Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-07-12
Rush Travers' Caprice.



face, and already become cynical! Sc
riously, Rush. would advise you to
become a hermit. | think few
months SO spent would raise you TO
the appreciation of your blessings.
Take it into consideration, old fell
low. Au revoir,"
And Harry withers. touching his
hat. hurried of at the corner of the
street the two friends had approached
together.
Rush Travers walked on alone. The
words to which he had Just listened
had been lightly. Iestingly spoken, but
somehow they had hurt Was it true
that he was ungrateful? Did the heart
never cry out in its emptiness, even
when filled with the favor of fortune,
the good will of men the Caressing
smiles of women7 Did not the two
latter hang upon the former? What
man, what woman cared for the man
and not the outward surroundings
which he owed TO chance? The one
true heart on which he might have
leaned was stilled forever.
Ten years before. in the first flush
of his yourg manhood he had lost his
mother. There now remained for him
but cherished. idolized memory. His
father had died in his infancy. He
had neither brother nor sister
At 25 he had fallen in love with
woman whose falseness be had dis
covered in time to save the wreck of
his life, though scarcely of his happi
ness.
He stood alone in the world-alone
on his richIy-freighted bark. Could
all its treasures atone for the realiz-
ing sense Of desolation the world i'm
parted?
VIII you buy my violets, please,
sir? OnIy dime. sir.
1t was a sweet, pitiful, pleading
voice--a sweet. little pitiful face. look
ing at him from beneath the brim II
tsttered hat, thrust on to mass
of bright, chestnut cur!s.
Children were Rush Travers' weak
ness. At any time he could take into
his arms CRYING child and hush It's
sorrow.
He thrust his hand into his pocket
and drew therefrom a piece Of silver.
which he niaced in a.. IN, o,t
vtratcbod rsin,. tban ,ro,, vor,, idIo
noes be w,lL al ., oues,,o.,ine tho
little girl who ran beside I'm
poor ,ittIe wsif How si,rularIv
nrstty sba is ho tho,,,.+
What is your name?" he asked
"Pansy, sir. she answered. Mulnma
used to gay 1t was the color of my
eyes"
He looked down with smile in the
nurnle deptns half shaded Inv tho Ione
lasbes unraised frnm the brown
checks
"Wbere is vour p,otberqr he aeked
"In heaven sir
"And your father,
"He is dead too
"With whom do Won live"
"Wifh a woman who is kind IN mn
and whom ! pay by selling my How
ers. am all alone In the world.
Alone in the world Who can real
lze as ne, tins pathetic e'cauenee held
IN the simple avowal? But II to him
the word meant so mucn-to him In
the de and strength OF manhood
and position, and wealth-what new
meaning did it gather when IT includ-
ed dependence, and poverty. and wom-
anhood?
A sudden thought came to him. IL
was almost an in. piration. He looked
once more. earnestly, searchingly, into
the little. upturned face.
The child was beautiful. the eyes
were large and truthful: the mouth
showed character. which might be
nodded for good or evil.
"Pansy." he said. scarcsiy conscious
of his own intention until the words
had escaped him. you say that you
are alone in the world. SO am l. Sup,
pose | make you my little girl? Do
you think that you would be happier"
do you mean that am to live with
Won and bring vou The money for my