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

stepped in dishonorable debt, and buy the
pick and choice of the millionaires' daught-
ers of America? You an earl's son! Show
me the signs
81 thank God am not able-if those are
the signs. But yet l am an earl's son and
heir. 1t is all can say. wish you would
believe me, but you will not 1 know no
way to persuade you"
She was about to soften again, but his
closing remark made her bring her foot
down with smart vexation, and she cried
out:
''Oh, you drive all patience out of me I
Would you have one believe that you
haven't your proofs at hand, and yet are
what you say you are? You do not put
your hand in your pocket now, for you have
nothing there. You make q claim like this,
and then venture to travel without creden-
tials These are simply incredibilities.
Don't YOU see that yourself?''
He cast about in his mind for defense of
some kind or other, hesitated little, and
then said, with difficulty and difidence:
81 will tell you Just the truth, foolish as
1t will seem to you-to anybody, suppose
but it is the truth. 1 had an ideal-call
it dream. folly, if you will-but wanted
TO renounce the privileges and unfair ad-
vantages enjoyed by the nobility and wrung
from the nation by force and fraud, and
purge myself of my share of those crimes
against right and reason by thenceforth
comrading with the poor and humble on
equal terms, earning with my own hands
the bread L ate, and rising by my own merit,
II rose at all. ="
The young girl scanned his face narrowly
while he spoke, and there was something
about his simplicity of manner and state
ment which touched her-touched her al
most to the danger point; but she set her
grip on the yielding spirit and choked it to
quiescence; Il could not be wise to surren-
der to compassion of any kind of sentiment,
yet she must ask one or two more ques-
tions. Tracy was reading her face, and
what he read there lifted his dropping hopes
little
"An earl's SON to do that! Why, he were
q man! A man to iove-oh, more, a man
TO Worship
"Whv, l."
'But he never ivedi He is not born, he
viii not be born. The self-abnegation that
could do that-even in utter folly, and
hopeless of conveying benefit to any, be-
yond the mere exanple-could be mistaken
for greatness Why, it would be greatness
in this cold age of sordid ideals! A moment
-wait-let me finish L have one question
more. Your father is earl of what?"
''Rossmore-and / am Viscount Berke-
ley"
The fat was in the fire again. The girl
to speak.
''How can YOU venture such brazen
thingl You know that he is dead, and you
know that I know it. oh, to rob the living
of name and honors for selfish and tempo
rary advantage is crime enough, but to rob
the defenseless dead-why, it is more than
crime. 1t degrades crimel'
Oh, listen to me-just a word-don't
turn away like that. Don't go-don't leave
me so-stav one moment. On my honor"
'-Oh, on your honori''
"On nv honor am what sayi And I
will prove it, and you will believe, I know
you will will bring you message-a
cablegram-'
"When?"
"To-morrow-next day"
stSIsned 'Rossmore?' d"
'sYes-signed 'Rossmore'"
"What will that prove? What should it
prove?"
eff you force me to say it-possibly the
presence of confederate somewhere"
This was a hard blow, and staggered him.
He said dejectedly:
ct is true. / did not think of it. oh, nv
God, do not know any way to do; do
everything wrong. You are goilg?-and
YOU won: say even good night or r'goodby?'
All, we have not parted like this before"
''Oh, want to run, and-no, 60, now"
A pause, then she said:
''You may bring the message when it
comes"
ooh, may 1? God bless you."
He was gone, and none too soon; her lips
were already quivering, and now she broke
down. Through her sobbIngs her words
broke from time 10 time:
''Oh, he is gone. 1 have lost him. I shall
never see him any more. And he didn't
kiss me goodby; never even offered to force
kiss from me, and he knowing it was the
very, very last, and / expecting he would,
and never dreaming he would treat me so
after all we have been to each other. Oh,
oh, oh, oh, what shall do, what shall do?
He is dear, poor, miserable, good-hearted,
transparent liar and hunbug, but, oh, 1 do
love him SOP After little she broke out
into speech again: "How dear he is! and
] shall miss him so, / shall miss him sol
Why won't he ever think to forge mes
sage and fetch it? But no, he never wi II;
he never thinks of anything; he's so honest
and simple it wouldn't ever occur to him.
Oh, what did possess him to think he could
succeed as a fraud-and he hasn't the first
requisite except duplicity that can see.
Oh, dear, I'll 60 to bed and give 1t all up.
On, 1 wish I had told him to come and