Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1895-10-11

Hs*iss psPs1 had D sSioS
secondly, allowed the author time to
think Of the woman he loved and this
always made him 90 utterly miserable
that he could not bring his thoughts
TO bear upon anything but the sp-
parent hopelessness of the state of
man.
"Well, Brandon, my boy" he
unused bitterly, "you've reached the
end at last. Assets. 10 cents; liabili-
ties, an empty stomach aud q land
lsdy's bill for $780,"
He had thought of suicide before,
but he was young and olung to life,
bad Is it was, living more In hope than
fnbstance.
The only other alternative was
starvation, and this he considered
worse still. He could not have labored
manuslly if he had got work to do, for
having been born in the purple he had
always counted poverty out of his life,
60 had learned no trade. He dropped
into his chair again and picked up the
manuscript Of hisnovel: How beauti-
fully smooth it read; what q grand
plot it was, and what a character was
the poor, struggling. ambition-loving
iournalist-''A Fin-de-Siecle Fool.
Ali II he .could but finish it. No
more starvation, no more lying to
widow lsndlsdies, no more dreaming
of the woman he loved but would not
marry.
While he's sat thinking of what might
be there came @ knock at the door, SO
timid that he did not notice it until il
was repeated thrice.
''Ths lsndlAdY," he thought, with
out rising, 80
However. it was not the portly form
Of the widow that met Brandon's gaze
when the door opened, but sweet
little vision of girl enwrspped In
sablea He started to his feet with an
exclamation as che came into the
room, the smile % her face lighting
up the apartment like ray of sum
mer sunshine.
"My dear Minnie" he cried, as he
offered her q chair and relieved her OF
her muff and boa, "what in the world
induced you to come here2"
ftCuriosity and-love; but"
"Curiosity oSeven-eights of wo.
mans naturel 1t has ruined many 1
woman and"
'tNow it's going to save a man,
she intefposed, with ! smile, which
died from her eyes As she glanced
around the room. "You don't appear
10 be very comfortable, and no fire
You said in your letter you were max
ing your fortune. That is not true.
Brandon was seated on the edge o
che table looking at nothing in par
ticular.
Perfectly" he answered, shifting
uneasily. "0nly, you know. Minnie
it's slow work; there are so many q
the game. and never was clever"
''You have grown pessimistio. Poo
Brandon I" and she caught his hands
''How cold you arel Why don't yo1
have Q fret"
The author did not answer.
"Oh, I understand" she said, in
low, sympathetic voice. ''No wood
no Goals, no money, ehp and sh
cAressed his hand fondly. "You bav
not made much progress on the roya
yosdY
'.Don't you understand, Minnie,
have andeavored to earn nv own liy
ing honestly, endeavored to be indie
pendent Of any man, and I want
continue 20. There are enoug
parasites in the world. Il has been
bit Of struggle, I'll admit, but hav
grown accustomed 10 it."
Brandon" was Minnie's solem
response ''f want to show you tn
folly Of your Independence. Did 20
think could not read between th
lines of your letter to me? A ma
Who Il making bis fortune, or who j
earning living and has hopes for th
future, docs not implore the woma
he loves 10 forget him and MARI
some other man. Brandon, you q
love mes" She placed her hands upo
his shoulders and looked up into h
face.
He shut his eyes for moment, b
lips quiverod and he did not speal
but he smoothed her fair hair softl
'sThen you viii come away VIII
mel" abe pleaded. "You will sir
your foolish spirit of pride and ind
pendencs and make me q happy "
man7" and abe nestled her head {
bis arm. ''Nos long ago, when y
we're rich, you loved me and We VIC
10 be married; but when you lost yol
AL In those wretohed companies II
would not be my husband, though n
fortune IL ample for both"
.Tvish I could swallow my wretch,
pride. but / cannot I could not Ii
On SDnr money in your house. 4