sphere.’
"'I agree with Miss Silvey altogether.’
said the hale and hearty young man dog
gedly. waiing his 'hand in dismissal of the
subject. ’Oh, thank you, Mr. Blipp,’ she
said. ‘That's so nice. You have such
broad views. I>o you like the plaisance,
Air. Blipp?' ‘Delighted with it.' he said,
•perfectly delighted.’ ‘lt's a grand congress
of fakes.’ said the clerical Mr. Spinks.
“It ought to be banished from the grounds.
Il has no place in the same enclosure with
swh a grand thing as the art building.’
Miss Silvey's eyes lighted up al the meii-
V>n of the art Imihling. ‘Oil, isu' it grand,
she cried. ‘1 eon! i .-pend a whole year Pok
ing at the divine paintings there. 1 have
only ? pent one day in it yet. I am going
there the first thing tomorrow morning
and stay all day.' Both voting men 1 fit* I
to -peak at once. but Mr. Spinks -poke first.
‘And may I go along and .i.j >v the pictures
with you?' he asked. ’I will be delight, d
to have you." she said. 1 • '•m.'til i*> pp
looked very blue and buried his counte
nance in a glass of milk.
••'•'lm conversation run on. Spinks was
ecstatically happy; Blipp sank into deepest
misery. 'I he two rivals for ii was 100 evi
dent that th< y were such glared at eat h
other and consistently disagreed on every
point. Spinks said he thought the ethno
logical exhibit highly interesting. Blipp
said it was a musty old collection of mum
mies that offended" the sight and ought to
be ruled out of the fair. Spinks said he
thought the roller ehairs an excellent
method of getting about the grounds amt
saving time. Blipp said they were only in
tended for decrepit old women and in
valids. Miss Silvey's eyes sparkled witii
delight at this exchange of pleasantries be
tween her two lovers. She glanced at me
roguishly, ami encouraged the two young
fellows to go on.
“This transplanted love aflair was an
amusing comedy and I lingered at the table
as long as the young lovers kept it going.
Instinctively my sympathy went out to
Percival Blipp ami 1 watched the progress
of the conversation, his defeats ami his
rallies, with that ini rest one feels in fol
lowing the fortunes of a hero in a play or
book. I conceived a strong liking for his
open, honest face. 1 gathered from the
conversation that he was a mine owner,
and I liked him all the better for that.
Spinks was a young lawyer, and as Blipp
rose in my estimation he foil correspon
dingly.
• j took my first look at the fair t’>e next
morning. 1 remembered Miss Silvey's an
nouncement that she was going to spend
the dav in the art building, and late in lite
afternoon 1 went there hoping to catch
sight of them. 1 stumbled upon Blipp five
minutes after I got inside, il" seemed to
be wandering about in a desultory fashion,
"azittg at the pictures in a perfunctory,
disinterested way. lie recognized me and
smiled. 'I remember your face at the table
last night.’ said he. ‘my name is Percival
Blip'i. Spokane Falls, Washington. Book
ing at the pictures?’ He ramified on with
out anv apparent method or object. He
ki'iit sending inquiring glances ahead, and
nres'iitlv I recognized, a few feet away
from us. Miss Silvey ami Spinks. If they
were not enjoying the show,, why appear
ances don’t count tor utiytmng. 1 hey
were holding a guide book between them,
and alternately seal citing through its leaves
*'or the numbers and looking at the pictures,
••iving every symptom of pleasure.
” “Blipp saw that I recognized them and
he blushed. ■There they are,’ he said half
guiltlv, ‘they’ve been taking it in al! day.’
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1893.
I T laughed out loud. ‘And yon.’ said T, ;
I ami you —you’ve been following them about,’
I 1 laughed louder than ever. 'That’s about
the size of it.’ Im said. ‘Do you think she
likes him best?’ 1 asked. ‘O, I don't know.’
lie said dismally, but earnestly, ‘it's been
going on like this for a year and a half.
At home both of us have been trying des
perately to win her, but the contest seems
to be so evenly matched that it looks as if
we were still neck and neck.
