Mohave County miner., 1890-04-26
AARON PENCILS RUSE.

AAhUN ZEN n Ell > kUSE.
"lf IN all bur lives you need moi
there shoIld ever be anything that l
can do for you'll swear to do IT," said
Juliy.n Hicks. "You can ask me moth
ing which, at any personal sacrifice, I
win not endeavor to accomplish. I
mean that when say II. beg Of you
TO remember it. You are rich--I am
poor. You are Somebody am no
body. But the time may come when
the promise is worth something. and,
on the honor of . gentleman, I will
keep it."
An hour before this speech was made,
Aaron Pennel had saved JulAa Hicks
sister from watery grave and brought
her safe In his strong arms to the very
spot upon the beach Of Northtown
where the two ynen now stood together.
And Ada Hicks was in very truth 3
pearl of great price to her brother
Juliap-the only one Of his near kin
still living. younger than himself by ten
good years, and from her birth q pet
and playthiug. So he made this vow
to the man beside him, hitherto mere
acquaintance.i in the fulness Of his graft
tude 30 one who had done all that one
cosld do for another
There were never two men 50 utterly
unlike as Julian Hicks and Aaron Pen-
mel. Tho first. hard-working profes.
sional man. who had struggled for such
little success as Fate had melted ont 10
him, unaided save BY his own hands
and brain; mot handsome. not snowy;
his greatest charm certain gentle
sweetness. peculiarly manifested to
women. The other. man who had
had Fortune to his friend from his
birth; who neither toiled nor spun who
was very handsome, very elegant, very
charming. man Of society, and one
with whom fine women might easily
fall in lore.
But from that day they were friends,
not only as the world goes. but in very
truth. And 50 it came to pass that
walking one day. arm in arm (after
their return from the seaside to town.
they met Amy Atkins. that Aaron in
troduced her to Julian. and that, few
evenings afterwards, Aaron took Julian
70 call upon her.
She was an heiress. She was beauti-
full. or had the name of being 30. Her
eyes were black and velvety; her hair,
natures own bright gold. All the
enamel in the chemists shops could not
make complexion like hers. But that
tells You nothing about the woman
the frank sweet. sparkling, womanly
woman with whom Julian fell in love
before he had known her q month,
though it seemed TO him that he must
in some mysterious way have known
her ever since he began to guess what
love was, since she did not seem 30
much like new friend as like one long
loved and hoped for.
Wrapt up In his profession az an
architect, engrossed by struggles for
bread and butter, which, while they
seldom prevent q man from doing great
things always unfit him for society,
Julian had known few women OF Miss
Atkins position. He had no expert
ence by which to guide himself, or by
which to measure his own feelings.
For while he did not suspect he was
in love, and SO was drawn nearer and
nearer to the whirlpool. until. when the
truth at last dawned upon him, there
was no retreat. He whose means were
insufficient for any thought of matri-
mony, had lost his heart to the heiress.
He who, in his alteration Of human
beauty. had sometimes almost hated
himself for being so very plain. loved
and worshipped the loveliest woman
the sun shone on!
1t was out Of the question that she
should like him 1t was impossible for
him now TO cease to love her.-to be
happy without her-to leave her and
see her no more. As the moth, which
huttered about fame until its wings
are singed, is still tempted to its doom,
20 he felt he must linger near the
woman who had his heart in her keep
ing. That she could care for him MEIER
entered his mind; that she did, would
have been an absurdity too preposter-
Gus to dream of. But it was true,
nevertheless. Amy Atkins. though too
bright not to keep the fact secret, had
grown fonder of Julian Hicks than she
had thought that she could be of any
man.
So DOW the play began In earnest-s
drama oftener acted than most people
guess. Two hearts afire. while one would
think. from look and speech and man.
ner, that they were ice to each other
love guarding itself with a shield Of
calm good breeding!
Amy said, IF he care ever so little
for me will make very sure that he
does not perceive ! care one whit for
him.
Julian said, "She shall never laugh
ut me. though she does not love me.
She shall respect me and never guess
her power. whatever pain / may have
to bear"
And so they met and parted, day
after day, and no one fancied that any
thing troubled the heiress but Aaron
Pennel; and only two-the same Aaron
Pennel and Julian's sister-saw how
pale Julian grew-how sad his sweet
mouth came to be--how at times hope
less look was in his eyes. Poor Ada!
who in her terror asked Aaron Pennel
one day IL he thought that her brother
Julian was i'll.
He is 80 unlike himself" she said,
with tears in her blue eyes. HE PAGES
the floor Of his room at night; he signs
bitterly; he works as hard as ever. but
he does not care to play at all. / am
frightened. Mr.. Pennel."
And Aaron had said: Il think that
your brother can not be very i'll, Miss
Ada; and il anything troubles him. that
the time must come very soon when
that trouble will pass away and be
changed for happiness"
"But do you know Of anything that