The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-05
WON BY HIS STORY.
The Mirth-killer Acted Ii to the Life
and Overcame Prejudice.

New York Commensurate
They had been attending the evening lee
lures for about two months. yet neither
Gilbert nor Hamilton had ever had occa-
sion TO speak 10 Kenworthy beyond the
meanin gless interchange OF good even
ing" which the propinquity Of their seats
rendered uDaToida Bile. The friendship OF
Hamilton and Gilbert had sprung up on
the very first night they found themselves
together. Both hubbled over the cheap
humor AID each was intuitive.y certain
of the ready listener there was in store
for him in the other whenever they me-.
The drawback was Kenworthy. His grim
taciturnity took the starch out OF every
joke before II was uttered. And as i'll
luck would have IL. 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 il out OF him in
burlesque at his own expense.
One evening Kenworthy overheard a 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 tina
Kenworthy seemed 10 have some thing to
say and to be badly in need OF saying IT,
TOO. Curios as 1t may appear. the other
two felt fiattered by his unwonted grin
and pricking up their ears. and wreathsd
with obseduious smiles. they mutely court
ed his story.
match once saw I'm village near Mem
phis" he began. His tale was simple: i.
contained nothing worth retel.ing with
pen and ink. And yet he had not been
speaking one minute before mis- listeners
forgot everything and everything else In
the world, so completely absorbed were
they in the narrative /: was his gesticu-
t., 49, 4. 4
ed their attention and thrilled them TO the
core. He acted the story rather than told
IL: and so well did he perform the double
part of the two participants In the scene
that as he proceeded his spectators SEEM
ed 20 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 a red, sue
cuient, appetizing 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-te1lsr
Yet every day made IL clearer that while
Gilbert greeted kenworthy with face
beam!ng with genuine pleasure, Hamilton
felt awkward In the Southerner's presence
and avoided his glance Finally Han,i.-
ton changed his seat. Gilbert missed him.
Got tired Of me?'' he asked.
Not Of you" returned Hamilton, blush
ing IT'S that COMPOUNDED watermelon
story. He told IL so well. that ever since
that evening | cannot set my eyes on him
without seeing an ugly negro chewing
away at huge slice OF watermelon 1t
makes ne sick 10 look a him.
What a crank" chnckled Gilbert. II.
too, think Of the darby whenever look a.
Keaworthy. but the scene only makes
him the more interesting TO me. Didn't
he act x weIlr''
"Of course ne did. bat that's why I can
rot bear The sight OF him"
But that's just why like him.
Hamilton was bridling up and there was
A quarrel in the air. when Gilbert remark
ed: Wen. there IL no accounting for
tastes
The tone in which this was said al once
disarmed Hamilton and the two broke into
a hearty laugh.