Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-03-27
WHEELING REGISTER SUNDAY, MARCH ~ ls92-TEN PAGES

short space Of time the roughs found
themselves thrust ingIoriously into the
street.
The acquaintance. from this stormy
beginning, developed into q queer kind
Of friendship and some intimacy. The
men had little in common, save physical
courage and high animal spirits, unless
love of adventure and Of the solitude
OF nature and a mutual taste for sport
be taken into account.
In character and intellect they were
totally dissimilar, although both were
strong meR. The causes OF their at
traction for each other might have re-
paid investigation had either man been
given to analysis or interested in psych-
illogical subtleties. Unfortunately, the
opportunity was thrown away; for Ned's
acquaintance with the word analysis
was confined TO its appearance In the
columns Of the dictionary and its appli-
cation to minerals, and Dams mind was
without the twist which leads to morbid
research and subtle investigation. HUI
man emotion thrilled and interested him,
but he had no promptings TO examine 1t
under pocket lens.
Perhaps this was as well for poor hu-
manity, for Dams nature was so sympa-
thetic, his interest so warm and his tact
so perfect, that had his tastes directed
him to emotional dissection he would
never have been without q subject.
Men, women and children confided in
him copiously: to know him was not
merely to love him, but TO lay bare the
mental and moral anatomy to him also.
Given pipe, camp fire in a lonely
canyon and Dan Stewart for compan-
ion, and the most reserved man on earth
would forget his caution and turn him
self inside out, like glove drawn from
a hand too large for il.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that
during their 10 nelly mountain expedi
lions Ned Anthony's heart should open
to his companions sunny influence, and
that all his history should pass into
Dams possession. even TO the tiny vein
of pure, true gold that enriched the
rugged quartz and grit.
The discovery OF the existence OF this
vein was delightful TO Dan, who had all
clean natured mans reverence for
romance. 1t gave his companion a
deeper, more individual interest for
him, and drew closer the bond between
them. The cherishing of an emotion so
tender and fragrant touched him, from
its sharp contrast to the rest OF An
thongs character; it was like finding
pale, sweet arbutus flower in the cieitS
of granite cliff.
"You must make a lot OF money,
Ned, and go home and marry the young
lady, he said, Drumming over with en-
thusiasm. "Let me see; it's fifteen
years since you came away-or say four
teen and half. to be strictly accurate.
Why, Ned, she's a grown young woman
long agol You must hurry up, old fell
low, or somebody will step in and spoil
the romance. | couldn't stand that,
you know; it's fat and disconcerting.
No; you must marry little Mary your
self. l can't possibly play any other
way. The curtain must fall upon this
idyl to the music OF the wedding
march"
Anthony had laughed aloud, and pre-
tended to think this scheme utterly Wis
ionary and his friend wild enthusiast,
but the idea pleased him immensely.
He would recur to it again and again,
and all the purposes and ambitions held
in solution in his mind begnn to crystal
lie. Once he essayed TO set before Dan
a picture of the caste prejudice so strong
among Virginians, and to explain to
him whata barrier it was likely to prove
in such a matter as the one under dis
cussion. But Dan would have none OF
it-puffed it airily away with the smoke
of his pipe, and relegated it to the limbo
of things obsolete with wave OF his
shapely hand. Three letters were as
nothing. a mere cipher, he maintained,
which could be used to demonstrate
manly worth as well as to reduce II to
confusion. Narrowmindedness must
expand under the influence Of love, and
prejudice must doff its cap TO merit. All
this ne delivered with fuency and fer
vor, feeling the honest glow Of pure de-
mocracy which oftentimes warns the
heart Of an aristocrat while arranging
affairs for other people.
TO BE CONTINUED.