The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-07-19

uTHIRTY years Of age. posscssor
of a handsome fortune and a
handsome face, and already become
CYNICAL Seriously, Rush, l would adj.
wise YOU to become a hermit. think
a few months so spent would raise
Won to the appreciation Of your bless
ings. Take it into consideration, old
fellow. Au revoir."
And Harry Withers, touching his
hat. hurried off at the corner of the
street the two friends had ap-
preached together.
Rush rravers walked on alone. The
words to which he had just listened
had been lightly, jestingly spoken;
but somehow they had hurt. Was
Il true that he was ungrateful? Did
the heart never cry out, in its empti-
ness. even when filled with the favor of
fortune. the good will of men, the
carcsSing smiles Of women? Did not
The TWO latter hang upon the former?
What man, what woman cared for
the man and not the outward sur
roundings which he owed to chance?
The one true heart on which he
might have leaned was stilIed for
ever,
Ten years before. in the first flush
OF his Young manhood, he had lost
his mother. There now remained
20 him but n cherished. idolizcd men,
DRY. His father had died in his in
fancy. lie had neither brother nor
sister.
AZ - he had fallen in love with
woman whose falsencss he had dis
covered in time to save the wreck OF
his life, though scarcely OF his happi-
ness
lie stood alone in the world-alone
on his richly-freightcd bark. Could
all rs treasures atone for the realiz-
ING sense Of desolation the world i'm
parted.
"WilI you buy my violets. please,
sir7 Only dime, sir"
i was sweet. pitiful. pleading
voice sweet. little. pitiful face.
looking at him from beneath the brim
Of tattered hat, thrust on to
mass o. bright chestnut curls.
Children we're Rush Travers' weak
ness. " any time he could take into
ms arms crying child and hush its
sorrow.
He thrust his hand into his pocket
and drew thercfrom a piece OF sill
yer which he placed in the tiny, out
stretched palm; then, from very idle
ness, he walked on, questioning the
.''le girl. who ran beside him.
Poor little waif. How singularly
pretty She is" he thought.
What is your namc?" he asked.
"Pansy, SIR" she answered. "Mam-
ma used TO say 1t was the color OF
my eyes"
lie looked down with a smile in the
purple depths. half-shaded by tho
long lashcs, appraised from the brown
checks.
Where is your mothcr?" he asked.
In Heaven. sir"
Md your fathcr?"
ne IS dead. too"
With whom do You livc?"
with n woman who is kind to me,
ana whom ] pay by selling my flowers
am all alone in the world"
Alone in the world! Who could
realize as he the pathetic cloquence
neg IN the simple avowal? But II
70 hlm the word meant so much-to
nm n the pride and strength Of man.
mood, and position, and wealth--what
new meaning did 1t gather when it
included dependence, and poverty,
and womanhood?
= sudden thought came to him. II
was almost an inspiration. lie looked
nv more, earnestly, searchingly,
mo me little, upturncd face.
me child was beautiful; the eyes
were large and truthful: the mouth
showed character, which might be
nodded for good or evil.
Iansy." he said, scarcely conscious
- ms own intention until the words
nan escaped him, "you say that You
s'F alone in the world. So am I.
n fP''c ! make you my little gtrlr
10 you think that you would be hap
10 you mean that am to live
ta a.n you. and bring you the money
.or my flowers? Oh, I should like
mat very, very much"
mean that you should live with
~ yes; but you will not sell flowers
,"en' though you shall have all that
You want"
'"e child looked up In wondering
l MI She could not comprc-
MN ,he words. but Rush Travers
Y. not uttered them lightly.
a'' he should make Of the little
!, I iutnre he had not determined.
should greatly depend upon her.