Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-07-19
A FIRE-ROOM|
WOOING VA ~
By JOHN FLEMING WILSON. |


stocking as an art. In one of these
lectures he most unexpectedly de-
scended from principles to example
Il tell ye," he was saying, $50 long
as we are in an American line, and
they don't save in wages to China
men what they lose in extra coal
from unslillful handling, it pays to
have a head on your shoulders
When the Emperor's watches wear
pigtails and answer TO numbers in
stead of names, then leave the head
work to the engineers. But in my
private opinion-and I've handled
shovel 90 years-a man like Lyle is
money TO owners at four times
heathen's wage"
Edward Lyle looked gratefully at
his chief, and a slow flush mounted
under the SCOT on his checks. 1t was
very sweet TO be held up as an ex-
ample by her father; he even (some-
what self-consciously) felt that Ann
Forbes was little closer that she
had approved of him. To tell the
truth, the young man had never seen
Ann Forbes in the flesh.
Months ago, when he had Joined
the Emperor in San Francisco, the
chief engineer had tried his strength.
his endurance and his temper; an
proved them, and afterward taken
the clean-mouthed youth into his
confidence. That confidence consist
ed in unpublished opinions on every
engineer in the "line;" in forcible de-
auctions about life rs exposed in the
writings of Bulwer-"The Caxtons"
was his favorite-and lastly, in talk
ing about his daughter, Ann.
Many night the burly Forbes and
his heavy-limbed subordinate leaned
over the bars around the forehatch.
and spoke to each other of her. If
the elder were satisfied with the
youngsters attitude, he took him
quietly TO his little cabin and let him
look at the picture of her on the
bulllhead. These were moments I'M
forgetable and utterly delightful to
Lyle. He dimly felt, as he gazed on
that picture standing out so purely
and clearly amid the murk of the
room, that in some way she was
drawing him nearer to herself. The
sordid means of his livelihood grew
more honorable in his own eyes in
that it was also a way, indirectly, To
her. In these moments he was even
Jealous of her fathers speech. That
hoarse words should play with her
name or describe her life seemed in
harmonious, and the very fact that
they were proud and loving words
offended him.
In a most timid and reverent fash
ion he attempted to show himself
worthy of her. He worked steadily.
he saved every cent of his wages;
and, when in port, he took a delight
in letting the chief fireman know
where he spent his time.
To his disappointment. Forbes took
everything in matter-of-fact way
He praised his work sparingly, nod
ded his head kindly when he dis
played his savings, and simply took
it for granted that he behaved him.
self ashore Then, very gradually, it
dawned on Lyle that the father
never gave him any share In this
sentiment about his daughter apart
from that of q mere listener. He
saw, indistinctly, in his somewhat
clumsy mind, that Forbes had never
incorporated into his conversatio
about her any Of his youthful sug-
gestions, and he also felt that his
own conception was a little finer AMI
more truthful than the fathers
Why, otherwise, did John Forbes saw
that Ann was mighty chilly to young
men-that she was too steady to ever
fancy man that wasn't grown up
and sensible? Lyle knew that this
was perverse, and its painful made
quacy as a generalization of her
wounded him. How sure he was that
those yelled eyes could burn into ut
ter expression! And he felt that the
fire to kindle them must lie in the
heart of young man.
These feelings developed INFO
strong emotion at times. and tho
more rapidly whom he tried TO brine
his fancy down to concrete details
What sort of hat does she r?"
he asked Forbes, one evening.
HAT! 1 reckon a caps more like.
- AASA no she does
wear a hat"
How does she do her hair?" LYLE
went on, with some diffidence.
Forbes looked at him blankIv. To
the young mans senses there was ar
implied rebuke, a hint that he was
Prying into the secrets of modesU
girl. But this notion fed when the
answer came with futile poverty Of
suggestion: "Why, suppose like all
women do. They all do it the same
way"
And so their conversation ran, the
elder harping on his proud memories
of fatherhood, the impatient lover
trying to build mp for himself a
shrine in which to worship his first
love. Naturally, it was only hero