Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-02
DOLLY'S GRIT.

spring without telling where he was 60
ing, everybody naturally concluded that
he had 'gone to tho devil" People are
always eager to say that any man, espe-
cially if he is young and handsome and
hasn't a penny in 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 a greedily curious way they in
quire, "Who's the womans'
The fact that a fellow can go "to the
devil' without the hsip of some woman
never enters the human mind, although
be 1t noticed that when IA man reaches
high degree of prosperity, when he makes
fame and name, people never turn upon
one another and ask, "Who' the woman?"
Now, as nobody could prove by which
route Jack Stuart had gone, there the
matter rested, and If a newspaper reporter
had followed his career where it is now he
would throw down his pencil with a
"Pshaw" or something stronger, adding
in tones of disappointment: "It was a
woman, but she didn't send him to the
devil. The story's no good. y The result
would bo that the newspapers wouldn't
give it paragraph whereas, had she
caused him to kill her, himself or the 9th
er man, we would have had all illustrated
page.
The story as it stands has, however,
something besides virtue to recommend it,
and maybe it is worth the telling even if
the several people concerned will not like
to see it in print
1t began, or at least the winter of its
discomfort eliminated, one evening last
March in the cozy little living room of a
great, impressive house on Dupont circle
Jack Stuart was sitting in one Of those
corners which invoke Irritation at the be-
ginning and more serious intentions after
close intimacy. His hands were stuffed
deep down in his pockets, and his hand
some brow bore a deep, dismal frown
The girl sitting OH the little stool in front
of him and resting an elbow familiarly 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 it all, little girl can't much
blame your mother for not liking mo
around
'She wouldn like you around if you
had cords and cords of money, Jack. You
know mamma. She's determined l shall
marry foreign title, and I'm just as de-
termined shan't."
The girl closed her pretty lips in Il way
that showed that she had not had father
who had plowed through poverty and OBJ
scurity and dreadful hardships to u for
tune for nothing. That fortune intact he
had foolishly left to his foolish widow
She was "character" term which
means one of two things, either that
woman has none of any sort or that she
has too much of an Objectionable descrip-
ton This particular woman belonged to
the latter class.
"Well, tell you, Dolly, I do get low in
spirits. You see, my prospects aren't
good.
Jack took her hand and caressed it,
smiling that hopeless, bitter smile that
means SO little and looks so much on tho
face of a boy of 23.
"The name of Stuart" he went on,
"can' carry Il chap through life 1t can't
make him rich or famous 1t can't gre
him the girl he wants, and he's not going
to steal her when she's rich girl-that
would look like highway robbery, grand
larceny or something Of the sort. OF
course that's what your mother would
say"
"Oh, mainma''--
'And it's what the rest of the world
would say too. Here have been on a gov
ernment salary of less than $100 month
for two years. l came here and found lots
of old friends and went into society.
tell you I'm sick Of it, It's sawdust life,
this thing of fellow taking room and
living on sandwiches at afternoon teas and
counting on the dinners he's asked to for
his square meals. wanted to stop, and
then met you and couldn't, and here
am, worse off than ever If go away, I
will lose yor. If stay here and try to
study profession, 1t will take years and
years, and couldn't ask you to wait for
me"
She patted his hand tenderly. "Oh,
Jack, she said, 1T would be dreadful for
you to go--awful for you to leave me with
mamma and the count Think Of it!
Why, 1t would be brutal" Tears welled
III her eyes. II could be true wouldn t
forget, and would be brave, but think Of
mamma and the count!"
Eyes, said Jack, touching the soft love
locks about her forehead, "but think Of
the hole I'm in. You see, that plantation
of mine
4 Oh, Jack, do you own q plantations
Why, Of course you do. All southerners
have plantations.
Eyes, and mine isthe worst Of the lot
and that's saying a great deal. never
told you about 1t because get hot. When
ever think of 1t want to fight. Iwant
to fight woman, and that's ungallant
The scarlet mounted to his brow and his
voice was low and tense with hatred.
''Well, will tell you," he went on.
Its fine Virginia plantation, and it's
all have in the world. 1t was my moth
er's property, and when she died my father
married again--an old maid, his house.
keeper-and when he died my stepmother,
being shrewd woman and as mean as
the mischief, employed some tricky law
yers, who got her widows dover out Of
the rent Of my mothers plantations
widows dover OF ", 900 q year out Of my
mothers property. That's all the income
the plantation affords You wouldn't
think I'd stay there and work 1t, would
your"
~ should think not
Its my property, and every cent Of the
income goes to that old harpy."
'.But, dear, she will die some day"
"Diel" with bitter incredulity. "Nsverl