Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-09-06
WINNING A WOMAN.
Inc Romantic Tale of a. Veteran
Commercial Traveller.

AoiO VI q Veteran
commercial Traveller.
when was man of thirtvn re-
i'iurhea gray-haired three-score-and.
.ehitarian after the drummer had fin.
lshed a rather unbelievable card storv
II could shuttle the pasteboards nrettv
fairly myself, and it was only the vet.
Grams who cared to tackle me, aud
they were usually sorry for it after.
wards. was not rich and prond
then" he smiled softly, "and made
most OF my living selling groceries in
the south and west for a Baltimore
mouse. did the large towns as q rule.
put mad few good customers in out
of-the-way places, and | made it nv
business to cultivate them and get
around to see them at least twice n
year Among them was a merchant in
mississippi, and he had daughter who
was one OF the sweetest prettiest girls
1 ever saw. In fact she was so Mt.
tractive that | fell in love with her and
tried to marry her, but she was silly
ike most women when they are
young and sometimes when they are
not so young, and instead of recipro-
eating my affection, the affection of q
plain but honest man, I'll be shot If
she wasn't wasting her affection on
handsome bon rein-thats French
for good for nothing" he explained
land hadn't the slightest chance
against him, although her father was
on my side and did all he could to save
her from the man she would persist in
loving. He was undoubtedly hand
some fellow and one whose manners
were fascinating, not only to women,
but to men. With all his natural abil-
lty, however, and attractiveness, he
was utterly worthless; hard drinker,
q brawler, a vindictive wretch aud
notorious gambler. These qualities of
the man were we'll known in that locali-
ty and his reputation was not unknown
throughout the state, while mp and
down the river he was known on every
steamboat for the big games he played
and his success. He was the youngest
son Of prominent and highly respec-
table family, and this to the girl
seemed to offset his numerous defects
of character.
"Whatever it was, there was no
question that the girl was completely
infatuated with him, and finally she
elopcd with him. This act of hers
broke her fathers heart and within o
year he had died, leaving no property
whatever, nor any family, as the girl
was the only child and her mother had
been dead some years. The loss or alb
sence of any property which might be
of assistance to the daughter did not
affect her seriously, as her husband
had some estate and managed by sue
cessful gambling to maintain her In
comfort the first year or two. with
the death of the father and the mar
riage of the daughter very naturally
nv interest in that locality waned and
lost track of the neighborhood and
its doings for five years. Then | was
called there on business and when l
stopped at the only tavern in the little
village | was more than surprised to
find that it was kept by my former
rival. whom, by the way, / shall call
jackson. He did not know me and
don't suppose it would have made much
difference If he had, for with all his
faults he was not jealous man. Well,
kept my identity pretty much
In the background and made up my
mind to see how the marriage had
turned out. l got an inkling OF it the
very FIRST night, when jackson came In
inst drunk enough to be ugly. He had
changed much in the five years, ana
from being the handsome fellow ne
once was, he had become hloateu' aho
ali the bad streaks in him seemed 70
have settled in his face. Ills wife
had not seen, up to the time OF his APP
,aar,nce in the evening. was sltIinR
IN what passed for an Office and ne was
there cursing a stable-boy. Ai,eI nc
haJ anished with the boy he called his
vie from the kitchen where she was
~ work, and when she came IN
Sr;rhtened out of her wits, as | could
n,ainly see, never would have known OWE
bor She was thin and pale ana Dole
every evidence of having received . .ns
oruel treatment. was shocked
horond expression, and 1t was ho'
ICY ;y,uad bv the way he talked to hei
and ordered her around, once eSe a,
Giving her a jerk by the arm . amG
Srougbt cry of pain from her AM .ho
o.o almost getting me into the
cain 7 kept STILL however ano
scrap md that night he grew sc
we.lv that she called IN one o. me- me-
neichbors to serve as KIM %
ton. no hotter. bu,
he went of aud dld no' had a cbanc,
n late During the day she naa . ora roe
80 sec me and at once recoEn .,. dnn'
10 see n,' sbe was glad or sorry | oon
W ncen' hrt she broke down ana naa
know KNOWS At of crying for half an nou II
nervous ~ nvay until she recovered
VIM wi" saw her again she wds W. :,
VIZ Ie and for two hours sne 'ai He ha y
cai'n ; S S terrible condition. he e na'
me % al things to her man sno ~,
been al I'd the community only par
not DC, VI" that she had to bear IA
VA beaten her and starv e on nd' one NC,
nuI her work like slave save a. on osc ys
maze No. ,vben she had tried 70 esonp y
hs n dark room on bread a Dao wa for he nc
a month T., the neighbOrhood, ana a :,