The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-10

"Ilcro" with few bloNa OF mallot.
II.
Next morning, whom tho faint wintry
sunlight looked into Bannistcra little
curtaIned window. It found him living
awake In bed and yawning drowsily.
lilo glanced at tho small clock OH his
mantOl.piocc and saw that IL was nearly
10, and closed his eyes again with com.
Portable aigh. But just Us no did so no
heard loud knock ut tho street door
below, followed moment later by quick
footsteps on tho stairs. and somebody
raped sharply on his door.
"SGS?" hG shouted.
"Bob! Bob!"
"That you, All? Como in" u.
Tho door was pushed opon and Nal.
den came hurrying IN, with white,
scared face and u Mortified look In his
DYES.
"Oh, Bob" no exclaimed, brcathlcss.
W. have news for you. Bad news.
Terrible newsl"
"Eh? What is III" demanded Bob,
sitting up in bed,
"Why--why," stammcred Maiden,
"When l reached tho studio this morn.
ing, tho very first thing cav as went
in was your IIero'-"
u "Ycs?"
mashcd-smashcd into atoms"
Bob gave long low whistle.
"Well," he said, speaking slowly and
thoughtlully, perhaps, after ali, It's
tho very best thing TINT could have
happened to it." 5r.
.What" shouted Maiden, caro- you
dreaming? Arc you mad?"
mo. dare say I've been dreaming"
said Bob, quietly. "What | mean Is
this-this accident puts US OH our old
footing again. The breaking OF tho
Hero MS it wore, restores what was
broken or beginning to break of our old
friendship. I'd rather the Hero broke
than our old friendship. ALT"
Maiden looked at him earnestly for
moment.
Look here, Bob,' no said hoarscly,
81 know what is in your thoughts. You
think did it and you are making OK.
cuses ior me-" g.
NU, NO Ali 'Hrs..|.
"But you are. You know how Jealous
and mean I was last night-what a
brute was-a selfish, unmanly brute,
And you think I did it. Pts only natural
that you should. but, on my word OF
honor. l did not do it'll did not do i, p
cried Maiden, eagerly, with tears in his
cyes. l
II know you didn't do it." said bob,
positively.
"How can you know? Who should
YOU suspect but me, after all said last
nirht?. |, who should have bcen the
first to congratulate you, to be glad
with you and proud Of you-,o NEE.
You with nothing but miserable envy
and unselfish regrets! Oh, Bob, I lay
awake last night thinking about it; +
couldn't sleep was so ashamed of N.Y.
self. Believe me, old fellow, all nv
envy was only passing feeling SPRING
ing out OF my own bad luck. didn't
really in my heart feel what I said. 1t
was only that your good luck, by con-
trast, made mo more fully aware OF my
own bnd luck"
"I knew it! I felt aure Of it." cried
Bob.
l"And I got UP this morning only anx-
ious to apologize for my miserable con-
duct and assure you how truly glad I
was that you made lucky hit at last;
and here-when l get to tho studio
the first thing sec IS tho Hero" shat.
tered to fragments" said Maiden, "and
yet you don't seem to feel it half as
much MS I do" ,s,s s
"Well," said Bob. "it is a relief TO
mo to think that there is no longer any,
thing 10 separate us, to make mo too
proud to DO your friend, or to humil-
late you"
"Ah! you haven't forgotten my
wordsl" cried Maiden. "You think I
broke it; but / didn't. And l shall
never rest until l find out the villain
who did it, so that l may remove from
your mind every shadow of suspicion
against me-"
"My dear follow, l know you did not
do it. And I think l know tho villain
who did" said Bob, shrcwdly.
on do? Who was it? shall never
feel comfortable till I find out"
Don't let's say any more about It. l
know perfectly well who did it."
How do you know? Who was it?
You won't tell me? No. Because you
think am the man, though you won't
own it!'
Nothing OF the sort. I tell YOU I
know who did it," cried Bob. "The
fact is, rs walked homo last night l
felt tho justice OF what you had been
saying, and what brute was to take a
pride in what so Inundated you. After
nil these years our old friendship was
breaking up, aud NIL through mo. as
you may say. Hadn't you and l been
happy together all our lives? Should I
ever be SO happy in any circumstances
without your friendship? With tho
knowledge, too, that I had Inundated
you and eslranced you from me! Well,
that's how thought it all over as |
camc home, and couldn't stand It. l,
was paining you and myself, too. Sue
cess wasn't worth such price. l felt
it so strongly that I suddenly made up
my mind to show you that I wasn't
such q selfish, cold.heartod, ambitious
wretch as l seemed. turned and went
straight back to the studio and"
"What! You don't mean to cav"
eyes, l do" said Bob, chceriully. ~
fell upon the Hero with a couple Of
hammers, and smotc him hip and thich.
and smashed him up myself"
MAN wants but li,:lc here below, e
But wants tina, little good.