The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-03-13
THE RO0M.MATES.
BY JOHN b. RAYMOND.

BY JOHN b. RAYMOND.
Henry Hadley and John Ashton had,
roomed together for six months, but had
never exchanged word. There was no,
quarrel between them; they were not!
deaf mutes; they were normal, everyday
young men, and one, at least, longedl
ardentiy to hear the others voice.
1t came about in this way Hadlcy was
reporter on the Ne,os- Herald, where he
had filed certain round of dry-as-dust
assignments for years and was not much
liked by his associates. He had tend-
ency to drudge; he wore faint "mutton-
chop" side-whiskers and turned ND the
bottoms of his trousers when it rained.
But he was really capital fellow, and in
spite of his prosiac exterior he had a
little romance of his own. He was en-
gagged to be married, and Alice Tyler
was girl of whom any one might we'll
be proud. She was the niece of friend
of Hadley's, and when he proposed to
her, after long, despairing courtship,
he was astounded to find himself ac-,
cepted. 1t seemed incredible that such
a perfect creature could ever be his own,
but after he had somewhat recovered
from his transports his practical nature
asserted itself, and he began to retrench
his expenses in preparation for the event.
Thus 1t was that he eventually answered
an advertisement for roommate.
1t so happened that the other occupant
Of the room was also reporter, although
very different stamp of man. John
Ashton was meteoric genius. He was
a waif from dead and gone Bohemia.
His forte was the strange, the odd, and
the grotesque, and his startling and un-
looked-for strokes had gone far toward
making the Chronicle famous. In his i.old
he was invaluable, and he had long since
killed his chance for promotion by merit
ing it too much.
The Ne'os-Herala, as everybody knows,
is published In the afternoon, while the
Chronicle is morning daily, and Had
ley, who had made his arrangements
through the landlady, was disappointed,
when he awoke early on the first day in
his new quarters, to find that his room.
4pates wh0shad let himself in sometime
SduIAeAhA night, was then asleep in the
ataae aaenxe opposite his own. He had
9 ssssa shnessl much pleasure from
much Rdmired, but the pale, handsome
face and slight form, relaxed in the Ian
guor Of deep sleep, prompted him to
dress as quietly as possible and slip out
without awakening the other.
IT turned out, to Hadley's infinite
ckagrin, and probably to Ashton's secret
amusement, that this was no mere acci-
dtnt. THE former went to work early
in tho morning and his duties ended
,Whspthe big presses threw out the first
copy of the last edition, at about dusk.
Ashton, on, the other hand, arose little
after noon, lounged about until dark and
left his desk any time between one and
three O'Clock at night. Consequently,
when he reached the room he invariably
found Hadley asleep, and when he awoze
he was the only occupant. And vice
Versa. Several things conspired to main
tain this fantastic relationship. Their
offices were remote from one another.
/ Their work was essentially different. 1t
aid not make common resorts Or mutual
day they never met.
p Such was the curious train of events
" which had carried them through one
summer and into an autumn that brought
to Hadley many miserable heartache.
A shadow had somehow fallen across the
honest fellows love affair. 1t was hard.
ly to be defined in terms; that was the
worst of tilt was so intangible; so diff.
ficult to say just what was wrong. There
was change in Alice. She was silent
she was distraught; her tears came and
went like April rain. Yet she protested
that nothing was amiss, and met his
well-meant questioning with an impa.
tience that surprised and frightened him
for he did not know very much of wo.
men. and her asseverations sounded to
his ears like confessions in disguise.
Above all, he felt cumbersome unfit.
ness to cope with the situation. It was
like plow-boy essaying to probe SEN
sitive wound. and at length he feared tn
speak lest he should precipitate some un-
known crisis.
Thus it was, when at dusk one autumn
day he walked from the office to Alices
! home to pay one of his customary visits.
1t was an indolent evening, suave With
the spell of Indian summer, and through
the dreamy haze that wrapped the city
even the hum of traffic sounded faint and
hoihiouiOuS, ilkc u CHOlT Oh HlanC 1DSect6
at the approach of night. He fell into q
vague reverie as he walked Oh, and when
he stopped mechanically before the house
he did not ring at once, but sat down
upon little bench just within the gate
and masked by lilac bushes.
The narcotic calm of the scene and
hour had lulled him into serenity, and
night fell unmarked, until, at length, q
familiar voice broke in upon his medita-
-tians He recognized it on the instant
as Alices, but~ fU WI, s,,;.e.Iad with
deeper tones that were unfamiliar to him.
Although noiwords had yet detached
themselves from the tapgle of sound, it
seemed to him that one voice was urainp
and one demonstrating. Presently they
came nearer and stopped by the gate.
"Ob, I cannot! / cannotl' some one
cried. 1t was Alice's voice, and although
there was not jot of the spy in HadIey's
nature, something in the intonation held
him spell-bound.
"But why not2' said the other voice,
n melOdiO,s barifone-lou nors,o.;