Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-09-13
CHAPTER XIV.
AKnuRsr ANp rALETro.

OAhHOhoI AND fAIEIlO.
Oakhurst pursued his search for Agnes
with all the ardor of his nature. One glimpse
only he had Of her-at a clothing store, where
he inquired; the clerk seemed to recognize
the description given, and was quite sure
that such a girl had taken out work, but he
believed she was now employed by another
establishment. 1t was something to know
that she was in the city, and, probably, not
destitute; still better TO know what path Of
life she had chosen, so that his time need not
be wasted in f~ruitless inquiries. On his re-
turn, after the second days search, he sought
his friend Palette, whose counsel and SYM
pathy he particularly desired.
"Any tidings of the fugitive!' was the first
question.
NO." replied Oakhurst. nothing s~atisfac-
tory. / have heard of her once: but it was
like a trail in the woods, which the hunter
comes upon, then loses utterly"
"But the hunter who measures a track once
will be likely to find it again"
eyes, l have that consolation. But, Pallet
TO, though this mishap of losing Alice has
cost me many sleepless nights, and will con
tinue to engross my time until / find her, /
cannot rid myself of other troubles and APP
prehensions. / have done nothing for a long
time. have no orders; and, as / have no
fortune to fall back upon, | see nothing but
starvation before me.
"Then, my dear fellow, look the other way.
It isn't wise to distress yourself by looking
ahead, so long as you nave the chance Of
turning round"
Il feel lonely, too-isolated. People that /
meet are civil enough; but don't know a
man, except in my profession, that ! can
consider a friend"
Very likely. Caste isn't confined to In
dia.n
II had supposed that intellect and culture
were enough to secure for a man a recog-
milton in good society but / am made to
feel, a hundred times a day, that l have no
more status than a clever colored man: an
itiuerant actor, or any other anomaly. To-
day ! met johnson; you know he comes here
and makes himself free and easy with us, and
has always put himself on a footing of
equality"
"Wherein you made a mistake. He has no
right, but by courtesy, to any equality. A
little taste, perhaps, and money enough to
crafty it-thats all. He never had an idea
in his life"
"That is the reason | felt the slight. He
was walking with a lady whose manner and
dress were unmistaka ble-a lady of un-
doubted position. / bowed, and received in
return one of those hardly-perceptible mods,
with a forced smile that covered only the
side of his face from the lady. It was a rec
o~gnition that one might throw to his boot
black. | am a mild hammered man, as YOU
know; but / could have murdered him on the
spot"
Oakhurst walked the floor with flashing
eyes and his teeth set.
eNow, l like the spirit, y said Palette, "but,
pray, be sensible. Where Macdonald sits,
there is the head Of the table Stand firm in
your own shoes, and graduate your bows by
those you get"
Il suppose l am thin-skinned."
"As long as you are, You will chafe. Guilt
vate a hide like a rhinoceros', and So
ciety will let fly its pin pointed arrows in
vain. You have a great deal to learn, my
dear boy"
"But other special classes are not so treated
literary men, for instance"
eDon't be too sure OF that. An author who
has attained position is feted, because the
fashionable circses must have their lions.
But TO stand permanently like other men, he
must have money or family, or else obey the
worlds ten commandments, of WHICH the
first is, Thou shalt not wear a s'ouched
hat,'-and the rest are like unto it. No,-the
literary men have their heart-burnings, !
suspect. They forget, as you do, that their
very profession, the direction of their
thoughts, their mode of life,c cut them off from
sympathy and fellowship. What has a
writer who dreams of r~ivalling Emerson or
Dickens to do with costly aud absorb
ing private theatricals, with suppers at Del
monico's, with any Of the thousand modes Of
killing time a%greeablyl And how shall you
become the new Claud, if you give your
thoughts to the style of your clothes, and 10
the i~nanities that make up the staple Of con
versationf'
HBut because l am precluded from devot
ing my tins to society, that is no reason why
| should bear the p%atronizing airs"
"Don't be potronized-thats all. II a man
gives you such a look as yOu have described.
cut him dead the next lime you meet him.
If anybody gives you two fingers to shake,
give him only one OF yours. l tried that plan
on a doctor Of divinity once, and it worked
admirably. lis intended condestemsion
somehow vanished in a mist, aud the foolish
confusion that overspread his blank features
would have done you good TO behold
II have No doubt / don't think it would
be easy to be impertinent TO you. Not that
there are not presuming people enough; but
you have a way with you. Your blade that
cuts off a bayoneta at a blow will glide through