The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-12-17
0 AND LUCK.
A Story Showing How the Former
Won.

"Confound TIP said Tom, putting resign
edly at his cigar; sfrom our very birth
Bingham and I were always pitted against
each other, and he always won all the
points. Twas always good for everything
epidemic that was going, and always whin-
Ing in the contagious stage of something or
other, and my Aunt Slap Derrick, who has
got the diamonds, hated me. From four
teen to twenty l was a sloven, n a bear
besidesl Now ] hay brains n suppose a
fellow may do Justice to himself,) but no
tongue power; muscle, but q low stature;
an ugly phiz, n no small-talk. A likely
portrait to win q woman's favor, whether
my Aunt Slap Derrick's or MolIie Miller'si
And Bingham was always what you see
him. You and I know that he is a coward,
epd / should not like to say. what besides,
And his inevitable luck would make a man
beli6ye In fate. Tit very weatheris in a con-
spirafy with him. The most scowling day
brightens for him, and the fairest morning
isslrest to turn to drizzle with me-. It was
atways sol And I say let him take all the
cards and end it, tossing his cigar into the
crate as If to light the sacrifice.
Dayton, Toms friend, listened, smiling.
He was tolerably well used to such conf
dences. Besides, though Tom used the lam
guage Of defeat, there was a spark of battle
In his eye. He was not the man to hang on
his aunt's lips for the Slap Derrick diamonds,
though he was ready enough to admit that
they were good things in their way. He
was the man to make a stand for a girl like
Mollie Miller. Just as in words hs an
nounce his defeat a new resolve was kind
ling within him. And Dayton, who loved
Tom, and had something of a woman's
INSTINCT was quick to seize the propitious
why not try pluck against luckan he
asked, reading Toms look.
.By. Jove, I willie answered Tom.
AT the time of this conversation all the
Rotherhithe House. Tom, his Aunt Slap
Derrick, his cousin Bingham, DAYTON and
the Miller party, INT the position of these
hnmanpawns just then was such that Toms
II VIII" needed to be potent. It was fair
understood, would succeed to the Slap Der
rick diamonds. For him thorny aunts and
hrapbly parents discreetly stepped aside.
But Tom was another pair of sleeves,
thorzas Mrs. Miller; while Mollie herself
Thought nothing about it. It was her busi-
ness to make pretty toilets, and gentlemen
might secure her smiles If they could. And
Tor the rest, she was not in Low with Bing-
ham-yet-though to be very honest, she
expected to be; and why not with a man
who was w-ellmennered and w~ell-lookingg-
Nobody said to her: 'My dear, you had
better marry the Slap Derrick diamonds.n
but Mollie knew the family mind on the
subject, and was not averse, only as yet she
ae.s quite e liberty to speculate, as she
to do, on Tom Du Cnur's remarkable ewes,
and why ON of his glances should make her
blush. No help here for poor Tom, you see,
who had not even conceit to back him, and
certainly none from his Aunt Slap Derrick,
who could never forgive him his low stat
m snubbing him. Nothing but cool
audacfty-or call it pluck, if you like
with which to fight his cousins
Derrick diamonds, worth, as we Ill know,
good looks and courage both together.
With all these things in his Tom came
on In the most encouraging manne He
or one OF MOlie's maiden aunts on his arm.
And it was his business to look after the
picnic baskets, and the carriages, and the
gypsy fires, and SO on, while Bingham kept
the ladies in small talk. Or if he went up
TO talk with Mollie, he met Mrs. Miller half
way. who said: 40, Mr.. Du Occur, could
you do me q favor! Ihave left nv shawl
Tor eye-glass, or book, as the case might bel
IN the summer-house, and / am afraid of the
dew IN my slippers" The shawl, or ave-
glass, or book is upstairs, in Mrs. Milleris
third bureau drawer, as she knows, and
Tom knows; but he goes, for all that, with
that cool patience that is apt to tell in the
long run, though, and he gets back in time
to see Mollie going off on Bingham's arm.
Dayton, who knew TOMS worth greater,
he thought, than the Slap Derrick diamonds,
was bitter enough over these tidiamond
worshippers," as he called them. But Tom
only smiled.
81 put my head down and AXE it, be
said land, If you notice, it is those people
who do that who win in the end. I am quite
at ease aboutmy success, OF should be, were
1t not for my feelings. Properly to manage
a love affair, a man should not be in love
with the lady. That is one of the first rules
of art. Now l amin love, 1 mean-and l
can't obey the rules of art; and my con-
founded feelings trip me. 1 get jealous and
sulk, and all that sort of thing; though l
know all the time that it is a mistake to
sulk when nobody cares about it. wish 1
were as sure that my luck would not spoil
all as that l shall succeed. Laugh if you
like, but l believe in presentiments. 1 shall
win. l have that in me that will buy the
triumph; but as the prize is in my hand my
luck will cross me again, and shall lose it,"
"Nonsense ~ said Dayton. 'Stuffi"
VERY good. Wait and see," said Tom;
and in the same breath, "Why, what is Miss
Miller ebout?'
That morning the entire party at Rother-
hithe had embarked for an excursion to a
neighb0ring town. Tom determined to
throw up his office of shawl-bearer, had
walked to the forward car, where he stood
hsps something beside the shawls was at
the bottom of this move. Bingham walked
with Mo1lie, who looked as fresh as the
rose in her little hat, and blushed as pref
tily. Blu then it was not a pleasant sight
for Tom, and he went on III a rage, leaving
Aunt Slap Derrick and her bundles to
Bingham, also. Mrs. Slap Derrick was not
the woman to bate one jot of her claims
for the prettiest girl in the world. Bingham
was fully occupied with her; and mean
time Mollie found that she had left her bag
n the waiting-room, and sprang out to
fetch il.
How in An instant, from careless ease and
iscuyttZ, we somettmes find ourselves hang.
IRE egSwseh life ard death Mollie dfd