The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-11-12

L. II
lMr paper had become
exhausted, which,
secondly, allowed the author time TO
think OF the woman he loved and this
always made him so utterly miserable
that he could not bring his thouobts
TO bear upon anything but the M.
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 and n land
lady's bill for $50"
He had thought of suicide before.
but he was young and chung to life.
bad ms it was, living more in hope than
substance.
The only other alternative was
starvation, and this he considered
worse still. He could not have labored
manual y IT he had got work to do, for
having been born in the purple he had
always counted poverty out of his life
SO had learned no trade. He dropped
into his chair again and picked up the
manuscript of his novel. How beauti-
fully smooth it read; what grand
paw ~ "upS dui NluU IL CHARACTER Wng
the poor, struggling, ambition-loving
Journalist-"A Fin-de-Siecle Fool"
All ! If he could but finish it. No
more starvation, no more living to
. widow landladies, no more dreaming
oil the woman he loved but would not
marry.
While he sat thinking of what might
be there came II knock Mt the door, SO
tlmid that he did not notice it until il
was repeated thrice
"Ihe landladY," he thought, with
out rising,
However, 1t was not the portly form
oil the widow that met Brandon's gaze
when the door opened, but a sweet
little vision of girl enwrapped in
sables He started to his feet with an
exclamation MS she came into the
room, the smile on her face lighting
up the apartment like ray of sum
mer sunshine.
MY dear Minnie" he cried, as he
offered her char and relieved her of
her mutf and boa, "what in the world
induced you to come here?"
Curiosity aud--love; but"
Curiosity Seven-eights of wo.
man's.nature 1t has ruined many
woman and"
Nov it's going to save n man. "
she interposed, with n smile, which
dled from her eyes as she glanced
around the room. "You don't appear
TO be very comfortable, and no fire.
You said in your letter you were max
ing your fortune. That is not true.
brandon gaata1
She table looking ut nothing in par
ticular.
Perfectly" he answered, shifting
nneasily. "Only, you know, Minnie,
its slow work there are so many at
The game, and never was clever"
You have grown pessimistic. Poor
Brandon ~ and she caught his hands
''How cold you are Why don't you
have fire?"
The author did not answer.
"Oh, l understond," she said, in n
low, sympathetic voice. ono wood.
no Goals, no money, eh?' and she
oaressed his baud fondly. "You have
mot made much progress on the royal
road?'
Don't you understand, Minnie, |
have endenvored TO earn NY own liv-
ing honestly, endeavorel TO be indie
pendent of any man, and / want 90
continue 80. There are enough
parasites in tho world. It has beon n
bit Of q struggle, I'll admit, but have
grown accustomed 60 it,.
Brandon" was MinniGs solemn
response, az want TO show you the
folly Of your Independence. Dill you
think J could not read between the
lines Of your letter to me? A man
who IS malinl his fortune, or who is
earning living aud hes hopes for the
future, does not inplOrc the woman
ho loves 81 forget him and marry
somo other man. Brandon, you do
love mc?" She placed her hands upon
his shoulders and looked up into his
face.
llo shut his eyes for a moment, his
lips quivorod unl he did not speak.
but hos smoothod her fair hair softly.
'Ihon you will come away with
mc?' she pleaded. "You will sink
your foolish spirit Of pride and indie
pendcnce and mako mo happy wo-
manT' and sho nestled her head on
BIS arm. "NOt long ago, when you
were rich, you loved inc and wo were
TO be married but when you lost your
oil IN those wretched companies you
would not be my husband, though my
fortune is ample for both"
81 wish ! could swallow my wretched
pride, but cannot. / could not live
On your money in your housS. My