St. Landry democrat., 1892-09-17


bright or cheerful in conversation, hav
ing been close enough todeath on severa
occasions to make him rather serious
Jarvis Murray had begun life as nava
cadet. He had been shipwrecked once
and had two desperate fights with pirates
lie got that cut over the nose ih one Of
them. Then he resigned from the navy
to accept the command of merchant YES
sci! A collision, fire, and five days on raft
finished his career there, though ht was
honorably acquitted from all blame He
decided that dry land would suit him
thereafter. He secured a position with
an electric company, and was now in a
tar way to become millionaire; But
he was not on attractive MAN. He knew
| it, toc, and as rule steered clear of the
fair sex. But Mrs Chasby Soden sue
ceeded in setting him after Florence, and
he opened up a campaign that for vari-
ETY. and movement has seldom been
equaled in the history of love-
1t began with some mastery inactiv-
ity: The first thing that Jarvis Murray
did was nothing, and he did it we'll
He was introduced to Florence, looked
at her critically, and then walked away.
That made Florence angry and filled her
with deep determination to make
him notice her-and to his sorrow, of
course
Jarvis watched her. He saw her de-
liberately draw young Forrest Burney into
a proposal and then treat him with d
measI'reless contempt that sent the young
fellow away heartbroken. If Jarvis had
not been let into the secret of Florcnce's
lack of faith in men he would have
called her heartless As it was, he under
stood that her heart was exceedingly
active and was feeding on its own fires
He decided that Mrs. Soden's plan of
campaign was wise one.
The next day Jarvis Murray treated
Florence Craven with deliberate indiffer-
ence all day. He took the trouble to
keep within sound of her voice and sight
of her eyes, so as to let her see that he
was Indifferent. She tried several times
to draw him into conversation, but he
answered in monosyllables and then
turned to speak to another girl That |
night one of the full dress hops took |
place, Right in the middle of it Jarvis |
Murray shouldered his way through the |
crowd of moths around Florence and |
said:
''The next is our waltz, I believe"
You can't put the assurance of his
manner on paper.
81 think not" she said.
"You are mistaken, he replied lifting
her dance card The dance was not
taken.
He calmly wrote his name and showed
It to her.
"You see, it is my dance.''
At that moment the music began,
md before Florence could recover her
breath he had her floating over the
foor.
"Mr. Murray" she said angrily, 'your
"My what?' he asked, looking intently
nto her eyes
He knew how to look hard. He had
nee looked mutiny out of counte-
lance
your impudence," she began again,
nut he interrupted her.
"a man would dare anything for you,"
e said. Her face flushed and her eyes
parked. Jarvis Murray waltzed like
eather-weight angel. He did not say
mother word to her till the end of the
ance. Then he said:
''Hare you another dance left?o E
She had. She had been saving it for a
nrpose; not this purpose, but she 5
no ',,ght now she would let the other t
ne go. Do you know what Jarvis did?
lie. put his name down for that dance /
nd went upstairs to bed She did not
'e him until the next day. She was
eak enough to take him to task for not
ppearing to claim his dance. He told
er he was sorry she had missed him, and n
'sured her it should never occur again. s
hat made her so angry she {
ould not speak to him again. v
hen Jarvis Murray turned his b
tention to making himself agreeable v
the ladies. He knew how to do it,
70. He had two dozen ideas in as many h
conds, and every one of his ideas was b
uitful id pleasure to the women. All ii
1t Florence, of course. She wouldn't g
'eak to him, so she was left out Of his a.
ans. She sat around the hotel all b
ternoon with three or four tall, hand h
me men, who made love to her to the h
st Of their ability, while the other girls RI
ent out sailing with Murray and had h
orious time. Somehow or other her Ii
vorite sport palled on her that after e1
on, and, of course, she blamed it all on tt
urray. He met her face to face in the 81
rridor as she was going to her room to OF
ess for dinner. She was going to pass l.
N In dignitied silence, but he stopped &C
d held out his hand. re
won't you forgive me?" he said of
,king hard after her F.
When he looked like that YOU would WI
We thought that his soul was leaking nc
t Of his eyes. nj
Since you are SO humble" she said, Sc
will; but l think you were very rude. " M
so do /, he said, touching his lips w
the end of her fingers with manner on
most reverential.
lie passed on, leaving her fustered FL
/ elated. The man had acted as if he in
ought her female deity. After that sal
went on all the evening making things HI
asant for all the other girls and leav- He
h0i "t'' ~ was enough to eAaSper- "a.
a saint. Florence wis not a saint. of
when she retired to her room for the sig
Int she was about as thoroughly vexed he
Toman as ever lived. She actually reg
Ike down and had a good old-fashioned as
!. tn,
I'll fix him." she said 'T'll not to
wv him to treat me in that style. thu
e first attempt he makes at impu- no
ice tomorrow ends our acquafnt-
e."
'ut on the morrow he was not impu- his
It. That was because he had care ust
y observed her face when she left the sps
wing room the previous night. No, v
was anything but impudent. He de- oct