The Opelousas courier., 1899-09-23
THE 7RAMP'S KISS.

| of the old house the sound of a girls
fresh, young voice, singing "Love's Ole
Sweet Song" reached his ears. Sud
denly the song ceased, and Robert
Templeton knew the dreaded moment
had arrived knew that Harold Frank
lin had called for his (Templeton's,
answer.
He had promised to give it that very
night that very hour-and Franklin,
anxious lover that he was, had brayed
the inclemency of that night to hear
that which meant either lifelong hap
piness for him or a dreary drag of
~"stale, fiat and Improbable" existence.
Templeton rose from his chair and
paced slowly about the room.
The story he had to tell Harold
Franklin va inevitable. How would
he receive that story? Would he, in
his great love for Clarice, laugh the
deception to scorn; or would lie heap
contumely upon the narrator's head
and leave the girl who loved him for
ever? No, Danish the latter thought!
Harold Franklin vas a true English
gentleman-not one of the soulless
creatures who sometimes pose as such
Creatures of veneer and vapidity-
but a mar with q heart as sound as
n of the oaks Of his native land; a
mar who valued his fellow-creatures
for their true mind-worth and not sole
ly on account of their wealth of the
worlds goods.
Half al hour passed, and Templeton
was still pacing about his study, when
a firm step approached, and a knock
sounded upon the door. Templeton
went across and threw it wide open.
His visitor was Harold Franklin.
"And SO you have come for my
answer, Harold?" said the architect,
after their formal greeting.
eyes, sir" replied the young fellow,
with a quick look in the others face.
T%empleton placed a chair for his
visitor and sat down facing him.
"But where is Clarice? It is neces-
sary she, too, should hear what I have
to say" he said.
"Clarice is acting the good Samar-
itan to a poor fellow I met on the
said Franklin. "He was faint
with hunger, Sc I presumed to invite
him to bite and sup beneath your roof,
MI. Templeton. I trust my presump-
ton did not overstep the bounds of
my aclqaintanceship with yourself
"Yoa did perfectly right, Harold"
interposed the elder man. "And
Clarice, you say, is attending to the
fellow with her own hands?"
"Yes, sir; she preferred to do So"
A few minutes later Clarice Temple
ton entered the room, and both its
male occupants were surprised to see
her eyes were fearful. "You have
been weeping, child?' said her father,
as she sank down on the has sock at
bis side.
EYES," she said softly; "it was
that poor man did aud said
when he was bidding me good night
and thanking me for the food 1 had
before him."
Robert Templeton was too much
.engrossed with his own thoughts to
reply to what Clarice was saying.
"My child" he said, after a short
pause, sit is only right that you
should hear what I am now about to
say. It is only right that the man
who desires to make you his wife, and
who is here tonight for my answer,
know your history and mine"
The young lovers gazed wondering
" upon the speaker, and their hands
each others instinctively.
"History, sir! I scarcely under
stand you," said Franklin. 81 know
that you, the most illustrious
architect Of the time, were, in your
younger days, far poorer than you
are. Have you not told me often
your early struggles were fraught
with p~riyation? Your history, sir, is
one that rebounds to your credit"
II do not refer to the struggles of
ny youth, Harold; it is something
slse-something which concerns Clar.
ice. 1t is this: Clarice is not nv
\ The words were spoken at last.
"Not your daughter?" whispered
girl, her face blanching deathly
pale.
"Sit down again, my child, and listen
o my story. It is an old story-a
theme for novelists. but true
n my case:
1.-TWO brothers fell in love with one
girl. One of the brothers is studious
md aspiring; the other is wild and
careless. The girl chooses the one
who thought of tomorrow as a time of
pleasure and hated the plodding life
# industry. The brother who was
'tudious guarded his secret well:
lone knew his heart was rent with un-
'equited love. He smiled and spoke
commonplace words to the woman
Who had unconsciously broken his
'eart; but in the solitude of the night
lis thoughts would ever wander from
lis books to the dream that had been
battered.
"He left his native town and settled
OF a short time in Manchester. One
lay he received word that the brother
Who occupied the place he himself had
dreamed to fill had been ar
ested on a charge of forgery. The
barge was well-founded, and eventual
, he was sentenced to Is years penal
ervitude., /.
"This was two years after his mar
iage and n year after his child was
His wife never recovered from
he shock, and when the husband had
erved but one wear of bis impr;oo,