The Delta independent., 1896-07-15
CHAPTER XIV.

ture OF a man sitting with his head in
hands beside dying fire.
CHAPTER XIV.
Yates stood for moment regarding
the detected attitude of his friend.
"IIello, old man. he cried, you have
the most 'hark-from- -the-tombs' appear
ance l ever saw. What's the matter?r
Remark looked up.
''Oh, it's you. is it?"
''Of course it's l. Been expecting
anybody else?"
mo. ! have been waiting for you
and thinking of variety of things.".
You look it. Well, Kenny, congrat-
ulate me, my boy. She's mine, and I'm
hers-which is two ways of stating the
balloon, Kenny. I'm engaged to the
prettiest, sweetest and most delight
full girl there is from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. What dye think of that?
Say, Remark, there's nothing on
earth like it. You ought to reform and
go in for being in love. 1t would make
a man of you. Champagne isn't to be
compared to it. Get up here and dance,
and don't sit there like bear nursing
a sore paw. Do you comprehend that
ain to he married to the darlingest
girl that lives?"
God help herl"
That's what say. Every day Of
her life, bless her! But don't say it
quite in that tone, Rcnmark. What's
the matter with you? One would think
you were in love with the girl your
self, if such q thing were possible"
''Why is it not possible?"
"If that is a conundrum can answer
IL the first time. Because you are
fossil. You are too good, Kenny,
therefore dull and uninteresting. Now,
there is nothing a woman likes so much
as 10 reclaim n man. 1t always annoys
a woman to know that the man she Is
Interested in has past with which she
has had nothing TO do. II he is wicked
and she can sort of make him over, like
an old dress, she revels in the process.
She fatters herself she makes a new
man of him, and thinks she owns that
new man by right of manufacture. We
owe it to the sex, Kenny, to give 'em
chance ut reforming US. have known
men who hated tobacco take to smok-
ing merely to give it up joyfully for
the sake of the woman they loved.
Now, IL a man is perfect to begin with,
what is dear ministcring angel of
woman to do with him? Manifcstly.
nothing. The trouble with you,
Kenny, is that you are too evidently
ruled by good and well trained con-
science, and naturally all women you
meet intuitively see this and have no
use for you. A little wiclscdness would
be the making of you"
do you think, then, that II u mans
impulse is TO do what his conscience
tells him is wrong. he should follow
his impulse and not his conscience?"
You state the case with unnecessary
seriousness. I think that an occasional
blowout is good for n man. But IL
you ever have an impulse of that
kind, think you should give way to it
for once, just to see how IL feels. A
man who is too good gets conceited
about himself"
II half believe you are right, Mr..
Yates" said the professor, rising. II
will act on your advice, and, as yoq
put it, see how it feels. My conscience
tells me that I should congratulate
you and wish you long and happy
life with the girl you have-I won't say
chosen, but tossed up for. The natural
man in me, on the other hand, urges
me to break every bone in your worth
less body. Throw off your coat, Yates"
''Oh, say, rRenmark, you're crazy"
perhaps So Be all the more on
your guard, IL you believeit A Alunatic
is sometimes dangerous.
''Oh, go away. You're dreaming.
. You're talking in your sleep. What,
fight? Tonight? Nonsense!"
.'Do you want me TO strike you be-
fore you are rcady?'
NO, Kenny, no. My wants are al
ways modest. I don't wish to fight at
all, especially tonight I'm reformed
man, tell you I have no desire to
bid good-by to my best girl with .
black eye tomorrow
"Thcn stop talking, IL you can, and
defend yourself"
Its impossible to fight here In the
dark. Don't hatter yourself for .
moment that am afraid. You just
spar with yourself and get limbered up
while l put some wood on the fire.
This is too ridiculouA-
Yates gathered mp some fuel and
managed TO coax the dying embers into
q blaze.
There he said, chats better.
Now let me have = look At you. In the
name of wonder, Kenny, what do you