“When she came to the fair, of course,
we followed. She's certainly been leading
us a race. One day it’s Blipp and the next
it's Spinks. It's Spinks today, lie was t
so genuinely miserable that. 1 felt sorry lor i
him. As lie finished he made a sudden j
i dart ami disappeared through a door to ;
the right. I -topped in amazement, and :
found that, the explanation of his startling I
conduct in Miss Silvey and Spinks, who ,
had turned ami were coming back toward >
us. Site was saying that she would pre- I
fer to go back on a steamer. After they I
had passed, .Blipp sneaked back- 'Have j
they gone?’ he asked apprehensively. They i
wi re disappearing in the crowd, and we
followed.
“ ‘This is tough hick.’ he said as he
scrambled along to keep in sight, “ton
can’t appreciate it, old man, unless you've
been through il. What would you do?
Ask her and risk it. or keep on like this
until she indicated which she liked best?’
‘1 don't know,’ I said, ‘this is hardly the
place to ask a girl to marry you, but it’s
nit excellent place to prepare her for it.
If I can help you, let me know.’ , ‘Thank
you. thank you,’ he said gratefully.
“We were just in time to get on the
steamer, and as wo rushed on with the
crowd, the young lady did not see us. Blipp
; hurried around on the opposite side from
I them and leaned against, the rail, regarding
‘ them furtively. 'Tin* steamer was shtsh-
I ing .along a mile from the fair, when ihe
, young miner tossed his cigar into the lake
I and started toward them. ‘Come along.’
said lie, ‘1 11 introduce you-'
“It was wilii a fine affectation of surprise
that Blipp greeted them. ‘You here!’ lie ex
claimed gayly, "how lucky! -Miss Silvey,
my friend. Mr. I ioran iy, from the south.’
She smiled sweetly flit I gave me a glance
of recognition. I took a seat beside her,
Blipp establishing liimseif . n the other
side. Spinks regarded me for a minute as
a nuisance that, had to be "olerated, but
luckily, my first eon versa ti mill vent tire with
him struck a weak point, lie ask'd me
ft.
ml
f®
s S
HE MADE A FINE SHOW OF PLEASED SURI’RISE.
how I liked the fair, an I 1 sai l ‘snpm b,’
:tml told him 1 iiketl the mining 11 i't’ing
best. His clayey face iigiitefi up, and lie
j launched forth upon .in enthusiastic tits
| sertation on silver. 'Vlii' 1 he was tn Hie
midst, of it. tmpereeivt'd by him. t;np[ and
.Miss Silvey walked to the frent end
of tin l boat and were lost to view. It was
some such thing I had in mind when I en
gaged the western lawyer in conversation.
Suddenly he broke off and stared vacantly
at tiie two empty stmts. ‘I I'm. lie re
marked stammeringly ami witii :t very
foolish look. 'Where have they gone?
' Can't be overboard?’
1 "All the silver eloquence tmze.l out of
tin 1 young lawyer witii the discover) Itmi
Miss Silvey and Biipp were no longer witii
i us. He had no heart for fnrlhei' con
versation and his remarks to me during
i lb ■ res, <>f the trip were in monosyHtiblty.
' Ilin distress was painful to see when the
| steamer butted against her pier at
i Vail Buren sireet. lie I'iisliefi iorward. th u
, back again, then to the center, where he
I stood hopeless and helpless, staring at
i the ri treating crowd. 'Wh'-r:' are Hui :
I he elitrcateil. I had eaughi a giimpse •>
i .Miss Silvey's brown curls on the g.mg jdank
I a minute b fore. ‘Tliey'll be a long jn' -
: (‘Mlly.’ J s:iid coiisoliiitily. •*'* <!•»’
i wait. We were the last people i.o lente
i the steamer. He stood on the pier gaz
ing itii tiie flight of steps wild a 10.-t ex
pression .
" ‘I >amn it.’ he said .
