Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-12

Il was well on IN the day. 4 listcss
FEBRUARY sun, hOpcleSSly myOlcvl iu a
Huarl az thin gray rluuds was being
dragged down the rough western sky.
Pools OF wutcr standing here and there
In doprpssious of the pavement stared
darby up at the ChecrlcsS hcayaus. Be
tween the Irregular flags strcuks Of dead
mos, caught faint yellowish tone. lGy-
crything was in the russrt ushcu hues of
q suuwlcSs winter landscape. Only the
red brick church down below the village
inn presented anything like a warm patch
of color,
Miss Anne gave the square building n
turtivc glance Brother l4aidlcy, the
preacher, lived next door to the church.
Perhaps yOu had better stop az the
parsonage and tell him about our plan,
she suggested.
"lf you think it is necessarily
81 think il win be- better decided
Miss Anne. 81 will mention the matter
to him myself, should | see him any time
soon
The girls SMILED little as they went
down the street II WAS Friday, and
every one knew always of Friday even.
lngs the preacher came To sit un hour
ia Miss Anne Allisous tiny parlor
The preacher was not 40 an aware
OF how much yltnlizng sympathy be-
derived from these httle conferences with
Miss Anne. lie knew thut he fuuud
thcm pleasant but regarding himself
ana happiness as permanently ps-
trNnged, he fuiled to sec Just what actual
comfort his FRIDAY evening afforded
him lie was lo'ply man. the preacher.
Away back In his curly manhood ther,
had been q rpluauve of somewhat ordiuu.
ny proportions. He had loved a girl ana
she hou died, lie had never married
and II had been his great comfort through
| FIFE To believe In himself thoroughly ns
| one of the few men capable of a great
devotion,
lie gave himself to priestly Offices
| with s0ri OF sublime, sucrhcinl idpu
| Nln the whole his conception OF himself
/ as a man cousrcvated through suffering
! 10 NouS uses was very Inspiring 90 him
| Miss Annie reflected an Brother Inid.
| le( : most cherished views of himself
] Theirs was an ideal friendship tho
/ pira,hcr oiten told hlmsclt Miss Annie
| also held this belief Both were sincere
[ hut neither saw that, as Is usual with
! Ne9i friendship one gave all aud asked
!.o,ihnt, Whl.e the other gave nothing
The Postoihce being just above Miss
! Nunes heuse, II was the preachers time
/ hohored habit tn ask for his mail ON Mia
way TO visit hor But ON tho FRIDAY
hlght ~ question, several lOungers al The
s'nFe Https notrd the fact that MIR Laid
| ley went straight past
'hc looks like he he'd suhin on his
mutt remarked one of the idlers.
ANA indeed the preacher's Inns vara
| SVl dhnt as hc strobe ly la the chill
dusk Of the February night
ms step on Miss Anne's porch rang so
sharp his mOck at The door was so en1-
phatic, thar Miss Anne herself gave n
start nc seeing him.
didnf Recognise your step" She n.y.
piaiucl, letting him In.
II 0m NOT myself" admitted tho nrcoot
en-, stepping into the room.
ne was long dapper man. whose
smooth mnkish face was prinly crosss1
with 2 grnyish nlustaehe. He had ~,
AR tlat was at once womanish ana
ll'Ai,99leL m his tones a queer accent
2i ''lsbacy and solitude manifested ifseif
! feVple who. wlihout seeing Mn ISL