The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-01-16

] WhOlC obOly y IL Hdu llhll6uCe 10 wall
for it but Hal Brainard was not one
to be hurried.
"I do not know that / Llame her.
he said, at last. "The truth is, Grey,
Thyzra and 1 are too unlike. / am
no mate for her. She is gay, bright
and airy; full of sudden sparkles and
flashes, that dazzle and bewltch me
out of my senses. But I cannot fol-
low her. l cannot keep pace with heI
flights. L cannot half comprehend
her. There is something in her life
which my life cannot grasp. And
then she looks at me with a vague.
reprcaehful wonder in her eyes, which
is too much for my philosophy. She
is a skylark, and I a clOd.U
"But admitting your comparison for
a moment" / said, "skylarks build
their nests upon the solid ground.
Did II never occur to you that your
hardy, rugged strength might be
more to Tbyrza Harrington than all
the brilliant parts, all the merely aes-
thetic cultivation, In the world =? Be-
sides, there Is certain sort of knowl-
edge-whether it comes by intuition
or otherwise, that women gain earlier
than men,"
Hal shook his head
"All very well I'm the abstract" he
remarked, "but, you see, it does not
touch this case. What is a man TO
DO when he sees that the woman who
has promised to marry him feels de-
| ficiencies in him, and when he knows
that his failure to meet the wants of
her nature, and to give full sympa-
thetic recognition to what she regards
as best and highest in herself, is 1
constant trouble to her ? Tell me
| that.n
was silent, trying to thing what /
should say-what 1t was best to say.
Presently, his hand fell heavily upon
my knee.
"Tell me one thing more" he adj
ded, in low, intense voice. "W hat
is one to do when he believes, ev en- if
he does not know of surety, that
there is man IN the wOrld-in her
world, tOO-whO could be to the wo-
man he loves all that he has failed TO
be? What should he do in such a
case 90
"Halr'
~ believe just that, Grey. have
believed 1t for six months. Pleasant
state of things, isn't it?"
"NOw that you have said that
much, you musl say more" / ans
wered. "What do you mean by these
strange words ?p
"Have you seen Fayette Black.
mann since he came back from Held
elburg?"
"Never Haven't had a glimpse of
him.
"That is because you were away so
much for months before we enlisted.
He was in Hilltop half the time"
''He used to be gOod-enough sort
OF fellow before he went abroad |
said; "I hope they have not spoiled
him over there. But it Is not hs Won
are talking about?"
at is, though, he answered, his
face darkening. "But / tell you what
/ it Is, Gray. 1 will not do the man In
I Justice. He is just the one to charm
the fancy of girl like ThYrza. He
/ Is all that / am nOt-alI that she
| wishes l was. He Is interested I'm all
the things that interest her-in poe
/ try, music, and every thing that L am
such dOlt about. He can lead her
where I only follow her afar off: and
with all his careless grace of manner,
his easy flow of talk, I feel like a great
clumsy idiot beside him."
"Fayette Blackmann may be AdOn-
is and Apollo and Mercury all in one,
for sught I know" I replied; az will
not dispute you. But it does not fol-
low that you have any occasion for
jealousy"
My words stung him, and he sprang
up from the log on which he was sit
ting.
Jealousy % he cried. "Am l jeal-
Gus? DO you look at it i'm that way
Jealous %
',But what else is it:'' | asked.
''LoOk here Hal. Do You thing that
because a woman is engaged-or mar
ried, even-she must become at once
blind and deaf? / can understand
how cultivated woman may enjoy
the society of cultivated man, and
yet not have the slightest idea Of fall
ing in love wit h him."
spoke with some heat, for I had
always liked ThyrZa Harrington.
He turned white as a sheet.
"YOu do not comprehend, he said,
with certain quiet dignity. az am
casting no aspersions upon Thyrza.
1t is not easy for a man to say what
I have said tonight; and you may
have misunderstood the words Wrung
from me by pride and passion. I do
not think she is even aware how this
man has come in between her and
me. But see II; and what am 1 to
do about It? Am to sit still, like
craven, and let her drift helplessly in
to my arms, when I believe she would
be happier in the arms of another
What am to DO about it, Grey?"
"For Gods sake, do nothing rash ~
1 exclaimed, drawing him out into
the road, where the few remaining
rays Of daylight fell upon his face. 81
do believe you are mistaken, Hal
For Gods sake, and for your own
souls sake, do nothing rash :"
81 will not act hastily; and / will
try TO do what seems to be right" he
said, putting his arm over my should
er. "But Life plays at cross purposes
with US, from first to last"
He stood for q moment looking off
into the west, where the camp-fires
Of the Grand Army stretched away
for miles and miles, tYinkling like
stars In the distance. Near by, our
own white tents looked ghostlike In
the gathering darkness. Occasional
~ a roll of the drums sounded like
far-Off thunder, or a buglenOte shot
upward through the stiffness. Hal.
turned toward me, smiling sadly.
at is Just as said, Gray. If some
stray bullet would clear up this mud
die it would be lucky thing; but the
little devils never find out those who
would welcome them, and Hal Brain
ard Is the safest man in this regi-
ment."
There was g little battle the next
day. Poor Jack we left his sunny,
boyish curls behind us on the bloody
field. l had ball through my right
shoulder; but as for Hal, he walked
in the fiery furnace without so much
as the smell of fire upon his garments.
1t would be weeks-months, per-
haps-befOre 1 could use nv arm; and
in the hot, sweltering hospital 1 long
ed, with an unspeakable bOnging, for
the fresh breezes blowing cool from
our mountain peaks; 80 they sent me
home.
The fatigue of the Journey brought
on a low, nervous fever. Thyrza came
/ often to see me. She was very quiet
and subdued in manner, with q deep
er TOmanliness about her that SEEM
ed to have been gained at the expense
of somewhat Of the old glow and
sparkle; but l thought her lOvelier
Ithan ever, with her soft, grey eyes,