Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-01

ne prusned 1iEe poy ana put the pretty
thing to his lips In a defiant confession.
There's no use In pretending he
laughed. lyon hayo guessed my secret. -
"Secrotl" smiled the American. Well
to be sure, there arc open secrets
"Ahl was certain you had found mo
out. I'll not deny It'll am downright
over head and cara In love with her.
And have been these three months"
I'm not deny that either, though |
doubt II | know 1t as well us you seem to-
But do you think minds Lord no, sir
What s,nR IL il to DO In Lowell ! mover
dreamed It would DO ike this. OF course
have had port affair or two, but they
arc over as sO0n MS tho anchor Is atrlp and
don't count But this, sir Why, laugh
TO remember how thought myself OF any
Importance at oil before was in love. A
man Is only husk, dry stick. chip,
till he can fall in love, and yet hen think
himself Of some account Now, | can sec
and laugh Mt what was. Why, sir, tia
all the difference between plain and col
ored
$50 you are colorcd at last"
"Colored, siry 10 DO sure Inm--through
and throuRh--decp down TO the bottom
with warm glowing tame color, that has
given mo life. That's how feel, ~ II 1
had just come to lifo. Lord How | love
the sweet soul of that girl. And why slrY
what II ity Toll me that Why is she tlif-
ioFent from all the rcstf could worship
every stone hor shoe has touched What
ever SIN she committed shc still would bo
an angel for me. God give her TO me ut
lnst-GOd Give her "a mo, and he may take
the rest
His outburst ended with his face In his
hands and his elbows on the table rs VI he
would press her imnge into his brain.
Tho American thought tho occasion a
good ono to M his pipe and llaht it, and
he did 80 In silence.
50 for 3, tluU there was mo sound Inn tina
uuintercsted wash under tho counter and
the grave comments that the .lnstic tim.
bars orenscd QUO to the other.
May nel if there AFRO difIicultiesg" bo
Inquired presently. PERKINS, shn doesn't
return your sentiments, for instance"
"Not yet % the sailor answered almost
lcrccly lInt sho shall ! mean to make
her That Is why INN going To bring her
mother back Don'tyou understand thatl"
81 hardly thought your cagerness was
entirely on my account
Your acunuuts'
You have not guessed my secret"
"Why, surely you nrc never culorcdY"
cried Curtis Ia some resentment. for men
In his case will always bu Jealous Of their
canonl2atlon and lOnth to believe that amy
one has really loved before they themselves
found grace In the discovery of tho passion.
81 was hardly ever plain, sir, " replied
the American. at camu to mo very
long time ago. and over since that tho best
part Of my ycurs lnye been spent In wlplug
out the color, 'Tis no pleasant orcupp
ton, but You'll not experience H. neyrr
fear It's mortal hard thing TO Ito, and,
try ~ you Will, when once mnu has bcon
eulorcd he cant get nearer plain again
than just u dull snd tint Of tho old nnme
color
And tbs was Lucllc's--l mean tho
countess.
The snme, sir, that We arc both In
search Of
Good God, whit story | nm very
sorry for you, my dear sir You must toll
mo all about H. hnvc been thinking too
much ~ mysrlf And couldn't you make
her love your"
well, 1t wasn't so much that. don't
think | tried II would not hayc bccn
right, for they couldn't hayo let hor mara,
soldier OF fortune. though Americans
werB more III tho fashion thcn. And 1t
wouldn't have boon much good either
Do you know, sir. | am a man that u
woman would mover lovef Now TINT will
surprise you good deal. You wouldn't
think It, would youY They lnnrh NJ mo
behind my huck You would never bclioye
that, but know IT, and Ills not cncournr.
ing knowledge. Your heart wants ,oep.
ing up aitur you have found TINT ont
Thorus no hardship ON earth. sir. viii
compare with being ridiculous In woman's
eyes
oh, COME sir, You ran I mean it," said
Curtis, fairly surprised out OF his readiness
OF tongue TO find So queer key to his now
friends character.
Nay, tia no good crying To comfort me
ON that tack, answered tho American.
"Thorc's no doubling tho truth OF 1t. Ills
tho burden have had TO carry along nll
my life, aud guess II will Il, StIu therc
when my bullet finds me "
Curtis could not miss tho airoctatlon Of
blunt spldicrship In the last phrase, but to
SEQ how inourahc was his tendency to pose
plcturesquoly made thla confess ion Of his
Fundamental humility tho more pathetic.
The aching OF his loneliness must have
been sharp Indeed for him to seek an aims
Of sympathy by laying nakod his delorm.
lily. For Curtis 1t was worry pitlnblc,
" But you don't really believe 1t, Curtis
persisted for lack OF something bottor to
cheer him. Why, you would never run
such "a Risk for thp Indy IL yntt ala