The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-01


 ing about you today. and she said you must be very lonely. now that Paul Is away
 ''Yes, that may be true,'' remarked Si. las, ''but she has special reasons for moi sympathizing with me. She knows me a great deal better than you do."
 I'm afraid you rnisjudge us both" said Eugenia, demurely. If you knew us bet ter, you'd like us better. I'm sure of that"
 "dumphr' grunted Silas. Then looking hard at the girl, he bluntly asked. '1s there anything between you and PaulY'
 "A good many miles. sir, just now." she answered. making one of those re- torts Paul thought so fine.
 Hmm; yes, you are right Well, there can't be too many"
 'T think you are cruel. sir. Is Paul not to come home any more? Paul Is a very good friend of mine and I could wish | him well wherever he might be; but how would you feel, sir, if he were never to | return?"
 Well, I must go," said Silas somewhat bluntly and with that he bade her good day with very i'll grace, and went on | about his business.
 | Mother" said "ugenia, after she had given an account of her encounter. 'l believe the man has a good heart and Is | ashamed of 1t.
 | Why, I think the same may be said of most of the grand rascals that we read | about in history, and the pity of 1t is that | they would have all been good men if they had the right kind of women to deal with | them and direct their careers Do you really think so, mother?" the | daughter inquired.
 I'm sure of it, said the lady. Then after all, there might be some | hope for old Sllas Tomlin. And his in- stinct may have given him an inkling of | the remedy for his particular form of the whimsies, for It was not many days be- | fore he came knocking at the lady's door. where he was very graciously received, l and most delightfully."- entertained When silas found himself in the street on his |, way home, he stopped still and reflected. 1 Now, what in the ding-nation is that woman up top What is she trying to do, wonder? Why, she's as different from what she was when I first knew her as a | butterfly is from a caterpillar. No won der Paul lost his head in that house! She S up to something, and I'll find out what 1t is."
 | In no long tirne he repeated his visit. On this occasion Eugenia remained in the parlor only short time. For diversion the mother played a few of the old-time tunes on the piano and sang some of the songs that Slas had loved in his youth This done, she wheeled around on the stool, and began to talk about Paul.
 'If I had a son like that" she said
 'T should be immensely proud of him."
 You have a fine daughter" Silas sug- gested; by way of consolation.
 She shrugged her shoulders. "Yes. but you know we always want that which we have not. Yet they say that envy is among the mortal sins.'
 Did Paul ever see my picture there?' asked Slas, changing the conversation. Why, I think so,' replied the lady pla- cidly. II think he asked about 1t, and told him that we had known each other long ago, which was not at all the truth"
 What did Paul say to that?' asked Sias eagerly. (
 He said that while some people might think that you were queer. you had been a good dad to him.
 That's Paul. all over," cried Silas, all in a glow; but what will the poor boy think when he finds out what you know?"
 Why. he'll enjoy the situation,' said the lady, laughing.
 Silas regarded her with astonishment his hands clenched and his thin lips press ed together. Do you think. Madam, that It Is matter for joke? Do you realize that there is nothing but a whim betwixt me and disgrace-betwixt Paul and dis grace?"
 "A whm?" She Hss laughing. and yet 1t was plain to be seen that she had no relish for the term which Silas had unn- l tentionally applied to her.
 A. 4N..A ( AN- T you, you would fetch us down as a hunt er> bags brace of doves.' | "Doves!" exclaimed Mrs. Claiborne, with comical lift of the eyebrows. "Buzzards, then!" said Silas with some l heat. I've been called worse names than buzzard by people who were trying to walk off with my money. And people | who should have known better have hated me because didn't fling my money away after l had saved It."
 Well you needn't worry about that" Mrs. Claiborne remarked. You will have plenty of company in the monograph ping business before long. I can see signs of 1t now, and every time I think of 1t feel sorry for our young men, yes, and our young women, and the long genera tions that are to come after them. You remember how, before the war; We used to sheer at the Yankees for their money making proclivites? Well, it won't be very long before we'll beat them at their own game.''
 Why. you talk as If you were a poli- tician yourself But why are you sorry for our young womcn?'
 That was nasty remark. I am sorry for those who will grow weary and fall by the wayside. The majority of them. and the best of them, will make them selves useful in thousand of ways and new industries will spring up for their benefit. They will become workers they will be Independent of the men, and fn- ally begin to look down on them as they should As for me. l propose to become an advanced woman, and go on the stage. always told my husband that If he died and left me without money, l proposed to earn my own living"
 You told your husband that? When did you tell him?' inquired Sllas with some eagerness.
 'oh, long before he died" replied the lady.
 sllas sat like one stunned. DO vou mean to tell me Chat your husband Is dead?" Why. certainly" replied Mrs. Clai- borne. What possible reason could I have for denying or concealing the fact?" Then why did you come here and pre- tend-pretend-ain't you Ritta Rozelle that l used to be?o
 There were two of them" the ladv re- | piled. They were twins. One was nam ed Clarita, and the other Floretta. but | both were called Rita. by those who could l not distinguish them apart I had reason | to believe that you hadn't treated my sis-