Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-02
PURIFIED BY FIRE.


/ the crate cast patches OF light hero
and there; but ftui MS the nlumina-
ton was Il helped the speaker TO un-
fold the hidden fancies of his brain
better than he could have done in the
! friend.
III bore you. Just throw club at
me- he continued. with sort OF em-
narrassment quito new to him. settling
hlinseit on the broad window SILL
his companion, stretched ON the low
couch, listened at frat with quiet at
tehuNeness, but. as the figure In the
window went on steadily in his softly
modulatod tones, the listener raised his
head a bit, and before he had finished.
was sitting upright. surprise and as
constituent written In unfattering
truth ON his face
| We'll, what do you think OF III"
/ louNe struck u good thing. Bots
] totd, said his companion, brinilng his
hahd down upon his friends knee with
aueetionate emphnslsi
You're the hekiest dog liyinrr
Pom my word. you're quicker than
hghtning to catch ideas; here you are
with your plot all planned while l am
stu wool gathering"
think myself the idea Is sort of
/ neat rcplicd the other
III had your flow Of language. ola
man, should feel pretty certain Of
success AZ II Is II will be q pearl In
n tlnsel setting"
| i've read somewhere, n fellows work
should always have second writing,
40 40 ! shail put 4 aside week or two
before sending Il IN"
After the story teller had retired. the
| other sat with hands clasped about hla
knees goEing with broodlng eyes into
/ the IRE.
After awhile he reached for his pen
nnu mhue Few desultory scratches on
] his paper, but the mood paused and no
nung his pen to the floor,
over nus face fell "a shadow, which
] drew MS hruws Into soowl and his
lips tightly together
4 Why should such an idea come 10
himf"
i" Little Hots' getting ahead OF mer,
/ lie was silent again. but his face
! was flushed by the heat OF the conflict
being wRgcd in hin heart.
/ HIS eyes softencd as they foll ON tho
l hoNlsh face NJ Botstcrd who had al
/ ready fallen into n heavy sleep.
/ IL was the same boyish face which
| had pccred over the river bank that
I day when 'hu boat had capsl2ed aud
I he was STRUGGLING In the water And.
I though slight " stature as he was, II
! was Little Rots'' who crept out on the
] In time.
II was Little Rota." too. who had
! nurHed him with such womanly SYM
/ PATTY and Tenderness whom ne had
fallen from tho "hylng" rings in the
gymnasium and broken his leg.
Turning TO the fire again he sat docp
In thought Then the scowl once more
crept over his face.
"Hc found II first, but then he's laid
y aside for umc-and now--why, I'vc
found II, and III use It. too"
ahead NJ mol"
Az last his ambition hnd routed his
/ honor he exclaimed as he rose to his
| feet 'He has no more right 70 n than
! have. He can never prove It was
A long sigh from the sleeper made
him start gulltily
"He don't need e.; he could 20 20
| Europa IN gilded chariot n he wanted
to- while TO ne II means success
wealth, llfo and all care for-and
/ whnta one friendship more or leas7"
II wouldn't do anything to hurt I.lt-
tic Bots but--Oh. hang the rowl
can take care OF mgHolfl'
'J0vel every word OF Il IL In my
head; magnificent There Is raputn-
ton In ~" and no fell TO writing In
The oil was low In the lamp when he
crept into bed, and he blew II quite out
40 he might not SEQ the peaceful face
OF the sleeper.
Two days before the above converra.
ton, President Merrill had announced
that Mrs. Prime, very wealthy widow,
whose only son. member NJ the senior
class had recently died, had offered az
a prize years travel through Europe.
/ or 1900 In money to the young man
submitting the best original story. TO
. ha Aualn.I N,Nf
trustees
4 few weeks later Prof. Towne called
the fellows together 10 hear tho de-
ciHion Of the committee
All were In n culver Of excitement
Many glnnces were cast In the drec.
ton Of fleetwood and Botaford. well
knowing between whom tho bonors
would lie.
fleetwood bore the Fcrutinlzlng with
his usual easy nonchnlnnce: but at In
teryals a feeling Of deadly fplntnesn
stole over him; the trustees looked far
on, q bugzing sounded IN HIS ears.
IL was only by q nuperhuman effort
he held himself together, forcing him.
| self TO appear In HIS usual manner.
He mover once glanced IN Dotmford'H
direction, though the latter's eager
eyes sought his. brimful OF boyish af-
| fcetion.
Prof Towne had nnlghed HIS short
address. and paused moment before
announcing the fortunate ones name.
not a sound broke the painful stiffness.
| The faces OF many grew white I'M
der tho excitement OF tho moment.
fleetwood moistoned his lips that he
might DO able 10 reply 10 the profos-
sor's congratulations, md called all
his strength OF will into action 10
steady his Shaking limbs.
Bitterly he regretted having yielded
TO the Impulse which had led him into
the ignominious act Of whicl. he was
guilty.
The friendship which had grown so
part OF his life. he know In j few mo-
nsnts would be irretrievnbly lost.
BotRford would desplsc him. but never
hetrny him this he knew; but the
knowledge that he would shield him
oven In his diHhoDor was one OF the
means Of his suffering.
why had he ever allowed the hid.
eoua thought 10 enter his bcatt2
Better never have a penny than Sc
cure II at the sacrifice OF his honor,
sitting thorc the Consciousness OF hin
sin settled over him like II pail. Hith-
erto he had allowed himFclf no time
10 think: he had summed BotHford a.
much as possible. Now that tho ofu-
eini moment had arrived hts shame
was almost more than he could hear
Even az the good profeaaor's Kindly
voice broke the stiffness he deter
mined. cost him what u might. he
would confess all 10 the friend he had
| wronged.
enclose the money gnined 20 fraudu-
! icntly. and then leave the college for
| ever, for he felt he could never face
| tttfa TotOH again. ~ II