The Opelousas courier., 1891-12-12
A CONSUMING FIRE.
BY C. A. P. AND E. W. F

himself a fabric OF existence more salts
flying than most of us make of our sue
cesses. 1t is a kind Of triumph to look
as he does, to have his manner, and to
preserve his attitude toward advancing
years-those dreaded years which he
faces with pale but smiling lips.
If you would see my friend Hayden,
commonly called by his friends the con-
noisseur, figure to yourself a tall gentle
man of sixty-fve, very erect still and
Graeeful, gray headed and gray bearded.
with fine gray eyes that have the storm
tossed look of clouds on a windy March
day, and a bearing that somehow i'm
presses you with an idea of the gracious
and pathetic dignity of his lonely age.
myself am a quiet young man, with
but one gift-I am a finished and artistic
listener. 1t is this talent of mine which
wins for me s degree IF Hayden's es-
TEEN and a place at his table when he
has a new story to tell. His connoisseur.
ship extends to everything of human in
t%erest, and his stories are often of the
best.
The last time that | had the honor OF
dining with him, there was present. be-
sides the host and myself, only his close
friend, that vigorous and successful man,
DR.. Richard Langworthy, the eminent
alienlst and specialist in nervous diseases.
The connoisseur evidently had something
to relate, but he refused to give it to US
until the pretty dinner was over. Hay
den's dinners are always pretty, and he
has ideals in the matter of china. glass,
and napery which it would require a
woman to appreciate. 1t is one of his
accomplishments that he manages to live
like a gentleman and entertain his friends
on an income which most people find
quite inadequate for the purpose.
After dinner we took coffee and re-
fused cigars in the library.
On the table, full in the mellow light
of the great lamp Hayden has a distaste
for gas), was a bit of white plush on
which two large opals were lying. One
was an intensely brilliant globe of broken
cleaning lights, in which the red flame
burned strongest and most steadily the
other was as large, but paler. You would
have said that the prisoned heart of fire
within it had ceased to throb against the
outer rim of ice. Langworthy, who is
wise in gems, bent over them with an ex-
clama.ion of delight.
4sFine stones" he said; 'where did
you pick them up, Haydenan
Hayden, standing with one hand on
~Langworthy's shoulder, smiled down on
the opals with a singular expression. II
was as if he looked into beloved eyes for
an answering smile.
aThey came into my possession in a
singular way, very singular. "When /
wal in the West last summer, I spent
som time in a city on the Pacific slope
which has more pawnbrokers shops and
that sort of thing in full sight on the
prominent streets than any other town OF
the same size and responsibility that ]
have ever seen. One day, when I had
been looking in the bazars for something
a little out of the regular line in Chinese
curios and didn't find it, it occurred to
me that in such a cosmopolitan town there
might possibly be some interesting things
in the pawn shops, so | went into one to
look. 1t was q common dingy place,
kept by a common dingy man with
shreWd eyes and a coarse mouth. Talk
ing to him across the counter was a man
of another type. Distinction in good
clothes, YOU know, one is never sure of.
1t may be only that a mans tailor is dis.
ti~nguished. But distinction in indiffer-
ent garments, that is distinction indeed,
and there before me ! saw it. A young,
slight, carelessly dressed man, his bear
ing was attractive and noteworthy beyond
anything ] can express. His appearance
was perhaps q little too unusual, for the
contrast between his soft straw colored
hair and wine-brown eyes was such a
striking n that it attracted attention
from the real beauty of his face.
ION the desk between the two men
lay q fine opal-this one, said Hayden,
touching the more brilliant of the two
stones. 1.-THE younger man was talking
eagerly, lingering the gem lightly as he
spoke. inferred that he was offering
to sell or pawn it.
1.-The proprietor, seeing that / waited,
apparently cut the young man short. He
started, and caught up the stone. I'll
give you / heard the other say, but
the young man shook his head, and de.
parted abruptly. I found nothing that
] wanted in the place, and soon passed
out.
TN front OF a shop window a little
further down the street stood the other.
man, looking listiessly in with eyes that
evidently saw nothing. AS I came by he
turned and looked into my face. His
eyes fixed me as the Ancient Mariners
did the Wedding Guest. It was an APP
yet commanding look, and L.
felt constrained to stop. Icouldn't help
It, you know. Even at my age d IS
not beyond feeling the force of an I'M
attraction. aud when you are past
sixty sou ought to be thankful on your
knees for any emotion that is imperative
its nstnre. So / stopped beside him.
SAID ~ was a fine stone you were
showing that man. 1 have q great fond
for opaIs. May | ask if you were
otferipg it for sale2'
stIe continued to look at ME, inspect.
Ing me calmly, with 4 fastidious expires
Upon my word, I felt singuiarly
honored when, at the end Of i minute or
I've, he said: 4 should like to snow it
you. II you will come 10 my room
With me- you may see that, and another
md be turned and led the way follow.
~ qaite hnnblg and gladly, though
iatilsr surprised at myself.
me room, somewhat to my astonish-
IenE, proved to be- a Iarga anartmnnE