“fit. was my intention to go to tae t ne
ater that night ami as l_ started out , I
looked around for the lover's party. Spinks
was. standing near the register, a picture
of dejection and gloom. I touched him on
tiie shoulder, 'ileflo, Spinks, are you goinjt
out tonight?' lie looked al me d'. 11 '.')'-'-
! ‘Yes, I'm going to the theater. mil
I theater?' tie turned to the ticket scalper
j in the corner. 'Didn’t yon sell some tiek
i ets to a fat young man witii brown tnus-
■ t :ehe ami a wesiern accent tonight? he
! a<ked. '! did.’ 'What theater?’ 'Schiller's. '
‘ Spinks turned to me. T am going to beni.-
■ "Th<> thenicr was crowded, but. being
lon time, we got good seats. .1 he play was
'The (Jiri i Left'Behind Me.’ a drama full
| of stirring situations, fimt Spinks was not
I stirred, lie didn’t even see the pbty. His.
; eyes were turned to the right. Following
the direction of his gaze I recognized Miss
Silver. Seated beside her was Bereivai
Biipp. his fyc.. flushed with
delight. just behind them -S.'lt
Mrs. Silvey. Miss Silvey recognized us
i ami smiled so sweetly that Spinks’s gloom
! was lifted like a mist beiere the sun. He
I writhed in his chair and waited impatientiy
I for the end of the act so that he could g>
to them. I -saw that heroic measures were
necessary. Before the curtain had swung
half way down I was on my way the
box. I took the one vacant seat. I’rom
where I sat 1 could see Spinks, silting
straight in his seat and looking straight in
front, au unforgiving expression on his
face.
“The next morning I was not surprised to
see Spinks sitting in Hie hotel lobby gloom
| fly pouring over a. paper. I: was its fine
nt 10 o’clock and I wonderpd if he
i was waiting for Miss Silvey. 'Io was ev
idently in a bad humor still. I apologized
' foe having left him so abruptly ihe night
: before at th' l theater tin 1 to cement cur
ve-e-'-tab’ii'hed ITi-.'iidshm. asked ( ie;". A
drink with me. lie said ho had already
trotted out three pony cocktails that morn
ing.
“I decided that Blipp and the young lady
had gon? or were going to the fair, ami to
preclude till chance of meeting them, 1
proposed that wo take a jaunt to Lincoln i
park. He astonished me with the alacri- 1
ty with which ho accepted the suggestion. |
I could only explain his ready acceptance ■
ii. menially deciding that lie had given up
all hope of being with Miss Silvey that
day.
"After we had taken a turn or two about
the park I discovered the reason tor his
coming. The reason was Mies Silvey. We
c-mie upon her quite suddenly strolling along
wiia her mother. Ho evidently was not.
surprised ami stepped forward smiling. In
coiiseiotisiy I had done Blipp a bad I urn,
but 1 made tile best of it. By one of those
graceful Hank movements cb.iraet eristic of
myself 1 gained Mi.-s Silvey’s side ami by
ihe use of ;i little pilonricy led her away.
Spinks had nothing to do hut drop behind
with the mother. 1 fancy she was not
favorably expressed that morning by the
(•uitvrisalion of the young man who wanted ,
to be her son-in-law. The young lady and
I got along swimmingly until tin unexpected
interruption.
“dust at a bend'in Ihe walk a yound gen
tleman stepped in front of us. lie camo so
suddenly info view from behind a little
summer house that J was impressed with
Ihe belief that he had been lurking there,
lie lifted his hat and made a line show of
pleased surprise. ’Why, Miss Silvey—Air.
Ilornady, this is unexpected. I'm sure, but.
delight ful —’ 'I low you frightened me,’
said Miss Silvey. 'Where did you come
from, Mr. Blipp?’
“Quite naturally he turned and walked
back with us. easting a furtive glance be
hind at Spinks. It, .suddenly occurred to
me that I had seen enough of the park
and regretfully I told them I had an en
gagement at noon. We waited until
Spinks and the mother came up. Spinks
looked doggedly at his watch ami spitefully
at Blipp and said he was sorry, but he
had an engagement, too.
