St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-10-06

to save her half moments pain. and
/ don't suppose she cares straw for
me-" he reflected, bitterly.) Il feel
like kicking you."
He lool.ed like kicking likewise.
"Kicl, me, or thump me, or do what
you will, old chap! Ny feeling is just
this: l am worthless sort of fell
low, have gone the pace, and don't
deserve the love Of any woman in
the world"
what man ever did?" growled Met
ford.
"Oh, but you haven't a notion what
thorough bad lot I've been! Don't
look SO unbelieving!" proceeded the
Noteworthy convalescent. Il was 60
ing to tell you something that Jess
told me which makes me tolerably
sure that Miss Wethered-but you
would only scoff. / never knew such
a fellow as you. upon my word!"
Metford smiled illegibly.
1.-The position is a very simple one" !"
he said. Assuming that from what
your sister has been-pardon me for
saying so-unwisely suggesting to
you, Mary-I mean, Miss Wethered-
cares enough for you to marry you.
worthless and heartless but toler-
ably good-looking chap like you. who.
as you justly remark, don't deserve
the love Of any woman, nor, for that
matter, the succession to one of the
oldest and wealthiest baronetcies in
England"
He paused, his face white and drawn,
lines visible upon it that were not there
when this debate began.
/ "You haven't any love to offer her.
You don't know what love is. You
merely want to cancel a supposed debt
of gratitude by offering her your looks.
your wealth-everything you have ex-
cept the only thing that woman like
Mary Wethered hungers fort"
He was becoming eloquent. too elo-
quent. and he perceived it.
.'Love will come later" Winston an
swered, confidently; gratitude is said
to be akin to love. The girl is not
quite my STYLE admit, but l like her
Il really do, old chap! She is passably
good-looking, although, ! suppose. one
could hardly cali her pretty
Metford snorted.
"Sings well-sufficiently well. that Is,
for drawing-room purposes. Don't look
SO beastly scornful. Of course, you
can't appreciate anything humber
than Italian opera. She plays the piano
nearly as well as Jess does, talks inter
estingly, and has, must say, the
gentlest voice imaginable. Whatever
you may choose to say, you old calculat-
ing cynic, am more and more inclined
to agree with my sister Jess that if l
return to India without asking the girl
to be my wife shall be the stupidest,
most ungrateful and most contemplate
beast ON earth"
Il warn you." said Metford. warmly.
'that if you pretend love to Miss Weth-
cred and let her pledge herself to you
you will repent yourself within a week,
and the girl will find you out and be the
most miserable woman on Gods earth.
You won't listen to my words of wis
dom, of course; for of all the pig-head-
ed, obstinate mules"
"A somewhat mixed metaphor"
laughed Winston, unabashed.
"Mixed metaphor be hanged! Be .
man and gentleman! Go away unde-
clared, and if, after you have had six
months to think about it, you feel
something more than gratitude stirring
within your bosom, get six months
leave, return to England, insert your
head into the matrimonial noose-and
be hanged to you'll"
"Beastly old cynic!" declared the
blase lieutenant. Il like your con-
founded impudence talking about love.
Why, / don't believe you possess even
the rudiments of heart! Damned
good chap, all the same! You shall be
my best man. Tomorrow or the next
day shall indite hyperbolic epistle to
Miss Mary, asking whether she cares
enough for a fellow to wait for him un-
til he gets his captaincy. 1t may be for
years. as the song says; but I fiatter
myself i am well worth waiting for,
and don't propose to take the risk Of
any other fellow-a cold-blooded chap
like you, for misunderstanding into
the lists during my absence!"
: Metford was speechless with con-
tempt. That Winston should have
proved himsel. such an unmitigated
cad!
The funny part Of it was that Miss
Wethered, who was taking brief rest
at the seaside, received two letters by
the morrows malone from the ''un-
mitigated cad," thanking her lever SO
much" for all her kindness to him dur
ing his protracted illness; the other
from the ''beastly old cynic," the re-
ply to which-it seems almost like
sacrilege to print it-was as follows:
Dear Dr. Metford: am SO glad! How
glad / cannot tell you! i have loved you
ever since the day that first met you. but
/ never dared to hope that should be hon
ored with your love- Very sincerely
yours. MARY WETHERED.
And this is the letter that sister Jessie
wrote a day or two thereafter to her
graceless brother:
Ny Darling Boy: You did II beautifully.
II were queen, you should be decorated
with q cross for most conspicuous gallan-
try. I know how fond of the girl you had
become. and what II must have cost you
to act as you did. 1t was very hard work.
wasn't 1t. poor boy? Mary is overjoyed.
Some day. when she has been married .
year or SO. I may let her into part OF the
secret of our conspiracy. But 'muu's The
word for the present
Chicago Herald.
Believe In Yourself.
II you would succeed up to the limit
of your possibilities, hold constantly
to the belief that you are successor
ganized and that you will be success
full, no matter what opposes. Never al