DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-09-11

| and head, but the mind that went with
1t was left behind. Still every ono
judged him by his appearance and after
awhile he didn't seem to resent it or
| even try to make himself known as he
really is"
And what's the feeling that makes
him play he's fool?"
''He doesn't You do lust what
every one else does-judge only by his
appearance. He is less of fool than
any one ever saw. l told you he came
near being genius. If his talents had
been moro concentrated, he would have
been genius But they're too spread
out for absolute success in any depart
ment. He can do any thing he wants.
Once, when we came home from college
together, l went to his house with him
while he was looking for some books.
He lived with his grandmother and some
old fossilized aunts who adored him.
They were very rich and prosy and
prudish, and lived in huge old barrack
far downtown below Tenth street. The
house on the outside looked like q
| prison; on the inside 1t was the most
beautiful place ever had been in in my
| life."
"Was it illumined by your friends
beauty or his wit?"
Both, you might say. I have neyor
seen any thing moro artistic than the
interior of that house. There is not an
artists studio in town that compares
with it. Nowhere, from one room to the
ottHr was 'n~.a one iarring color or one
incongruoas piece Of drapery or carving.
couldn't believe they'd hau d deGG, II. Or
at it--those men always leave their
stamp on every thing-yet you could see
the person who had arranged the place
knew the whole business. | compli-
mented one of the aunts on it, and she
said her nephew had fixed it. He had
wonderful taste-he had bought every
thing and always arranged it himself.
"That was the first surprise. Tho
second was when they took me into a
little sort of breakfaSt-room- suppose
you call ito have something to cat.
1t was q little eight-sided room, with
low bookcases built into the wall and
round mirrors set above them at inter-
vals. Standing on the top of the shelves
were some water-color sketches in
plain frames. You know I'm some-
thing of critic in water-colors, and my
brother-in-law the artist, has culti-
waited my taste Well, these things
we're gems, so lucid, so clear so fresh,
executed by some one whose force and
conventionality This was my neph-
ew' again. l never knew he drew or
painted He did it as he did every thing
perfectly quiet, never alluding to It, -
sGo on-what else could he do? I'm
expecting to hear that he led ballet
or invented a patent medicine"
"Not quite so bad as that But the
third shock was few evenings after,
when | again went to his place to spend
some time with him hunting up moro
books. He took me upstairs that time
to his rooms. He had bedroom ike
n monk and boudoir like girl, and
out of that a study with piano in It,
Heavens, you ought to have heard him
play on that piano! Schumann, Chopin
Beethoven hardly ever heard such
playing. don't suppose 1t was SO mar
velous-but 1T was so unexpected-sucf
a shock to see this fellow, with his ,ln
earthly face, playing away there llN'
Saint Cecilia. And later in the evening
he took me down into some darH
cubby hole in the bowels of the earth
If seems to me, where there was an Ole
organ built into the wall, and there ne
sat in the gloom with few candles
burning and played Bach till near ma
night. l felt creepy down my spine, as as
If were in the company OF wizard
"Did he ever have a love AFFAIR.""
81 don't believe so. l think ne
rather scorns women. They mostl,
make fun of him, you know, and as n
knows his own worth it makes hin
despise them. I've seen him snupoe
and openly made a fool OF by som
little Ounce of seventeen who though
a voung man who could play tennis wa
the noblest work of God. llo neYe
seemed to notice her. But once l sal
him take his revenge on girl IN mas
terlv STYLE. 1t was that Robinson gu
you remember her; she was yer
handsome and perfect cow lie wa
rather soft about her, and she amuse
herself by openly guying him when ne
other admirers were around. one hlSh
: at a dance, he turned upon her-lt wa
y all done in the most gentlemanly wa
Won can imagine and simply obllte
- ated herin the most exquisitely dellca'
and sarcastic manner | ever hear'
She was knocked out, couldn't think
= any answer, and he bowed and WaiN,
away. | think she must have told VI
other girls for I've noticed they al
q careful of offending him NOV. j.,
y "But she was mean enough TO taH
har revenpe on him in her own way
the spiteful way that woman Oh
!, understands. A little while after TN
SCENE at the dance / went to SEQ ne
and. in the course of the visit sue sal
= .Did YOU ever know Mr. Tompkl,
), wrote poetryP' didn't know It, "el
y sho got out Of portfolio some some
a and things he had written to her'
" not as good Judge of them as am
the water-colors, but they seemed
:, me something wonderful. woulu'
" have believed he'd written them II
: hadn't heard him play and seen j
# naintings. / had got to the POI