The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-10-02
SELECT STORY.
NO HERO AFTER ALL.


cd of shutting off the mortal col" !"
Tom answered, laying his unlighted Sc
gar on the railing beside him.
"Have matters reached such desper-
ate condition with you?" laughed his
companion 81 should never have sus-
.pected it."
ait is my hero, not myself, who is to
be sent out of the world" was the reply.
"Can not you give me hint? Poison,
consumption, precipices, shipwreck, run
away horses. BAH l have made use of
them all till they have grown weari-
somely common. / am tempted to ad-
vertise for a novel way of ridding my
self or other people of life-even at the
risk of bringing whole host of detect
ives down upon me-"
"Why not let the poor myth liver
questioned Helen, smiling at the comic
al expression of despair on the perplex-
ed authors face.
"Impossiblev' replied Tom. "The
lost heir has turned up, and is all ready
to marry Lady Gwendoline, and so this
hero-assistant hero, rather, is in the
way, and must be removed, even if l
have to do it in a commonplace fashion.
You do not know what benevolent per-
son l am, Miss Helen, nor how much l
have done for the happiness of my kind
since first commenced scribbling. AT
the lowest estimate / have hunted out
and returned to their sorrowing parents
fully three dozen heirs and heiresses-
with and without strawberry marks and
tattooed anchors on their arms. If 1t
were not for the base ingratitude of hu-
manity, my statue, arrayed in monde
script costume, and executed in the
worst style of American art, would now
adorn Central Park or Union Square
] would like to be a lost heir myself" he
went on, musingly, "only to be one it is
necessary to have liquid blue eyes and
golden hair and snowy brow; or raven
locks and fathomless dark orbs and
classic features, and not one of these at
fractions did unkind nature see fit to be-
stow upon me. I am homely-not even
picturesquely homely, at that-do you
know it, Miss Helen?'
"Since you have made the assertion, l
cannot be impolite enough to contradict
it," she replied, gathering some of the
crimson leaves from the Virginia creep
er and putting them into her belt as she
spoke.
"Give them to me, please" said Tom,
stretching out his hand.
She shook her head, and pointed to
the vine.
"For a memento of this evening"" he
pleaded in tone which was far from
sentimental.
allow many such mementoes have you
already" questioned she, still keeping
the leaves.
"A dead rose-some other plant, which
now looks and smells decidedly hayey-
glove, spotted with lemonade and of
no possible use to its rightful owner-a
slipper rosette, big and ugly as a mush-
room, and a piece of pink ribbon much
creased, which may, perhaps, have be-
longed to Miss Halsted instead of you,
enumerated Tom. "That is all, I assure
you"
'FWhat are you going to do with them?
Helen demanded, much inclined to
lsugh.
"Keep them to sigh over winter eve
nings when the fire gets low and my Sc
gar is smoked out" Tom answered.
Gone must have help to misery as well
as to happiness"
"If that be so, here are the leaves,
laying them in his hand. "May they
contribute their small share toward ma
king you wretched, since it is for tina
you desire them"
"a thousand thanks" he exclaimed
putting the coveted possession into hi
pocket-book, where the dead rose al
ready reposed.
"Where are your other collections?
asked Helen. "I presume you hav'
made quite a number within the past tel
years."
"To tell the truth" replied he, 1"
burned them after pilfering your glove
did not wish to get the trifes mike,
and so misplace my regrets, you see."
Helen bit her lip at the straightfor
ward avowal. care you always so frank
Mr.. Ford?"
"Never," he answered, "except whe
craftiness cannot avail me anything.
diplomacy could make you adore me a
as 1 adore you, should be full
hedged Machiavelli instantly; but
could not?" with quick, furtive g lane
at her face.
"No," she said, slowly, and coloring
little.
81 knew it," said Tom, checking
sigh. "Well, 1 must content myse
with the dead flowers and crumpled rit
bons which you have worn. A ma
more deserving than I might receiv
even less" A philosophic remark b
no means in keeping with the speaker
gloomy and perturbed countenance ;
that moment. A long silence, broken {
last by Tom. at is almost three month
since we met, Miss Helen. Do you RI
member my coming up the walk an
finding you hulling strawberries wit
one of Rachel's check aprons on? Ho
sweet those strawberries were"
"Almost three MONTHS" echoed Hele
"and-I am going home next week."
Tom started and then scowled, br
said nothing.
elbow glad am that we are to be
the same city next winter" she went {
presently. "We can meet often, al
Clara, who is a literary person, will lio
ize you"
"We shall neUer meet" he replied Wi
most ungracious curtness.
"Why?" she asked, in slightly hu
tone.
G(no won oaad 70 asL xubu0O ha raioi