The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-06-29

aloud | had often known him to do
this when he thought himself alone.
"Should feel this?' he cried. SHOULD
] see it for the crime that it is if | did
not love herF
knew well enough what he was
thinking about. \ perfect echo Of that
agon2ed question rang in my own
mind. saw the crime. as he saw it,
and loved far deeper Than he did. for
he had not my strength
Picture girl OF eighteen who Is the
sum Of all holy and beautiful promises
like some pure flower In the morning
Picture a man past tfty, Il llorid, smil-
ing. self contented successful human
animal. man SO entirely common that
he has not even Pet vice to make him
self distinctive, man who has won
many things in the world and will take
this girl in the same way as his due
for the effort expended IN the matter.
Fancy that she will give herself for
gratitude because the man has been
Kind 10 her because he has fed and
clothed her since she was a child. hay
Ing been the friend OF her father. who
died poor and without kin.
Ormond began to walk up and down
before the window, aud thinking that
he would see me. | passed on to the
head Of the stairs aud so 70 the draw.
ing room. where Gladys was playing
on the piano
In a large easy chair sat the man
whom we all called uncle, though he
bore that relationship to none of US
There was n trnceable tie between Mr.
Greer and myself but am not SUN
GENTLY yersad in such matters 10 give
II a name Ormond would have found
The task even more difficult In his oVp'
case. and. as to Gladys, there was ndt
even legal guardianship. ~,
Mr.. Grccr's eyes were half shut, 50
that he could see nothing clearly OK
cept Gladys face and her hair. which
had rcd glow in the light of the
piano lamp. lie heard me. but did not
turn his head or speak. He waved
his left hand gently toward me as q
warning to be quiet, while his right.
with the fat forciinger pointing toward
the girl continued to beat time some
what lahoriously.
He never cared what Gladys played.
enjoying all kinds Of music cqually.asO
long as her hands evoked 1t from the IN
strunont / have seen him sit and smile
and a.nllo like a great comic wax doll and
beat time contentcdly to a nocturno OF
Chopins Fl. to make the soul weep IN
ones body And when 1t would be over
he would slap down his fat palm hard
upon the arm of the chair and say it was
a good tune a pretty tune and nobody
else but Gladys could play it as 1t ought
to be played Then she would laugh at
him and tease him with chords and dis
curds which be couldn't tell apart. bat he
would BE- pleased TO thini that she was
teaching him. and tears of Joy would
come into his eses
On this particular occasion the girl was
wrapped up IN music and the man in that
crude. half childish happiness which her
presence always yielded him. skunk into
n chair and viewed this homely and IA
miiar spectacle with horror. as had not
feiled 60 DO since the day when. with m
absurd fraElsuass which he himself was
far from intending Mr Greer had reveal
ed his hopes 60 all Of us ] neither heard
nor saw Ormond enter The room. but I
felt him there. He had his back against
the frame Of the doorway. and 50 he stood
and scowled ut Mr.. Greer
10. rEr k.tFso1HafT shr~n baa
grown W through the years a strong hab-
fl Of cheerfuIuess Even OrmoHd laughed
and jested at home. though ! think he
never did 50 elsewhere. Mr. Greer loved
laughter. and he possessed q quaint wit
that could provoke it. a wit without sub
tieiy and without cuarseness. amusingly
daIi. No Duadreary's ard irresistible In