The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-08-21
The Imp Of Fate.

uYes,n She clasped her hands des-
nairingly and bowed her head. Her
face was pale. a tear glstcned III her
eve, and ho noticed it.
/" But you love mo, Nellie,' he said ,
essionatcly.
eyes, Ned, love you.'
"Stin YOU refuse to marry me2'
Yes"
Why?"
silence q moment. Then she raised
her head.
Ned, everyone says you are All ex-
emplary young man; that YOU are rirh,
cultured and Industrious; know you
are kind and consideratc.'
IcS2'-
Wen, but--but--you must not
come here any more"
The man looked at her IN bewilder-
ment.
"Thcy arc all laughing at me-" she
complained, tearfully-' and~and--l
can not stand it,
And why are they laughing at you,
pray?"
"Do YOU not know?"
uI know" ho said, bitterly, " that
have no bad habits; that l aim TO be
agreeable 10 every one; that L en-
deavo. - svod enmity; yet know
,ha. the yA:: majority Of my male ac-
0ualulautt: cordially hate, mo and the
young womca Of my acquaintance stu
diousIy avoid me, but | do not know
the reason for this" He was cXcitedly
walking the floor.
" Whenever | chance upon q crowd
of young fellows enjoying social chat
the temperature seems to cool pcrccp-
tbly directly join them. Ono by one
they plead previous engagements and
steal away, until finally l am left alone
staring at lot of empty chairs. And
| know that Whenever / am unintcn.
lionally thrown in the company Of II
young woman out for a stroll she darts
into the first store, or makes q sudden
call upon some friend in the immedi-
ate vicinity"
He turned and faced the woman.
"Ncllle, why is it? If you know,
for Gods sake tell"
The woman tried to crush rose in
the carpet with the toe of her shoe.
"Thc trouble with you, Ned, is that
you are possessed of a genius"
"a genius2" proudly. Is it a
crime to be q gcnius?"
"Not crime," she replied, digging
her toe into the heart Of the blossom, =,
" hut in this case a sad misfortune.
Ned you are possessed of the
genius of the inopportunc. You
are constantly hearing and seeing
things you should not see or hear.
Fate or destiny or something else
l., hno ~ i,f ,>la
from which you should have kept
away at tho particular moment you put
III your appearance"
~ light suddenly began TO dawn
upon him.
"Oh, that's ii, is it? Well, it's not
my fault, Nellie, /"
q know you can't help it, but that
fact does not prevent people from being
angry at you or ridiculing mo because
keep you company"
Her eyes snapped Indignantly.
"They are laughing at you, Ned"
" But what have l done?" he dc.
manded innocently.
She looked mischievously into his
eyes n moment.
Wen, for one thing" shc said, ed,
you remember calling upon Can't
Sharpe u few weeks ago2"
Yes, | dropped in to give him som
inside information in business dea
in which he was interested. did
through friendship and he has bcc
cool towards me ever SINCE"
The girls eyes twinkled.
What was he dong when yo
opened his Office door,"
" lie was dycing his mustachc."
They both laughed.
And you know" said the girl
Capt. Sharpe Away has been cx
mustache. Then there's the case o.
Lawyer Blair. You stepped into hi,
office to make friendly call one day
l believe. And what did you sce2"
Why, he was standing before Tho
mirror, making gestures in the air ant
talking to hmsolf."
Rehcarsing an impromptu after
dinner speech for which he was to b
suddenly called upon at banquet tina
evening"" laughed the woman.
"And he has never liked me since,
said Ned.
"Then there's that Chicago maj
you met at the club. DO you remem
ber9"
:" DO you mean that grouty old cus'
who got up and left while ] was talk.
ing to him?''
" You asked his opinion on the ques
ton whether man who has divorced
one wife and married another can hope
to 80 TO heaven"
Il believe | did"
"Well, he has been threo times di.
vorced and was then living with his
fourth wife"
-" The dev-the dcucel didn't know
Certainly, you didn't know it. anv
more than you know what 80 suddcnly
offended that young lady from Mil.
waukee who was visiting the Misses
Adams"
He raised his eyes to her amused
face.
What was it made her mad9, he
asked, anxiously.