Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-24
"TOMMY, ILOVE YOU
Tender Words That Were Overheard
and Misunderstood.
THEY SEPARATED JACK AID JOSIE.
mas Night and Now They Are
Married.
"A little maiden lImbed an old mans

I why + 1Ou EllklNs VII " aAthNt -.
Have you no babies. have you no homer
I had a sweetheart, years, years ago.
Where she IS now, pet, you VIII soon
know.
List to the story, I'll tell 1t all"
When my dear old father was dying,
Colonel Symington. the friend Of his early
youth, took me on his knee and solemnly
said: let your mind be at ease about
the youngster. Tommy shall never want
for aught. for | shall be a second father
to him.
Scarcely had the good man uttered
these words. when my sire breathed his
last. Amid all the darkness Of affection
which followed that hour. we had one
consoiation-one solace that came as the
blessing OF faith. We knew that even as
we wept the departed was answering
"Adsum" TO the roll-call Of the sainted.
for his life had been pure and brave. lie
had been courageous and upright from
first TO last, and though he persisted
from a gun-shot wound, he had received
It as a hero ~should-with his face TO the
foe.
Colonel Symingtcn has been true TO his
pledge. and as ne predicted. j have wanted
for naught. At least l have wanted for
naught that ministers to bodily comfort
and social prestige, though there exists
In my heart to-day a vacancy that my
noble patron has never been able to fill.
This much Of my early life | mention,
not 80 much because II is gernane to my
story as because. in passing, / wish to
pay tribute to my kind and sympathetic
guardian. When the good man pats me
on my head and says: What a hand
some fellow you have grown to be. Tom
my" | am happy. for l feel that it Is a
gentle voice from Heaven that speaks TO
me. Has not the Colonel promised to be
a worldly father 10 me, and after all,
does not he represent my other father
who has long since flown to Heaven?
In these few lines ! have with pain.
and yet with gratitude. recalled my early
life, and ere 1 plunge into my story. per-
haps it will be best for me 10 explain that
up to a few years ago / passed nearly all
OF my time at the house of my bene-
factor. Though / frequently paid visits
TO distant friends and relatives, | wor-
SHIPPED my Penates at his CHEEKY fireside.
and when l crossed his threshold I felt
that, motherless and fatherless though l
was, his roof covered my home.
But things have changed now, and to-
night. as | hear the wind bowling through
the dead branches Of the trees, 1 feel
tina / have no home-that / shall never
nave another until I meet my sainted
father in the land Of eternal sunshine.
Children, tomorrow will be Christ
mas-the time Of all others when the
world will be glad-and yet, as the hour
approaches. my heart grows heavy aad
my voice trembles with sorrow. Why,
gracious, what q coward | am! There -
"A tear on my cheek. and | am searching
for my handkerchief. All. how / dread
to-morrOw-how ! dread tomorrow night.
II will be the anniversary Of my ruina-
ion-the anniversary Of an event that
has made my life almless, sad, and
mournful, and yet the anniversary Of
an occasion that brought two loving souls
together, and e~nded-some months after
wards-with the administrations Of we'd
ding-bells. But those wedding-bells had
no music FOR me. They tolled the DEATH
note of my hopes. and while proclalmlng
the joy Of two hearts, they announced
the breaking OF another. That extra
heart-the broken one-was mine, and
the woman / loved was lost forever.
on the Christmas night of which 7
speak the Colonel had invited a dozen
or more OF his gentlemen friends 10 try
his famous egg-nogg with him. and az
ne knew 1 never drank intoxicants, he
intimated TO me that my presence would
be excused from the Jolly gathering of his
gray-haired chums. He invited Miss jose
phine on probably call her Josie here
after, his daughter, to assist him In dis
pensing the insidious fluid, for he was
proud of the little maid and liked TO
show her off before company. But Jose
phine appeared greatly embarrassed when
the invitation came. and finally. with a
great big bluss that made her face look
like a California peach, she stainmered:
Papa, I'm expecting company tonight,
too. / already nave an engagement. Sup
pose you keep your friends in the dining
room. front parlor, and library, and let
me have the back parlor."
a right, little girl" cheerfully re-
sponded the joviat old man. but remem-
Der. l don't want you TO be carrying on
any OF that sweetheart business. II any
chap ever asks me for you I'll break his
neck"
At this remark Josephine tried to match
the pink border of the punch-bowl with
her face, and what is more, she gave a
timid little shudder which implied that
she seriously feared some ones neck was
in imminent danger Of being broken. 1
trembled myself, for loved Josie.
After this conversation there was a
case Of ''exeunt omnes," as the play
wrights would express It. That is to say,
the Colonel ambled off TO supervise the
brewing of the egg-nogg, Josephine trip
ped up to her room, and l thoughfully
proceeded to the back parlor.
The room was dimly lighted. but the
Goals that burned in the crate were as
ruddy as the holly-berries which
ornamented the marble mantels and
entwined the chandeliers. a parlor-
lamp with a crimson shade cast
and even the glaring eyes that
peered fercely from the giant tiger-skin
on the hearth caught the red reflection,
and flashed like two consultations. Most
OF the chairs in the Neutrality-suspicious.
nished apartment were arranged close TO
the wall, but / noticed that two had
been placed side by side I'm front OF the
fire. as IL for some particular purpose. l
never stopped 20 think what their jux-
opposition meant, but seated myself in
one, and pretty soon, as ! lazily stroked
my NnlShtiS-Nfltu ~ III way, htiE /
considered quite handsome-I fell a-thlnk-
ing and amusing. The fire was so COM
Portable that l stretched out my legs
(after the boorish custom of the stronger
sex) and then / concluded that my feet
were exceptionally well shaped and aris-
~tocratic. Anon / peeped at myself In a
painted mirror that hung on the wall,
and something told me 1 was cookbook
ing. My hair was black. smooth. and
glossy, while my eyes were large and
bright. My figure was slender. but very
graceful, and a close observer would
have seen that II showed strength and
agility. SO much for my personal appear
ance. though you must not think. dear
children. that / was effeminate. Like my
father, I was courageous to the utmost
degree. When a mere STRIPPING i was a
fighter In every sense of the word, and
my companions idolized my pluck. AS 1
grew older. my nature became more and
more sensitive. and / shed my blood-and.
let me say, the blood of others-at the
insult or offence. My manners
were polished and dignihed, and ] U n
d~ivinely. / have always loved vocal music.
and sometimes on peaceful summer
nights, when In solitude. / warbled on
the lawn, Colonel Symington and his
daughter would spend hours listening 10
me. This l have learnt IN recent years.
people have told me since hat when
I lifted my rich voice, sleep was impossi-
bic: that my mellow notes thrilled them