Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-25
when he might have consented"-


"To whatT' Tom sat bolt upright on
the bed, resting ON his hands, behind
him. A strange, fitful contraction swept
over his face, followed by very grin of
agony. was merciless.
"To your union with his daughter"
said sternly
My words struck him like bullet. He
clenched his teeth until the cigar drop
ped in two from them; his face grew
crimson, its muscles twitched convul-
sively and his chest heaved with des-
perate struggle for breath. Then, with
gasping sob, he buried his face in the
pillow, while his whole frame shook and
trembled like an aspen.
was panied, shocked. The sight of
"the tears of bearded men" is always
touching beyond expression, and besides
| was at a loss to account for the great
violence of his sudden emotion.
l became more puzzled as looked, for
he still sobbed and shook with the weak
ness of child.
walked up and down the room and
tried to think more calmly. A fter all
had no real claim on Miss Bette. She
had refused me once and never allowed
me to address her again; l could not but
confess that. True, she had let me think
there was hope, but what woman is
strong enough to refuse to sniff the in
cense burnt upon the altar of her vanity:
Then Tom, too, was an old and tried
friend. Poor fellow! how he shook and
groaned in his great agony! and if vici.
GUS firt had cruelty played upon my feel.
ings through him, why should let that
react upon his head?
No! | would be Roman! a very
Pythias! would crush down my own
feelings into my heart; would brave the
mayors anger; would die of smothered
rage, but her feline triumph should be
cheated of its prey.
Yes, would do as she had planned for
me. l would see her wed another, would
give her away at the altar, and not one
of the thousand torments that were rend-
ing me should give her the expected
pleasure of its evidence.
Twice Tom had raised his head and
moved his lips in fruitless essay to
speak; twice torrent of mixed passions
had swept over him:
Aud then moment o'er his face
A tablet of unutterable thought traced
And then
he buried it in the pillow again! There
was something in his eyes that made me
shudder with a shapeless, underlined
dread that his reason might give way.
Now he lay quiet. He had ceased to
sob, but his face was still buried in the
pillow, while ever and again quick,
hysteric shudder ran through him.
i laid my hand kindly on his shoulder
''Tom, old fellow, was hasty,"
He slipped away from my touch like a
hurt child, and again the shudder, long
er and more marked than before, thrilled
through him.
respected his feelings too much to
look upon his suffering; | blew out the
candle.
"My dear old boyr' he muttered hoarse-
ly. The voice was still much broken,
with hysteric catch init. l only pressed
his hand for answer, but / felt the bed
shake under me with the effort he made
to control himself 1t was u mighty one
Then he spoke again.
eve have been friends for years." h
said. "You know me for man of honor,
and l pledge You that honor my-my
uncle will be fully and entirely satisfied
when-when he elearns-that-tha Ihave
married his daughter!"
Once more his feelings overcame him;
once more he crushed his face into the
pillow while the gust of passion rent and
shook him.
was more mystifed than ever
Was he deceiving me? No, he was a
man of honor; he would never stoop to
that. But, then, why this terrible emo
ton he could not control?
A startling thought leaped into my
brain. Great heavens! was Tom drunk?
Had he gotten liquor from Bosley, the
hostler? No, that was too absurd.
1 gave it up; was dead beat.
Still wondering, threw myself ready
dressed upon the bed. Tom lay quiet
now, but intended to watch him by
the fitful freight, lest his intense excite
ment should make him really ill.
But the narcotic administered by the
ancient spinster, added to my unwonted
exertions behind those demon horses in
the frosty air, were too much for me-
slept profoundly.