“Ho walked along beside mo. sullenly
refusing to speak. After we were on the
car he suddenly looked up and asked:
‘l’oriiady. are yon married?' I put on a
sorrowful expression. T was married once.’
T said. lie flushed up. bit his thin mus
tache am! isecmed sorry for his question.
‘I see.’ he .said at length, ‘a widower.’
“A week later I was sitting in an ob
scure end of the case with Spinks, who in
sisted mi my taking supper with him. A
waiter held a delicately perfumed envelope
over my shoulder ami asked if I was Blake
Ilornady. I took the letter and held it up
to the light. Spinks glanced at the super-
1 scription and gave a nervous start. He had
recognized Miss Silvey's handwriting.
“I read the note, refolded it carefully,
as carefully replaced in the envelope and
very tenderly put: it in my pocket. ‘Look
here,’ blurted’ out Spinks, 'are you iu love
with that young lady—is she in love with
you?’ I looked at him very severely and his
gaze faltered. Then he continued: ‘You
have come between Miss Silvey and myself
ever since the first time we saw yon. It's
always you. or Blipp.’ He uttered the last
’ name like an explosive. 1 regarded him cii-
I riotisly. and. before I could make up my
; mind what to say, he left the table hurried-
■ "I walked to tile clerk's desk Io leave
I my key with him; Blipp was leaning oil ihe
' counter and greeted me pleas.-aiiiy. As 1
' pulled out my room key Miss Silvey's note
fell 10-the floor. Blipp stooped, picked it up
I and very politely handed it to me; involun
i 1.".ri1.v his eye caught: the address ami he
| gave a sf.-irl. lie recognized the handwrit
. ing. 'By the way.’ lie remarked pleasantly,
I '1 want to son you.’ \Ve went into the par
lor and he epeued fir' 1 <it cnee. ‘Hornady.’
i ii • began dt.umitieally, ‘it. was bad enough !
viih <m!;, 100 e,' -us. with only Spinks I
. i-> wor': against. But now yon have come,
i ami you've got it note from her. You talk
i with her, go walking with her. sit in the
box at tl’.e theater with her. nnd—’ ‘Blipp.’
i said I. ‘1 am your guardian angel,’ and I
I left him standing stupi'ied.
! "The troublesome note was nothing more
i nor less than an invitation from Mrs. and
] ?diss Silvey to join them in a box party;
I neitiier Spinks nor Blipp had been invited.
. \ i
Mil'
“FROM WHERE I SAT I COI’LD SEE
Matters had reached such a crisis that 1.
being a married man, could not accept this
invitation without complicating the trouble. I
“1 went straight to Miss Silvey and told I
her that as 1 left the next morning it would I
be impossilde for me to accept the very I
kind invitation. I took occasion to suggest |
to her that she might invite Mr. Percival ■
Blipp. She looked at me furtively and ask- i
<d if 1 didn't think it would be asking too |
inticlt of him. I told her that I was positive I
J that ii wouldn’t be. ‘You know,’ she said, :
‘Mr. Blipp ami ’ come from the same i
place, and he rather feels that We expect j
him to make it pleasant for mother and j
1 since we happened to come at the same
time and are stopping at the same hotel.
You see I don’t want to infringe on his good
iiaturi —for he is good-natured.’ she added.
.Something seemed to flash across her mind.
‘And Mr. Spinks,’ she asked. ‘Oh, I re
plied. ‘he is going out with me.’
“ T am so sorry you are going away
just as we are getting acquainted.’ she
said. The last thing site said to me was
i-i i-ofcrmtce to Spinks. ‘You seem to have
formed a great liking for him,’ she said.
•You and he are almost constantly tog- ih
or. 1 ;im id.id von lik<‘ biiu,
confidingly, -he is very popular in Spokane
-and has a great future, I think. And
Blipp?’ I said. She did nor hear me.
"That night I went to the theabr and
from a quiet corner, safe from observation.
1 looked down upon I’ercival Blipp seated
beside Miss Silvey, glowing with happiness.
