El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-07
who he was and that he had been down


in Quito for the past two years and
that he was now going up to San Fran
cisco to be best man for his chum. who
was about to be married. Its an old
promise" he explained, dating from
our college days. We agreed then that
whichever should marry first the other
should come from the ends of the earth,
If necessary, to see him through. Tom
sent for me, and here 1 am" Miss Far
rar asked what Toms other name
might be. II was Bolton. Brooke for
got about himself just long enough to
ask il she happened to know Bolton.
but he did not listen when she answer
ed. He Interrupted to wonder if he
would have a good time in San Fran
cisco What sort of a town was it for
a fellow who didn't know many peo-
pie? Miss Farrar explained amiably.
Now, every one knows that the pleas
ATTEST and most fitting occupation n
woman can have is to talk to Il man
about himself because that makes him
like her. which is. of course, her one
object in life. But even a charming
girl, who understands her place in the
scheme of creation, has an underlying
human taste for just a pinch of va
to have him show some interest in her
self as disconnected from him for just
five short minutes. Brooke did not
think of that He went on to tell her
something that had happened between
Tom and himself at college. something
in which he figured rather more cred
itably than Tom did. And she listened
as she watched the delicate yellow
% 7 r,I; 80
God and man, of all but the sweeping
winds and the whipping waves of the
sea. She listened, for she never failed
of a seemly interest in what a fellow
was saying. but she was thinking of
other things; of how he would have
brought upon himself any conse-
quences that might now ensue and
of how it would serve him good and
right anyway. From which it may be
seen that appearances are deceptive
and that the most lovely woman may
have a streak of meanness in her you
would never suspect.
Poor Brooke, who had given her his
whole heart-he was sure of it now
and meant to tell her so some time
soon-never so much as guessed at it.
She knew he did not He did not
guess anything at all about her and did
not try to. woman is vain creature
at bottom. She likes to be made to
think that some few of her thoughts |
and actions have minor sort of i'm |
pOrtance. There are men who under |
stand this, and they get good wives. |
The other sort ends like as Fhomme
incOmpris. But he begins it by being |
understood. Brooke felt that he was |
The woman of so much perspicacity |
was the one for him. However, there |
was no hurry about telling her so. He |
was going to call on her in San Fran |
cisco. Besides her name and that she |
was returning from New York, he |
knew this much about her-that she |
lived on Pacific avenue. He believed |
she had said something about the view |
of the bay from there. but he had not |
paid much attention.
So they stood side by side up among |
the anchor cables all that last morning. |
specializing on the points along the |
coast, betting on the number of the |
pilot boat. deserving the Cliff House. |
watching the city spreading out and |
over its hills. Brooke said. by love. |
it is a big place; a lot bigger than
bay to those who had come up from
the south. So. after the white tug with |
the gilt eagle on the pilot house, which |
had brought out the doctors or GUS |
toms people or something shot off
again, they went and sat on the Grim |
son plush seat in the social hall. Miss |
Farrar was little absentminded. Even |
Brooke saw it. He laid 1t down to a
CIT ha 10
leave him. However, lie would fix that |
In day or two.
They came alongside the dock at last. |
among the little crowd lifted his hat. |
by Jove, it was Tomr' How could
he have guessed that he Brooke) would |
be on this boat? They were up among
the cables again now.
"Have good trip?" Tom called. !
Brooke started to answer, but Miss
surprised, not to say a trifie annoyed. |
Then he recalled that she had said
something about knowing Bolton.
While they waited for the gang
plank to he put down Brooke decided
that he might as well give Miss Farrar
the solace of a hint of his intentions. |
MAY l call tonight?' he asked. He
did a little proprietary pantomime for
Toms benefit. Miss Farrar blushed
and hesitated. He interpreted it as
consent and was so pleased that he
went little further Il want to see
you quite alone-dear."
I'm awfully''- she started, but at
that moment the gangplank was low
cred, and the rush began.