Sharp County record., 1903-05-22

my situation hy keeping me ia long
3 curls and babyish attire long after The
other boys OF my age were hah.ted
like miniature men. You can imagine
the humiliation 20 which / was sub
jected. even had not been cursed with
.uperseueit.ve nerves.
But underneath all my bashfui-
ness / had the temper of demon.
The first time ] discovered it ] was
frightened nearly TO death, IL was
stiu in the period of my long curls
aud girlish costumes.
"a big rcIowwho delighted in bully
ing. and who had made it his especial
delight to torment me because of my
cFcminatc appearance and hashtul
manner, brought his prosecutions 10
a climax by leading a crowd Of
schoolmatcs to catch me, throw me
down and pile on top Of me. ! was
severely hurt, but my physical in
jur,cs were insignificant compared
with the humiliation. And as l lay,
ground into the earth under that
wriggliug mass Of boys, the hot blood
surcrd through my head carrying
with it sense of courage, and a bit
ter hatred which had never guessed
| was capable Of possessing.
"When they piled off Of ME and let
me rise, imping and nearly smoth-
cred while they ran away laughing, |
picked up a big Jagged stone and fol-
lowed them. l remember it was
some hours before ! succeeded in get
ting squarely in front of the big
Peter Werner, who had led the as
sault, and who had by this time for
gotten it, / let drive my stone with
an the force ! possessed and ! re-
member well the wild JOY which pos
scescd my soul when 7 saw the blood
squirt from his head, AM beheld him
lying unconscious on the ground. In
the days that followed while he lin
gered between life and death, never
could be brought to see wherein !
had done wrong, although after the
excitement had passed away, and my
bashfulness had reasserted itself, !
realized the terrific force Of my pas
sion.
Only two or three times after that
was it aroused, but those few times
served TO demonstrate more cIenrly
my utter inability to restrain myself
when injustice or abuse set loose the
torrents Of my temper. I went on
through boyhood and youth with my
sensitive, reserved and lonely nature.
I had few pleasures and no eompan-
ions after my mother died.
"The one bright ray that came into
my life, was Alice Wilson. As a boy
I worshipcd her. As a youth [ made
her the goddess of my dreams, and
builded her into air castles which can
only come to persons who live the
lonely and companionIess life that
led After was well along into
young manhood, and had made some
thing Of a success in my vocation
after contact with the world had
brushed the gloss of my dreams and
had hluntcd somewhat the edge OF
my shrinking sensitiveness, ] plucked
up courage to propose to her. She
refused me, but it was with tender.
ness and with evident distress She
told me that she had never dreamed
that I admired her, and was fuL OF
pity and regret She was engaged o
Philip Sherry, she told me, and loved
him with all her heart.
"She married him, and I crawlcd
back into myself again, and went On
in my lonely life. Philip Sherry was
a rake and cur He broke her heart,
diSsipated what little fortune she had
and became involved in a notorious
scandal so badly that he was dragged
into court, in o divorce case brought
by another man against his wife.
81 happened TO be in the Metropolj-
tan hotel one day, where l had been
summoned to figure on some changes
to be made in remodeling it, and be-
came the accidental and unseen wit
ness Of an interview between Sherry
and his wife. It was in the public
parlor, but they thought themselves
quite alone. She was pleading with
him to leave the country and save
their children from further disgrace,
surely to he entailed by his presence
at the forthcoming suit. She was
dry-eyed and calm, but I pray God
will never let me see face into
which is written a broken heart so
wildly as was in hers. He was some
what in liquor, brutal and sneering.
She did not talk augrily, but very
plainly He became insolent, insult
ing and abusive, He said things that
filled me with horror that they should
be spoken to any woman, but most
of all to her.
"And then, governor" and I walked
directly in front Of the governor, and
looEcd him Squarely in the eye, "he
struck her. Yes, MS God is my Judge,
he struck her, and reeled out Of the
room With that blow I started for
ward from where I had stood trans