I stumbled upon Spinks as 1 went out.
lit* glowered upon me and strode on.
“I caught an early train for Atlanta next
morning. My interest, in ties laree-cornered
Jove affair had become so great that I vas
half tempted to stay and see tin- outcome.
I heartily regretted to lose sight of the
three voting people altogether. I tnougnt
of the" hotel clerk, lie was a nice young
man and seemed to know his business,
started so tell him about the allaiy. but he
gave me a knowing wink. I know, he said.
‘Ami will you write me how it comes out.
I asked. He nodded.
“I have pictured a hundred difierent ends
to the affair. Once 1 even pictured to my
«fif the possibility of my becoming a wid
ower and marrying Miss Sllv ‘‘>- 1 'j 01 !,
saw her marrv another fellow. But th
termination that suited ine best was irm
one in which Fen oval Blipp married hit.
“My speculations were ended this morn
ing by the receipt of this letter:
“•Hotel Alpharetta. Chicago. 111., B.
Ilornmly. Dear Sir: In accordance vi h
votir request I have this to write. Mrs. Sil
ver and daughter pianl their bill yesteiday
and ha<l their trunks cheeked to Spokane
Falls. Washington. Hardly an bouraftei
w- rds F Blipp paid his bill and had his
frmik <-heck'-d for the same place.
Sninks leaves today, trunk check
ed to New York. Your obedient servant,
E. Jenkins.’”
OLD STOCKTON’S DAUGHTER.
The Romance of a Country Town and It.
Tragic Ending.
From The Chicago ews. _ ~A , „.|-
The purlieus of Squire 1 yson s littb < our
harbored many quaint ehariwt.-rs who eloj
out a precarious living by the petty legal oci.u
pnlions it afforded.
A strange ami motley crowd they looked on
one rainy evening after a day's exciting wort:
Near the glazed door, where the ligat ua
strongest, sat the squire himself, seeniingiy
inteiit upon the contents of his nttcinoon
per. but covertly watching a. figure near oy
which was partly hidden in the murky sm
roundings by the denser gloom of a huge des.-..
Suddenly the figure gave signs of life ami
the chair which had been tilted agamst tae
desk was dropped by its occupant to me door
with a loud noise. A tall man rose to os
feet from the shadows that had surrounded
him and stood undecided a moment, blinking
around the apartment with his bloodshot eje---.
It v... - Id sc.l kton "as he was call ■ I
all figures about the court the most mysmriotis
and dismal. Bis hair, wlii- ii should have beet!
while, was a dull and stingy b.aeK. I.s
cheeks were yellow and tliwhl. traversed by
deep lines that may have been caused
mental suffering, or may merely lune t>« "
tile result of too plentiful llesli. 'lhe ends
of his buttonless Prince Albert sagged in
front and terminated in :t serrated ridge ac
the bottom, suggesting,, sis did his trousers,
that a trimming with a pair of scissors wontu
not. have spoiled his appearance.
Tills frayed attire had the melancholy traces
of a. bygone dignity which adversity had not.
obliterated ami made him the butt ot many
malicious jokes in the miserable hall of jus
tice. lint they were not. picking on mtn with
their usual heartlessness tonight. Soinething
had happened to old St nekton that, challenged
the forbearance of even that group ot harden
ed veterans of the gutter.
.His name hail been, missing from the jury
panels for more than a week! The gossip
about the court had. been busy with tile fact
for some days. What did it mean? Had the
soiiire developed a. grudge against the old ju
ror? Their envious tongues did not stop to
malign the bluff old magistrate secretly, wlitle.
they held little pity for the supposed vic
"As Ihe tall form of old Stuekton shambled
towards the door Hie squire was seen to take
his hand from his vest and drop something
into the pocket of the tattered Prince Albert.
Al eyes had caught a glimpse of the bank note
ami all eyes widened with id concealed aston
ishment al this evidence of the squire's gener
osity.
As ihe door closed after the tottering form
tiie niauistraie shook his head sadly.
