Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-08-14
An EgOtiSt and a Woman
BY JESSIE LLEWELLYN.

Copyright. 1902. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
ut was a sad affair."" he said.
"Yes?" She regarded him curiously.
So this young man, known to his linn
tied circle of friends as The Egotist,"
possessed sympathy.
They sat on opposite sides of the
long table in her fathers library. At
the farther end of the room the crate
fire had gone out, but she did not
ring; it might encourage him to stay
after he had told the story. Perhaps
ne was not the egotist that people
thought him to be. He seemed 10
feel the tragedy in what he told-else
why should he be telling it?
sand you knew him very well?"
she asked.
ooh, very well-in a business way.
The governor used to rely on him.
Afterwards when I took on the bust
ness, l kept him-out of kindness,
you know. I'm soft-hearted chap"
eyes, know" she interrupted. He
was incompetent? You felt sorry?"
"'Not that exactly, oh, no. He was
good man-student and digger
great chemist. l appreciate a digger.
l even took him over to the club for
lunch once or twice. He was a nat
ural gentleman. Then, anyway, I'm
humane chap at heart-regular
democrat, you know"
you say he was a very gifted scien-
tist?" she asked quietly.
"He was that. We paid him big
ger salary than any extract house in
the world ever paid a chemist. The
governor and I always looked out for
good men-and paid for them. l can
tell man of brains the minute l lay
eyes on him. It's just natural for me
to know one on sight-funny isn't it?"
very" she replied.
I'm a queer contradiction" he ru-
minated, absently crushing some rose
petals on the floor with his wide foot.
Il was never before SO shocked to
hear of a suicide. He had often spok-
en- to me about himself when he had
one of those melancholy attacks. l
encouraged him, for I'm an easy sort.
Fellow can move me to tears and not
half try. You see he had married 4
girl-well-the good fellow type.
Said he owed it to her after pro-
nounced attentions had made people
talk. She told him that. He felt sor-
ry for her-acted the fool as those
studious chaps always do, and married
her. Now, /"
And she?"
went to the other extreme From
being. too-er-jolly she overdid re-
spectability. Joined woman's clubs
and things-that sort was the best she
could do. Developed into shrew.
do you know what I'd do If found
myself married to a shrew? Oh,
I'm"
What did he do?"
"Oh, he!" grave expression came
over the young mans round face. He
turned his profile toward her-he had
good profile-and passed his fingers
through his front hair, careful not to
disarrange 1t. las l said before, he
was one of those fine, representative
souls; the kind that quivers at a
rough word. l always know how to
deal with that kind of a man. Now
most people do not-but-well-you
wouldn't think tim naturally of
the artistic temperament myself
funny with my business ability, isn't
it? / could see, you know, that the
woman was driving him to the edge of
his nerves-that sne was killing him.
Never saw such a picture of misery
as he grew to be. Always looking off
somewhere and not hearing anything
that went on around him. We grew
intimate may say very intimate.
He was a gentleman, you know, al
ways without cent, but gentleman,
and although he was only salaried
man in the house l actually grew fond
of him. We would tell college yarns
and L"
you were in college together?"
mot exactly. He had gone in for
the German and Russian universities
after ages of examining on this side.
Of course with the governors
money
Eyes, know" She swiftly replied
and a dark red overspread her face