Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-03-24
A HERO, BUT COWARDLY.
IT WAS a WOMAN THATMADE
HIM QUAKE.
He Only Wanted TO Say Three words to
Her, but Ills Whole frame shook
When the Moment Came and lie HAD
to Write 20 Her.


was saying great deal, for he was
not unused to danger in its most
savage form lie commanded instant
respect and admiration.
And yet he was an arrant coward,
according to the Chicago Record.
He was not aware of it in the
least, and il he had known il he
would probably have wrathfully, in
dignantly punished himself by going
straight to her and forcing himself
10 say his mind, but the trouble was
he was SO blissfully, sweetly uncon-
scious of it.
Even she did not know he was
afraid Of her. If she had been like
most women she would have seen it,
dimpled and laughed over it, laughed
at him; but she was not like other
women. That was why she fright
ened him so He ha1 seen women
in his day, any number OF them, and
they had never alarmed him; in fact,
he had never thought much about
them. They were dainty butterflies
10 be kept in the sunshine and out OF
the wind and who rather depended
upon anu ADbhNA up 10 nAIHs
They were well enough. but they
tired him, and he wondered how the
older men could endure the same
routine all their lives But she had
poise Of her own and seemed self.
sufficient
lie had never analysed it out and
in a puzzled way concluded il must
be the way she dressed her hair or
wore her gown or the scent OF yiole:s
which wayered about her. There
was always tormenting idea in his
mind that his presence alone did not
call up the tempting half smile on
her lips, and that her clear eyes
would still have the look OF quiet
happiness in their depths ii he was
not there. She looked just that way
when she talked to the doting old
pensioner OF SO or the ragged news
boy on the corner. 1t showed a very
nice spirit in her, and yet he was
selfish enough 10 wish that some
times when he went away the gentle
light in her face would fade. 1t
never had yet, because he always
looked back TO see.
There came time when the thought
came to his mind that this dreamy
JOY could not last etcrnally. and IL
quite reused him to consider what he
should do II some other man were TO
debar him from his seat in the green
and gold room where he watched her
debar him by means OF an insigni-
iicant bit OF gold and half dozen
sanctified words.
So he resolved to ask her TO marry
him.
The resolve did not throw him into
a nervous fever nor break his calm
security. 1t was a very simple mat
ter when one looked at il in the right
light--a few words rightly said.
look from the eyes ard the thing was
done, IL did not occur to him that
he should be afraid That was be-
cause he did not know he was a cow
ard.
So he dropped into his old place that
night and watched her little while.
lie half opened his lips TO begin.
when she glanced at him brightly as
she made some passing remark He
did not speak. for he was be-
wildered at the tremulous chill
which suddenly made itself manifest
all over him in most extraordinary
manner
He had never before known her eyes
to drive all thoughts from his mind
and tangle his tongue inextricably.
He could not comprehend why he
continued to make remarks on the
weather and invent sallies about the
last opera. He was certain that he
could say what he wanted to il she
would only keep her eyes on her
work. but he was not surc that she
would not look at him again, and he
did not want to experience another
cold chill, because it took so long to
get over the shock of the first
In his surprise and dismay at him
self he kept on making bon-mots,
concerning the weather.
Then he heard the clock strike -
aud meekly went home.
He skunk By the policeman and
lodged pedestrians because at last
he knew he was coward.
He did not make light, in his
room because he knew il he saw the
towards face in the mirror he could
not refrain from iniuring it with his
strong right arm, and he was natur-
ally a peaceable man opposed to
scrimmages
In the morning he took pen and
paper and wrote out what he had
tried TO say TO her the night before
When the lid of the mail. box clicked
he started. He thought some sneer-
ing, laughing voice had said.
Coward.
But he had the reputation of being
brave man. His lifelong friends
nlmnvs smoke of him Ms snrh