Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-09

then pushed the bottles across the
small table which stood between him
self and his friend.
The reason I haze women is this:
There was once a man like yourself,
young. rich. full of the Joy Of living.
The world and all that was in it were
az his feet. He was gentle-natured'
gOOd-hearted, and would have trusted
and believed the devil himself. The
gentleman in black did not seek for
credence on his own account, but the
best instrument of torture and tempta
ton he could find was a woman. Don't
look so shocked Charlie. No trace of
horns or hoofs disfgured her exquisite
PROPORTIONS. and if a smell of brim
stone urked anywhere among the
folds of her simple little muslin frocks
a dash of sweet, OdOrous viOlets effectu-
ally disguised it. She was the lOvelieSt
scrap of mortality that ever drew
man TO perditiOn. For glance from
her sapphire eyes. for a smile from her
delicious baby mouth, that man OF
whom I speak would have cut off his
right hand. But she-dear little inno-
cent as she was-wanted no such grew
some playthingS as severed limbs.
Rather did she prefer such pretty trities
as hands can give.
Lamont paused and lit fresh cigar.
ct began with flowers acd theater
tickets. She would sit through play
with her starry eyes fixed on the stage,
and the fair blossoms-his flowers
held against the whiteness OF her girl
ish breast. until his arms ached TO clasp
her TO him. But he always feared to
even hint his passion to one so inno-
cent and pure One day he met her IN
the street and, charmed by her glrlish
admiration. bought her string OF
milky pearls. After that the flowers
dropped off and brooches that cleaned
with rubies. rings and bracelets OF dia-
monGs and strings of gems for the
decking of her slim white throat show
cred into the lap of her frOck. And all
his time. while every smile and pout
and merry laugh were forging the pitt
less bands of mad passion round MS
bparr. he had not so much as brushed
his lips across her pinked-tiped m
gers
"This went on for months. For this
GIRLS sake the man l tell you Of gave
mn the society where he ENs popular,
deserted the friends who would have
bean true to him through everything,
broke the heart of a little quiet brown
eyed thing away in a country parsonage
and sent his own mother sorrowing 70
her grave. Then. when the girl with
the bic eyes and the tiny mouth had
all-his manhood the fultillment OF his
life's career. his money and MS 1alr
fqme-he offered her the last thing he
had IN give-his name. He went 10
her one night beggared. i'll. weary,
and asked her to marry him. she
Iauebed in his face. GOD, how that wo-
man laughed,
Lamont dropped his face between his
bar6s and grCaned as the memory. OF
the mast came back to him. From be-
tween his hands, in mutfled tones he
flushed the story.
she dashed him with the cruel tom
one of contempt and mockery. she
cried that no bankrupt in pocket ana
in friends should be her husband, ana
then. with virtuous Indignation nash-
ING from every feature. she ordered nm
from her. saying that his very presence
would enGanger her good name. lAey
never met again.
Silence fell. Lamont, with hidden
face. was breathing heavily in ms 81
fort 10 regain his self-control. 'N"''''N
Marten fiddled awkwardly with his chg
arctic. more moved by the old mans
emotion than he cared TO show.
Presently Lamont rose to his feet