The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-06

think you wouldn't care hang If you
did. If you had your deserts, you'd have
been pitched in the river long ago."
Somehow his own failure made hiuf'
unusually bitter to Mr.. Kent's short
comings. The worlds hard knocks may
eventually teach resignation, but who
can. say that while the bruisc is aching
the brute within us does not snarl?
AS the old man kissed Virginia on the
| forehead, pathetic paternity savoring of
| the theatrical in the caress, he did not
dream how intensely Tom longed to call
him a few hard names in sound Anglo
| Saxon.
He stumbled a little and sank into the
most comfortable chair, his murlSy eyes
half closing.
'sTea! All, what is more grateful to
tired body than cup of tear This was
staple remark, always delivered with
| gusto by Mr.. Kent after a lengthy com-
munion with mixed drinks. 1.-THE fra
GRANGE of it! The sorcery OF home is ex-
hailed from q cup of tea. Butt hope,
my dear, you have something else. A
chop or a bit of salad"
|
across the tips of his delicate fingers in
| fuddled meditation and felt her face
burn. Her joyous anticipations OF the
| first night spent together had been de-
| plorably amiss. Tom was discouraged
| and silent, half angry with her and en-
| ragged at the world. Her father had re-
turned after one of his bad days." when
the remembrance of all he had misused
and lost stung him to drink and perhaps
to find the ghost of his old pleasures in the
hazy enchantment offered by strong liq-
nor.
All, there was hope for Tom. He
would forget this disappointment. He
would join the race again. He had still
a lance to throw. But poor old dad!
Perhaps she did not half guess what
thoughts tortured him. She knew his
annuity trickled through his fingers now
in small personal extravagances just as
the thousands had gone when she was a
| little child, but she could not blame him.
To dress presentably and drop in upon
old friends for a chat and glass OF port,
sometimes to dine with them i'll the club
where once he had shone with unequaled
brilliancy or to pay for an orchestra
chair when an old comedy was present
ed were the surviving joys of his deca-
dence. His friends did not know in
| what corner Of the town he had hidden
| himself. did not remember he had
daughter. Frequently ho forgot that fact
himself. And meanwhile Virginia work.
ed and saved, stealing only odd moments
for her reading and music, practicing
depressing economies that robbed her
cheeks of color and sometimes gave to
her deep eyes an expression of fear.
But she loved the old man. Her pity
for what she termed his misfortunes
made her tender to his faults. Not SO
Tom, who had watched the pitiful little
tragedy for two years. This exhausted
spendthrift, this cold materialist with
dreamer's eyes, this autocrat with voice
of honey, suave. dainty, well hammered,
he disliked as much as his native genial
fly permitted.
Tom threw himself on lounge and
shading his moody eyes from the lamp
| light watched Virginia as she went light
| ly from cupboard to table, noted the
streak of wavering pink staining her
cheek, the eagerness with which she hur-
ried to anticipate her fathers maudlin
requests.
"Ah, Virginia, how stoical You are!
how steadfast! how tender and passion
pte!'' he thought, a deep, warm pity rush.
Ing into his heart.
And he had been impatient with her
for telling him an unpalatable truth,
had ragged at one more defeat and turned
from her in bitterness! He had dared
to do thisl Had he forgotten how often
he had seen her smile in the face of de-
spair?
His repentance, like all his moods, was
quick and intense, the desire to make
amends tormenting, unappeasable. He
wanted to tell her what brute he felt
himself He was conscious of sudden
warm impulse to fold her in his arms
and comfort her.
The physical helplessness Of woman!
What lovable misfortune il must al
ways seem to strong mani Every move
ment of Virginia's young figure, the sub
dued expression of her proud little
mouth, the dauntless pose of her head
appealed to him, awalxing the instinct of
protection until it throbbed an impor-
tunate fire in his heart.
IF l could help herl" he thought, with
savage longing.
While regarding her more intently
than he knew, her eyes, those lovely eyes
more green than brown and tonight
more golden than green, met his in a
questioning entreating fashion, and the
look stirred him strangely. A warm flood
poured over his heart. His veins pulsed
heavily with an incomprehensible fever
never known before, and the pain of it
was nervous and sweet.
As he had felt for brief moment when
he stood by her side in the mysterious
twilight, so he felt now, only the strange
ness, the pain, the delight, were intensi-
fled a hundredfold. He drew his breath
utfb a foalipu, Of oxx-a