“Boys.” said he. addressing his <-ongrega!-l
satellites in the oratorical manner for wliieli lie
was noled. "there goes «l picture of woe ilial
is enough to bring the tears of sympathy into
anv man's ey< s. I knew thal man in his better
tlays, when he owned a suburban mansion
surround 1 d by a park that was as neatly
kept as our own dining rooms. I knew him,
gentlemen, when he was mentioned for mayor
right here in this town'."
Tiie squire paused and glared about him
to mile the effect of this startling intelli
gence. Mayor! That seedy circle of listen
ters looked into each other's eyes and stopped
breathing. In their little world of polities
the mayoralty was an iin.attainabll* glory to
which not even the squire himself dared
aspire.
“Ves, sir.” continued the squire more caim
lv, “his name was presented io a convention,
and he came near getting the nomination.
He would have got it. too, only he was im
pelled to withdraw from the race by a most
unfortunate eirenmslmice. His wife ran away
with another man. Th.at was tiie signal for
a train of such calamities as I have never
before beheld ovm-1.-ike a man in the flush
times of his prosperity. While Im was laboring
under tiie terrib!. 1 depression caused by a
broken home lie lost his property. A man
whose notes lie had endorsed went wrong -
same old story. It took every dollar that
old Stuekton bad to pay the indebtedness.
After that bis luck never returned. Ho lost,
his nerve. His intellect was undermined. His
talents left him, mid as tiie years passed
awa.v Ills friends cither died or forsook him.”
"We kin all'n us tell liard-luek stories,
squire,” sq'.aaked a thin voice in a far g
"Mebbe so. nmbbe so,” returned the squire, »
peering through the gloom. "Hut there is .1
one circumstance which renders the cast 1 of J
old Stuekton peculiarly sorrowful, file has a
daughter living.”
“So hez others, so liez others—and they had ’
lie dead,” retorted tin l stpieaky voice.
“This one is not tin l kind you mean.” re- .
plied tiie squire, quietly. “She's as religions j
as a nun, and moves in the swellest society
in this town in society that once knew her
father, but which lias forgotten him as com
pletely as she has forgotten both her parents.
He sent her away to school soon after the
beginning of his troubles, and !m kept her
there until sit, 1 had reached a cultured ami |
eempetetil. womanhood and could take care
of hers If. Yon can see her any day in the
swell drives of the suburbs in the gayest
Kensington on tiie road behind a team of
L'gli-stepjiing blacks. 1 tei! you she is right
in tiie swim, but it takes every cent she can
get from her pictures and her poems and all
her father can scrape to send her to keep her
in such style. She'll not. get any more from
him. though,” continued the speaker, grimly,
shifting his position. "He's lost his' mind.
PRICE 5 CENTS
i I can’t let any imbeciles be impaneled in
I my juries.”
At. this moment the door opened and old
I Stuekton came in. dripping with the rain.
■ ilis hat’d was inserted in the pocket into
which the squire han dropped • the money.
! An air of satisfaction and delight, overspread
I his features.
I "Squire,” said Ito, cheerfully, “could you
1 lend me an < tiveiope and a stamp? I've go 6
something to send to ”
He stopp'd and whispered.
“All out of stamps,” said the squire,
gruffly. “You'd hotter use the money for a
square meal instead of sending it to her.
I’ve been telling the boys here what a fool
I you are.”
I old Stuekton turned away with a flush on
: his yellow cheeks.
i “I’m her father.” lie mumbled, doggedly.
| As he slouched to his old position in the
• shadow of the desk, tiie clerk leaped to his
- feet witii a cry of surprise.
"There's a carriage, by jove!” lie cried.
“That makes the third wedding par-iy today,
squire.”
“S> it does,” said the squire, peering out
through the driving rain. “It. is a we lding
party, sure enough. And from the stylo of
that coupe they must be runaway swells.”
The driver threw the carriage door open
at this point and a pair of muffled figure*
carne across the drenched sidewalk and into
the dingy little courtroom with a rush.
“My, how it rains,” replied a feminine
voice from the folds of a mackintosh.
