The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-07-12
SRE1TE BALL
Mans Past Is Very Precious to Him When Is Lost,
and It Determines His Future.
By H. s. KNEEDLER.
eopyrsoat 1sot-AU Rights Reseroed.

place things connected With our Work.
He said he had Just arrived from '.up
country" and took it for granted that
he had drifted down from Chicago or St.
Louis, on the regular fall campaign,
which always wound up in New Or
leans. It was plain enough that he was
not an 'old rounder;" but he did not APP
pear novice, for he did his work very
well, as things went in those days. No
very heavy assignments fell to him at
first. In fact, think he was kept among
the cotton factors, looking up the new
crop, which was just beginning to move.
I was home before him the second
night, for having shown him the way
and given him a nightkey, which the
landlady relinquished with more or less
reluctance, took it for granted he could
find his way in himself. Feeling in a
reminiscent mood, was sitting by the
open window taking good night smoke
and looking out on the magnolia trees in
the garden opposite, where the moon
light shone so brightly that one could
see the red and waxlilxe berries that sue
coed the perishable blossoms. was
wrapped pretty deeply in thought and
nodding a bit, maybe, when my new
chum came in, and, throwing off his hat,
stretched himself YEARLY in big arm,
chair near by.
aWe have been in the thick of the
work, +" said, land that must be my ex-
cuse for not formally introducing myself
to you Then we haven't seen much of
each other and are not likely to, except
as we meet at turning in time My
name is Gilman, and yours Isl
Brigham, Jason Brigham" he re-
Piled
well. now that we know each other
we viii get along better" said. Il
suppose that, like the rest of us, you are
merely drifting through"
sYes, merely drifting" was his an
swer | looked at him. His face was
in the moonlight, and it wore a curious
expression of unutterable sadness, such
as have never seen since on any mans
face Yet there was not the shadow of
an emotion about it. It was negative
sadness mere deepening Of its normal
expression We sat silent for some time,
he looking out in the peaceful moonlight
scene, furtively studying his counte-
nance. Then he said:
II wish the city editor had assigned
some one else to do the Sufferers ball
tomorrow night"
"Oh, you are booked for that, are you?
Lucky fellow There will be fair maids
galore, gallant men, plenty of dancing
and no mean spread in the supper room.
Brigham, you are to be congratulated.
I'll stay up to hear you go into ecstacies
over it when you get back here"
ut is not exactly in my line," re-
sponded Brigham, ''and / am not pre-
pared to present myself in evening dress. I"
"Giye yourself no uneasiness on that
score. Wiley has dress suit. and it Will
just about fit you. He will be delighted
to loan it to you-if for nothing else, to
let you know he has ii"
"Well, I'd rather stick TO the cotton.
It has been long time since moved in
feminine society, and fear l have lost
the fine art Of making myself agreeable.
''I'll trust you for that. Where was
your home originally? take it you are
an eastern mana New Yorker, per-
haps?"
AS asked the question he looked at
me quickly. as though seeking to divine
my purpose-as man might who had
some reason for not caring to have his
past probed into too rudely. Then he
passed his hand across his forehead in a
vacant way, and said slowly and with
evident effort:
"You must excuse me, but-but some
how my memory is strangely treacher-
Gus, and-I-do not remember--I can
not tell YOU
Il beg your pardon l replied. Let
me assure you had no intention of pre-
Stunning upon our short acquaintance to
seek to know anything of your affairs
which you would rather should not
be known. The question was asked
taoughtlessly enough.
"And it was a natural one" he said
81 wish could answer it, but cannot. :"
Say no more about it" | replied,
knocking the ashes out of my pipe. "The
morning stars-thnt is, the vegetable and
fish venders-will soon be singing to-
[ SSbACA u1AuCk OUI W1AQOW. L<CJ us 10
to bed and get well to sleep before the
chorus begins"
Deuced strange, thought, that this
man should be SO manifestly reluctant
to tell me Of his past What secret did
it hold that he was so chary about? He
did not look hike criminal--like man
who had done something which made
him fugitive or an Ishmael. But there
was the hard fact of his evident embar-
rassment when the question was asked.
It aroused my curiosity, but it did not
make me shun him. / had nothing to
/ lose-perhaps that was the reason only
felt piqued at my guests Discrimination
to talk about what men most glibly talk
of under such circumstances. But that
was his affair, not mine
CHAPTER Il
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