The Osceola times., 1885-01-10
FOR HIMSELF ALONE.
An Inters,ting Tale Of Reversed Identities.
BY T. W. SPEIGIiT.
CHAPTER |.

n The -OCn was NV s'S""u-""oi -o'' n
,f certa \ house in a certain shabby
sentcel street in the purieus of Soho,
& ondon. Ii was good-sized room, and
IaJ two windows, the outlook from
which was not very lively one, being
limited to the back premises of sundry
cther houses, which, as a rule, formed
,hc playground of innumerable chill
.Ir,n during the day, and the trysting-
nlace of innumcrablc cats during the
Small hours of the night. On fine days
yistas of drying linen might be dis
cerned iluttering far into the murky
| distance.
The furniture Of the room was worn
| and shabby with age and much hard
wear. The faded carpet was darned in
| many places and patched in others with
pieccs fleact from itself; the hearth
| rue was worn lhrcadbarc with the usage
of many years the glass over the Chin
ney-pece was cracked, and its once gilt
frame was blackened cith age. There
/ was a horse-hair SOFA between the win
dows, to sit on which was like sitting on
n plank; and there were several cane
| bottomcd chairs, most of which were
Ire ,rc or less rickciy ond insecure. The
Ewo comfortable easy-chairs, one on
| each side of the fireplace, belonged to
the present tenants of the room, as did
also the wiiting-dcsk that stood oppo-
site one of the windows, and the easel
that was fixed near the other. There
were several hanging shelves laden with
books, and ma ines and newspapers
were strcwn carelessly about. On the
walls were several sketches in water
colors, and some half-dolcn caricatures
in chalks. Finally. the room had three
doors. two of them opening into bed
rooms, and the third giving access TO
the common staircase of the house.
The time was seven y. M. on n pleas
ant evening in May. On the hOrsc-hair
sofa was stretched at full length a young
man of some five or six and twenty
years, on whose features the traces of
recent illness were plainly visible A
magazine had dropped Idly from his
fingers, and he now lay perfectly still,
watching CLINT OF dying sunlight a it
slowly mounted higher and higher on
the opposite wall. His face. without
being markedly handsome. was a pleas
ant one to look upon. Its expression
was one that seemed 10 mingle refine
ment of thought with decision of char
acter His eyes were particularly good
dark, gave, reflective, yet with II
playful CLEAN in them at times which
seemed TO show that he had not left his
youth so far behind him as not To be
able to enjoy little fun or nonsense in
due season. His complexion was olive,
and his hair black and from top to toe
he measured six feet and little over.
BY profession he was n writer for sundry
newspapers and magazines, q sort of
guerrilla trooper attached 10 no staif or
k.lerp> in particular. His name was
|@frank Frobsher.
Before the CLEAN of sunlight had quite
faded from the wall. the noise Of foot
steps ascending the stairs was heard. ac-
compared by the sound Of mellow
voice caroling forth the refrain of the
last popular song. Then the door of
the room was opened, and The new-com-
er halted for moment on the threshold.
what bear ] must be-" he cx-
claimed. For the moment, had for
gotten that you might be snoolng.
Have | disturbed you?"
"A good thing if you had. seem to
have been snoozing my brains away OF
late"
"llow do you feel by this timeP"
asked the other. rs he came forward
and shut the door.
"Oh, better--better, was the an
swcr, given little qucrulously. "The
doctor saws ! am better, so | suppose |
must be-"
The newcomer, Dick Drummond,
was tall, lanky, freckled young man,
about the same age as his friend, or il
may he year or two older. He had
dark-bluc eyes, that seemed made to
express fun and mischief rather than
any deeper shades of feeling, but which
yet could be tender enough on occasion
His long Struggling red hair looked
as II the tonsoral scissors would i'm
&proye its appearance. lie wore n
fslcuchod bat, and n brown velveteen
packet that had evidently seen better
plays. lie was an unrccognized genius
ln the great world of Art, n painter who
kpalntcd more pictures than he could
Ssell lie and Frobishcr were bosom
Friends, and shared the sccond-hoor-
back between them.
what have you therc?r asked Fro
bishcr, noticing that his friend was
laden with sundry parcels and pack
5ngcs.
''ltem-one half-quartern loaf; and
psn't it bcauty?" answered Drummond
folemnly, as he proceeded to place his
packages one by one on the table.
Look at u a, crust; there's perfection
ioIm and color Item-half pound
prime Dorset, as sweet as u daisy.
'em-four ounces of the best mixed
"a i like y wholesome dish of tea
" johnson. Item two bloatcrs, gen
eihe armouth, and no mistake. Item
ore ounce of kansster for your espec-
~ oehoof Your pipe has been idle too
ong' old fellow. ltcm--onc bottle of
prime old crusted port, to be taken me-
tlicinally as often as need be-"
Il But how on earth did you raise the
m1ney to buy all these luxuries?"
s"shed Frank, little anxiously.
'old Smoker stood me a flyer for my
Andromeda.' sTra-la-lala." He had
burned to the cupboard by this time,
anu was emptying the packet of tea in
TO the little caddy.
"Dick, the truth is not in thee" an.
|swered Frobisher, after pause.
There's postcard from Smoker on
|'ne chlmney-piecc. He declines to
price,
More IDIOT he" answered the un-
hpashed Dick. "lIe doesn't know n
WORK OF genius when he sees il. Those
wretched dealers never do. Mark my
words, that picture will sell for thou