The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-04
DOLLY's GRIT.


government job and left Washington last
spring without telling where ho was GO
ing, everybody naturally concluded that
he had "gone TO the devil" People are
always eager to say that any man. es2e-
cially II he Is young and handsome and
hasn't penny i'm the world. has gone to
the devil. In fact, It is the one way peo-
pie have for accounting for fellow who
turns up missing, and then regarding each
other in n grcedily curious way they in
quirc. who's the womani"
The fact that fellow can go "to the
devil without the help of some woman
never enters the human mind, although
be IL noticed that whens a man reaches a
high degree Of prosperity, when he makes
fame and name, people never turn upon
one another and ask, "Who's the womanS"
Now, as nobody could prove by which
route Jack Stuart had gone, there tho
matter rested, and II newspaper reporter
had followed his career where IL Is now he
would throw down his pencil with
"Pshawp or something stronger, adding
in tones of disappointment: 1T was "a
woman, but she didn't send him TO the
devil The story's no good. The result
would bo ttat the newspapers wouldn't
caused him TO kill her, himself or the 9TH
or man, we would have had an illustrated
page.
The story as il stands has, however
something besides virtue 10 recommend IT,
and maybe 1t is worth the telling oven II
the several people concerned will not like
TO see IL In print
IL began, or at least tho winter of its
discomfort eliminated, one evening last
March I'm the coy little living room Of n
great. impressive house on Dupont circle
Jack Stuart was sitting In one of those
corners which invoke Irritation NJ the to-
ginning and more serious intentions after
close intimacy His hands were stuffed
deep down In his pockets and his hand
some brow bore deep, dismal frOwn
The girl sitting on the little stool In front
OF him and resting an elbow Familiarity On
his knee looked upon him with tender,
anxious sympathy in her eyes. They had
evidently been discussing some grave sub
ject, and the youth broke forth after his
moody silence:
Hang IL all. little girl, can't much
blame your mother for not liking me
around"
"Sho wouldn't like you around IL you
had cords and cords OF money. Jack. You
know mamma. She's determined i shall
marry foreign title. and I'm just as de-
termined | shan't."
The girl closed her pretty lips in way
that showed that she had not had father
who had plowod through poverty and OBJ
scurity and dreadful hardships To for
tune for nothing That fortune intact he
had foolishly left 10 his foolish widow
She was character term VIII 1
means one Of two things. either that n
woman has none of any sort or that she
has too much of an objectionable doscrip-
tion. This particular woman belonged to
the latter class.
"Wcll, tell you, Dolly, do get low in
spirits. You see, my prospects aren't
good. "
Jack took her hand and caresscd IL,
smiling that hopeless, bitter smile that
means so little and looks so much on the
face OF u boy OF %
Tho name Of Stuart" he went on,
"cau carry chap through life. 1t can't
make him rich or famous 1t can't give
him tho girl he wants. and he's not goi"g
10 steal her when she's rich girl-that
would lcok like highway robbery, grand
larceny or something Of the sort. Cf
course that's what your mother would
say"
"Oh, mamma
And it's what the rest Of the worlG
would say too. Hero have been on gLy-
ornmcnt salary Of less than 800 month
for two years ! came here and found IL -
Of old friends and ] went into society /
tell you m sick Of it It's sawdust life,
this thing of follow taking room aud
living on sandwiches at afternoon teas and
counting on the dinners he's asked to for
his square meals. wanted to stop and
then mcS YOU and couldn't, and here
am, worse of than ever. If 20 away.
will lose you II | stay here and try to
study profession, it viii take years and
years, and l couldn ( ask YOU TO wait ior
me"
Sho' pattcd bis hand tcndcrly. "Oh,
Jack, 7" she said, lit would be dreadful for
you to go--awiul for you TO leave me with
mamma and tho count. Think of itl
Why, IL would be brutal" Tears wcllcd
in her eyes Il could be true | wouldn't
forget, and would be brave, but think of
mamma and the COUNT
Yes" said Jack. touching the soft love
locks about her forehead, but think of
tho hole I'm In. You see, that plantation
OF mine
"Oh, Jack 90 you own plantations
Why, Of course you DO All southcruers
have plantations. "
Yes. and Eiine Is tho worst OF the lot
md that's saying great deal ! icy@
told you about IL because lgct hot Nurn
ever think Of II | want TO light NLh'
10 fight woman, and that ungallaut
The scarlet mounted to his brow anG BIZ
voice was low and tense with hatred
well. | will tell you, he went on
"It's fine Virginia plantation. and it's
all have in the world Ii was my moth
er's property, and when she died my father
married again-an old maid. his house
kceper-and when he diod my stcImutLrr
being shrewd woman anti Us mcHr IS
tho mischief, employed some tricky law.
yers, who got her a widow dover out of
the rent Of my mothers puntati0n--n
widow dover of g.. OuU year out Of my
mothers property. Tint AL tie Income
the plantation affords You wouldn't
think Il stay there and work 1t. would
youy"
II should think not"
Its my property, and every cent of the
L.. q L.. "A