Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-27
Bradley, The Headstrong.


two men, as they steered each other
down the aisle of the smoker, while the
CIR seemed to be doing its best to jolt
them both over the shoulders Of other
passengers in the seats. "I'm always
running into somebody haven't seen
for long time. Now, who would
have thought OF meeting you coming
into this smoker--in this section OF
the country"
EYES," said the taller-he with the
new tweed travelling cap-"but then
the world ia big enough to keep old
acquaintances like us apart. Let's
sit down here-apart for years. How
many years is it?'
"Must be n good ten, I should say, y"
said the first speaker, a dark, wiry man,
with small side whiskers.
"Quite that hadn't heard Of you
for quite long while when Scobel
told me about that desperate love af-
fair OF yours, and that was"
"Ha, ha Yes, that was more than
four years ago. Did Scobel ever tell
you the end of that? No? Got a
cigar?" The small man wriggled his
neck with an air OF complete self-sat-
isfaction. "Well, don't mind tell
ing you, knowing that it won't go any
further, Of course"
''Of course, that's understood.
81 don't mind telling you that al
ways thought myself well out of that
atfair-yes. You see, she went away
from Galena one summer to spend
some time at a small watering place
where an aunt Of hers was staying.
Of course, we kept up correspondence
very sweet and all that, you know
but all OF sudden the letters
stopped. Well, Il didn't know what to
make of that. Just as was beginning
to get fdgety letter came from her,
telling me that she had met with a
frightful accident-slipped from a
limb of tree into q creek. 1t 80
happvnoa th.. como follow was stand
ing near, fishing, and this man man
aged to crawl out on the same limb of
the tree just as she was losing her
hold. Oh, perhaps Scobel told you
all that2"
"No," said the other man, looking
at the ash Of his cigar, "Scobel didn't
tell me that. was only smiling at
the thought OF how much alike all
these romantic rescues are"
"Oh, yes; oil alike, You know.
And, 40 far az can make ont, this
fellow didn't do anything particularly
brave, either. Just held his hand out
to her and pulled her in. Anybody
could do that, you know"
"How did he get to her?" the man
with the tweed cap asked.
Climbed ont on the limb, be-
lieve. Well, then there was some
sort Of mystery about. the man for
some days. He didn't tell his name,
and she didn't find it ont until after
she got quite we'll. But you see,
Trappes, i didn't care to have my
fancee writing to me every day about
some other fellow didn't know.
'Of course not, said Trappes.
$50 l very soon took an opportunity
to request her TOTO just drop that
hero of the limb. Told her didn't
want to know his name, even il she
did find it out"
"And that put an end to your affair,
did it?"
THAT? Oh, mol That was only the
beginning of the end, as 1t were"
Here the smaller man-his name
was Bradley--se6hed to fall into re-
Prospective reverie, and Trappes re-
spected his feelings by smoking and
studying his cigar ash in silence.
"You know, Trappes," Bradley at
last resumed. There's no question
about it. Eloise-Miss Jennings
was very nice girl at that time. But
she was very young!"
Trappes nodded gravely. II guess
she must have been," he said, Ito
Judge by what Scobel told me. You
always were man OF some taste, Brad
ley; ! always thought So"
"Yes; that's all right" said Brad,
ley.
pretty and all that. I wonder il
she's still as graceful as she WASP"
~ should think so, quite" said
Trappes. "Eh? what.did you say?
oh, I didn't quite catch. This road
seems very badly baliasted."
''But there's one point that I've al
ways put my foot down on" Bradley
continued. 81 hold that when a man
takes to himself wife il is his to CON-
mand and hers to obey"
Trappes nodded his assent.
That was the rock that Eloise and
] split upon. She wrote me rather q
huffy letter, telling me she was going
to find ont this fellows name this
limb man, 'you know for her own
satisfaction, il not for mine, and have
him call upon her. Well, that was
too much"