Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-25
A PHILOSOPHER.

"Of all mad acts I'm mad and mistaken
life, this IN surely tho worst. Because u
woman smiled on you once, or you
thought she did, In tho old, dimly rcmcm-
bered time; because n woman's eyes looked
tenderly into yours In the moonlight Of q
quiet garden; because you were fool
enough To bc beguiled by half reluctant
promise OF waiting faithfulness; because
Of all these empty and intangible things,
on the false hope OF which you yet have
lived for the past few years you come here
now, when you know tho woman IL mar
ried and has probably forgotten yon, or at
the best regards you merely I'm the light Of
past episode. Oh, Mark Fraser, lark
Fraser! Truly your philosophy Is as
naught, and your worldly wisdom vain
thingp'
The man laughed little bitterly and
paced across tho room again and stopped,
leaning his back against the door and
bending forward To contemplate tho toes
Of his boots
"You arc not content" nc muttered
again to himself moodily, "to speed o'er
the foaming main To tho possible arms of
love and beauty-of the constant order-in
England-thero TO learn, as Others have
learned before you, that beauty waiteth
not when eligible man proposeth. No,
you must rush out here, TO this abomina-
bio little continental town, filed with bad
smells and invalids and grinning natives,
to track down the woman who never cared
for you and her doting husband. Why
you do this heaven only knowsl It's q
fitting ending to your madness, suppose,
Mark Fraser But you'll go back tomor-
row, my boy, and cure your madness,
which has SO little of method In 1t, by "a
large dose of hard work"
He crossed the room again with some.
thing Of n sigh and drew out his cigarette
case and lit one of the little paper things
and seated himself and stretched out his
long legs before him.
"You might have made an abject idiot
of yourself, Mark Fraser" he went on in
q lighter vein, "and spoiled your reputa-
tion for complacency. The very idea Of
coming to stay In the same hotel! sup
pose they won't look at the visitors book.
Even IL they do, she would say nothing.
Oh, May!--my May as used to call you,
with an impertinent and premature at
tempt at appropriatiOn-why did you
marry Frank OwenY You might have
chosen better specimen of the sex. But
I suppose that's jealousy, tempered by un-
requited love. l shall go away tomorrow.
wish i hadn't come today"
He sat there SO long alone dreaming Of
impossible things-of dear, dead hopes
that had seemed realities but q little time
since-that he fell asleep at last, and
slumbered uneasily for some hours. He
was partially awakened by @ noise OF run
ming feet, Of shouts and cries, but even
then he did not move; the sounds seemed
to be but part Of half forgotten dream
When fully awake, he rose at last and
shook himself heaxAly; the sounds had
ceased. There was only q dull, distant,
hoarse roar, that seemed to drown every
thing else.
"Some factory near at hand, suppose"
he murnured carelessly, working late"
He walked to the window and flung
aside the curtain and pushed the window
up. From other windows, comparatively
near at hand and at right angles to that at
which he stood, there came a great and
fierce glare Of light, and the dull roar was
more distinct. With a momentary quick
ening of his pulses, he strobe across the
room and opened the door. He was met
by dense volume of smoke, which half
blinded him.
pleasant, -. he muttered. "Hotel on
fire, and I'm on the top floor. wonder II
they have fire escape in this benighted
place? The idiots have apparently forgot
ten my unimportant existence
He was turning back into the room with
uncertain step, when he was startled by
cry of alarm and fear.
"Hello! Some one else forgottenp Com
panionship in distress Is sweet. I will
cen seek it,
He ran out of the room and shouted:
"Where are you? Can you come this way?
Put a towel over your mouth and nose
most excellent thing, l assure you. Hurry
upp'
A muffled voice, which seemed to sug-
gest that the other forgotten one had ap-
parently followed his advice, cried some
thing in reply, and the next moment
figure rushed into his arms staggeredJwith
him into the room, flung aside the towel
and leaned painting against the wall. Mark
Fraser shut the door quickly and turned
to look at the figure. Perhaps even at that
hour he was not altogether surprised to
see who 1t was. The woman-for IL was o
woman-exhibited the most emotion.
Mark, " she cried breathlessly, II did |
not know that you were horeP'
Il can assure you, my dear Miss Fal-
coner-or perhaps I should say Mrs.
Owen" he retorted, with great and |
strange calmness in his tones-"that / |
should not Aave been here had been per-
sonally consulted in regard to the matter |
! have been forgotten as troublesome ba- |
bies sometimes are on these occasions. And |
your he asked
"I-I was forgotten too. was DOING,
I think,
"a further bond of sympathy" he re-
marked In the same tone II was sleep
ing. Won't you sit DOWN."
Isis there timer" she said wildly, |
glancing round the room. "Is there no
no chance of escapeP"
Plenty Of time" he replied "time for
many things And your husband--I have
heard oil about IL, you sce-is nc saved
from the dcvouring elementsY"