Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-20
CHAPTER XIII.

Tracy wrote his father before he sought his
bed. He wrote letter which he believed
would get better treatment than his cable
gram received, for it contained what ought
to be welcome news; namely, that he had tried
equality and working for living; had
made fight which he could find no reason
to be ashamed Of, and in the matter OF earn
ing living had proved that he was able to
do it; but that, on the whole, he had arrived
at the conclusion that he could not reform
the world single-handed, and was willing
to retire from the conflict with the fafr
degree of honor which he had gained,
and was also willing to return home and re-
sume his position and be content with 1t
and thankful for it for the future, leaving
further experiment of missionary sort to
other Young people needing the chastening
and quelling persuasions Of experience, the
only logic sure to convince a diseased in
agination and restore it to rugged health.
Then he approached the subject of mar
riage with the daughter Of the American
claimant with good deal of caution and
much painstaking art. He said praiseful
and appreciative things about the girl, but
didn't dwell upon that detail or make it
prominent. The thing which he made
prominent was the opportunity now go
happily afforded to reconcile York and Lam
caster, graft the warring roses upon one
stem. and end forever a crying injustice
which had already lasted far too long
One could infer that he had thought this
thing all out and chosen this way Of making
all things fair and right, because it was suf-
ficiently fair and considerably wiser than
the remuneration scheme which he had
brought with him from England. One could
infer that, but he didn't say it. In fact, the
more he read his letter over the more he got
to inferring it himself
When the old earl received the letter the
first part of it filed him with grim and
snarIv satisfaction; but the rest Of it brought
q snort or two out of him that could be
translated differently. He wasted no ink IN
this emergency, either in cablegrams or let
tiers; he promptly took ship for America to
look into the matter himself He had
stanchly held his grip all this long time,
and given no sign Of the hunger at his
heart to see his son, hoping for the
cure Of his insane dream, and reso-
lutte that the process should 60
through all the necessary stages
without assuaging kilograms or other non
sense from home, and here was victory at
last. Victory, but stupidity marred by this
idiotie marriage project. Yes, he would
step over and take hand in this matter
himself
During the first ten days following the
mailing Of the letter Tracy's spirits had no
idle time; they we're always climbing up
into the clouds or sliding down into the
earth as deep aa the law of grayitation
h4 nrS1 IN,
tensely miserable by turns, according to
when the mood was going to change, and
when it changed he couldn't tell what it
was that had changed it. Sometimes she
was SO in love with him that her love was
tropieal, torrid, and she could find no Ian |
guage fervent enough for its expression; |
then suddenly, and without warning or any |
apparent reason, the weather would change |
and the victim would find himself adrift !
among the icebergs and feeling as lonesome
and friendless as the North Pole. It some |
times seemed to him that man might bet
ter be dead than exposed to these devastat-
ing varieties of climate.
The case was simple. Sally wanted to |
believe that Tracy's preference was disin-
serested; so she was always applying little
tests of one sort or another, hoping and e1-
pecting that they would bring out evidence
v 1hich would confirm and fOrtify her belief |
Poor Tracy did not know that these expert
nents were being made upon him, eonse-
,uently he walked promptly into all the
raps the girl set for him. These traps con-
listed in apparently casual references to So
.ial distinction, aristocratic title and pr1vi-
ege, and such things Often Tracy re-
'ponded to these references heedlessly, and
lot much caring what he said, provided
t kept the talk going and prolonged
he seance. He didn't suspect that the
,irl was watching his face and listening for
lis words as one who watches the Judges
ace and listens for the words which will re-
tore him to home and friends and freedom,
Il shut him away from the sun and human
forever. He didn't suspect
hat his careless words we're being weighed,
nd 50 he often delivered sentences of death
rhen it would have been Just as handy and
il the same to him to pronounce acquittal
)aily he broke the girls heart; nightly he
ent her to the rack for sleep He couldn't
Understand it
Some people would have put this and
hat together and perceived that the weather
ever changed until one particular subject
ras introduced. and then that it always
hanged. And they would have looked
urther, and perceived that that subject was
lways introduced by the one party, never
be other. They would have argued, then,
hat this was done for purpose. II they
oald not find out what that purpose was in
ny simpler or easier way, they would ask.
But Tracy was not deep enough or sus-
icious enough to think Of these things
F~ Noticed 0ulv 0us uup&fcu1or. <hof tha