The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-12-14

hlmsel1 .m outed excitement and un-
limited sweets.
Rob had no objection TO snowy watch
chains. Some of these agreeable individu-
ais had very capacious pockets in their
frock coats. Perfect reservoirs of gum
drops and peppermint lozenges. Rob was
well satisfied with them and they with
him. lie had been quite impartial in his
favors. To him the man was simply
Pop" being to be adored, teased and
tyrannized over.
Remembering the feel of those small
arms about his neck, the fever went out
of the mans veins. The fire was burning
very steadily now. There had been one
of the cold early September storms, but
the rain had ceased. He went to the
window and threw it open. There were
stars without in the darkness. They
made him think of the dreamer, his
cousin Elizabeth. She had called him
brother that very evening. Well he knew
that she would be satisfied only with the
very best of which he was capable. How
could he speak to Elizabeth of party
claims, differences to be reconciled, preci-
pices to bridge? Pshaw! The detestabe
lingo. Was he learning it already? New
er must there come Il time when he could
not return to Elizabeth look as untrou-
bled as her own. Longfellow calls the
stars 'the forgetmenotS of the angels"
They always reminded the man of the
eyes of his cousin Elizabeth.
He leaned from the window and took a
long, full, eXultant breath. Again he
gave that little toss of the head that told
of conscious power. He had chosen.
Again he was master of his destiny.
1t was supreme moment with the
man. There had been Il struggle. He
had had his ambitions. Self had put for
ward its pressing claims. He had dream
ed of power. 1t was the parting of the
ways.
Now to the moment of elHtion succeed
ed another of deep physical depression
1t is in this way that nature rcvcnges
herself when we crowd into a few mo-
ments the emotions of Il lifetime.
Heavily wc&riy, with all the elasticity
gone from his footStcp, he went UP the
broad staircase. His struggle had left
him very weak. Jean, in her dressing
gown and slippers. was lying on the sofa
in her bedroom, her dark eyes looking
uunaturaIly large, her sweet face wan
and pinched. She, too, had had her
vigil
The man took her in his arms very
gently.
"Why, Robert, how tired and pale You
look-and your hands are quite cold.
Let me ret you a glass of sherry"
His lips twitched. Il shall be all right
in the morning, Wife 1t was just n
dream, and il is all over. ! confess | was
tempted, it opened up so many possibili-
ties. Perhaps you cannot understand it.,
but Il man likes TO be a leader of men.
Such a prospect is always tempting to
one Of my type. But it would never have
donc-not for me at least. | should have
got lost in labyrinth of cohwebs daugh-
ingl. You can't fight cobwebs, you know,
wife, but they cling"
Jean looked mystified and dismayed.
"But, oh, Robert. your great scheme!
and what will Elizabeth sayE'
A ray of something bright shot across
the mans face.
Il think Elzabeth-wll be satisfied if
ITXpain."
Jean settled her head contentedly on his
shoulder for a coZy little talk.
"Well, you know really. hubby, never
llhtu II llIuCHs lubuSu WIS very CIItlul
(oh, transparent little woman) not to let
you know how | felt, and now | am glad
and sorry and wretched all at once. But
| never did like those men, never, never!
| don't like the way they wear their
clothes, nor their pudgy hands covered
with finger rings, and why, oh, why, are
most of them so well fed looking and
prosperous? They don't seem bit like
social reformcrS, and that's what you
want to be, know. dear. Dear me, sup
pose you got to be like them" And Jean
gave her husband one of those admiring
womanIy glances the wisest of men must
feel to be tlattering
The man threw back his head and
laughed heartily.
Il see you are going to make my mcdi-
cine sweet to me-" he returned. You
will wrap it up in sugar coated pellets
and you will give them to me in such tiny
doses, and you will get me 10 do just as
you like, you and Elizabeth. Brooklyn
Eagle.