The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-28
WON BY HIS STORY.
The Mirth-killer Acted 1t to the Life
and Overcame Prejudice.


and Overcame Prejudice.
New York Observation-Disclosures.
They had been attending the evening lee
lures for about two months. yet neither
Gilbert nor Hamilton had ever had occa-
sion to speak to Kenworthy beyond the
meaningless interchange OF good even
ing" which the propinquity OF their seats
rendered unavoidable. The friendship Of
Hamilton and Gilbert had sprung UP on
the very first night they found themselves
together. Both bunbled over the cheap
humor and each was intuitivey certain
Of the ready listener there was In store
for him in the other whenever they met
The drawback was Kenworthy. His grim,
taciturn.ty took the starch out OF everY
joke before It was uttered. And as ILL
luck would have II, the mirth-kilIer occu-
pied the seat between the two exuberant
spirits. There was nothing to be done but
to speak in whispers and behind the
''hoodoo's' back, taking it out OF him in
burlesque at his own expense.
One evening kenworthy overheard re-
mark behind his back that somebody's
face suggested a niger eating a slice OF
watermelon. A broad smile at once over.
spread the morose face. For the first time
Kenworthy seemed to have something 20
say and TO be badly in need OF saying IL,
too. Curios as It may appear. the other
two felt nat.ered by his unwonted grin.
and pricking up their ears. and wreathed
with obsequious smiles, they mutely court
ed his story.
THAT reminds me OF a watermelon
match once saw in village near Mem
phis." he began. His tale was simple; 1.
contained nothing worth retel.ing with
pen and ink. And yet he had not been
speaking one minute before his listeners
forgot everything and everything else in
the world. so completely absorbed were
they in the narrative. II was his gesticu-
iations rather than his words that chain
ed their attention and thrilled them to the
core. He acted the story rather than told
II: and so well did he perform the double
part OF the two participants in the scene
that as he proceeded his spectators SEEM
ed TO be In the presence OF two negroes.
each with his eyes shooting fire and every
muscle OF his face at work as he was
making a savage onslaught on red. sue
eulent. appetiz.ng slice OF watermelon.
Gilbert and Hamilton were most agree
ably surprised. The intimacy which had
hitherto existed between the two now
seemed TO include the gifted story-telier.
Yet every day made II clearer that while
Gilbert greeted kenworthy with a face
beaming with genuine pleasure. Hamilton
felt awkward In the Southerner's presence
and avoided his glance. Finally. Hani.-
ton changed his seat. Gilbert missed him.
Got tired OF me?'' he asked
mot OF YOU" returned Hamilton, blush
ing. "frs that COMPOUNDED watermelon
story He told 10 10 well, that ever since
that evening cannot set my eyes on him
without seeing an ugly negro chewing
away q. a huge slice OF watermelon II
makes me sick 10 look q; him.
what a crank chuckIed Gilbert. 81,
too, think OF the darby whenever I look at
Keaworthy. but the scene only makes
him the more interesting TO me. Didn't
he act It werlsN
"of course be did. but that's why can
not bear the sight OF him"
But shat's just Why like him"
Hamilton was bridiing up and there was
a quarrel In the air. when Gilbert remark
ed: We'll, there Is no accounting for
tastes"
The .ons In which this was said at once
dssarmed Hamilton and the two broke into
a hearty laugh.