“Well, I should say," replied a deeper voice
from the depths of the other. "Sipiire, we
would like to get married as quickly as possi
ble.”
"I thought so.” muttered the squire beneath
his breath. “Turn up the lights, there! Hats
off!”
In an incredibly short time the white-haire-1
squire was standing in front, of the couple
with an open book before him. As he raised
iiis eyes and took bis first look at the bride,
he staggered and nearly fell. He turned to
look for old Stuekton, but he, too. had recog.
nized his daughter and. in responseMo a terri
ble look from inn 1 , had slunk away. He was
now outside in tiie rain, peering fearfully in
at the interrupted ceremony.
Squire Tyson’s theory was correct. It was
a runaway match. The heir of ibe Gordon
millions would never have taken Flora Stack
ton to a miserable magistrate's office in a
side street to lie married had the attachment
received tiie sanction of Ills family.
The fact tlia.t his daughter had captured
a millionaire was quite enough for oh] Stm-k
--ton. He stood there in the rain, breathlessly
waiting for her to come out with her r'.eti
husband, twisting bis lingers and vibrating
from iiis heart to his extremities with the
excitement of nervous suspense.
At last the squire had spoken Hie final
words and turned away from the pair with
out kissing Hie bride, in l who hoisted of
having kissed -100 of them in that dismal little
room! I‘erhaps neither of the eonpic noticed
the omission, which the squire intended to
be quite crushing; in fact, they left the court
with evident, signs of relief in th dr manner,
huddled into their carri.ige and drove away
at a break-neek pace, followed by the swim
ming gaz“ of a shabby old man, who stood
on the curb in the rain.
« » * * *
b’or a long time old Stuekton stood thus and
then slunk away, reeling like a. man in a
state of intoxication. She had seen him. hue
she had refused to reeognize him. His damxh
tor. who was now wealthy ami powerful, had
disdained him! In his g.irret-room soon aft-T
h ■ had sunk noon liis cot ami bnrr'oil his rain
splashed face in his talon-like hands In that
position they found him two days later—dead.
nog
I not
?aees 152400 SALARY PER ANNUM,
Ililin.- M A smart wi.le-ftwakc traveling salesman m tinted sell jew- |
nviflo ■ elrv t<> the trade at factory prices. Salary puhi monthly. ■
in.itit. ■ Address Seervtarv, I’. 0. Box 1196. Nev/ York |
never
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THE CHiLBREN’S DELiGHT. - The
The “Brownie” Childs’ Set.
30 " Brownies ” or Fairies, made so well-known
<■' Mis- to *^ e children of America by the celcbrarc.l artist,
rthern Palmer Cox, have been represented in a very hand
)7 'inil some silver-plated childs’ set which will tn kle the
» l ist • little ones every time they come to the table. By
. t tip special arrangement with the manufacturers we
’.7. •-t are ena bl e d to deliver this in a neat box to our sub-
Iganist SC ribers bymail for the low price of 65 cents,
iktngs, Between now and Christinas v’.e would likg to
send one to every subscribers’ family. The dc
‘ been mand on the manufacturers will be very large near
ng the Christmas time, and prompt buyers will stand a
Igidnst very much better chance of getting one. The
,827. design is patented.
' s . e .'.p'] Sent by guaranteed mail for 65 cents tn Postal Note
tr tind or Money Order.
, have Address
gs of THE CONSTITUTION,
a thus Atlanta, Ga.
Stub Ends of Tiiought.
From The Detroit Free Press.
Hope and energy and sunshine never thrive
on a torpid liver.
No woman ever grunted her way to glory.
A half-dozen hearty laughs are equal to a
meal of victuals.
The man who gives .much to the poor
doesn't leave nm- 'i :or tiii n.'s to steal.
A fat pocketbook is a great totde.
Sugar-coated lies are easily swallowed.
.X good dinner is a benedietioti.
Mighty few people go to heaven on an empty
stomach.
We love the homely flower that tills the air
with fragrance.
What does a woman care for augel witig»
when she has a new silk gowtxi