The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-07-15
ONE OF THE
EIGHT By.
LIOuI OHIO B.
SENGA
Copyright, 1903, by Ohio B. senga


together in a manner not entirely
pleasant to behold. He was not q
handsome man at the best. and this ex-
preston of stern determination did not
add to his attractiveness.
This thing has gone far enough" he
said aloud. lone way or another it
shall be settled and settled tonight"
He stretched out his long lean arms
and looked grimly ut the great, bOny
hands. "One of those fellows wears
ring and plays the piano" he thought
and a ghost Of a smile touched the
firm mouth.
He walked with long, slow steps to
the mirror and gaZed at the face re-
dected there. 1t was not unlike the
man for whom he was named. with
the high cheek bones, wide mouth.
deep set eyes and large nose.
You're not much to look at, Abe"
he said. shaking his head at the re-
lection, land Bruce is as handsome as
girl-and a good. square fellow. too"
he added honestly.
Abraham Lincoln Adams had come
from a country home and a country
lawyers office three years before. He
had passed the examinations with high
honOrS and since his admission to the
bar had been remarkably successful.
He 'elt that he was nov in a position
to ask the girl of his choice TO share
his life and the hOnOrs he was sure the
future held for him.
He had known the girl since child,
hood. He was u big boy studying al
zebra when she sat dangling her
plump legs on the front seat devoted
term in that same school, and she had
tortured his faithful heart by an alb
sorbing interest in a pink checked boy
in her class and by an utter inability
to master the mysteries of Y Y u.
He had left her with no word of love
He had his way to make. and the let
tiers between them were few and un-
satisfactory.
year ago she had come to Boston
to study music, and his honest soul had
rejOiced. How happy he would be
in having her so near. He could see
her often and take her about a good
deal, and it would not be long now be-
fore he could tell her of the great love
that was in his heart. of his hopes for
the future, his plans for her happiness.
But to his dismay he found Tillie
hedged about in a most ineXplicable
fashion with fOrmalities and cOnven-
tons hitherto unknown.
Eight young women had rented a
furnished house and with an aunt and
uncle as hOusekeeper and protector
were living in little world of theii
own, superior to boarding houses. and
with a fine contempt for homes and
institutions. Adams wasn't quite sure
whether the aunt and uncle were rent
ed with the house or if they were real
ly related to one of these very modern
young women.
He called several times and was cor
daily received, but upon every oc-
casiOn ut least three of the other young
ladies were present and remained dur
ing his entire stay. Then he tried the
plan of writing to Tillie, inviting her
to accompany him to a lecture or
concert. The little notes he received
in reply were sweetly courteous, but
he felt somehow thrown back upon
himself chilled and repulsed.
"YOu must remember that am only
one of eight" was the tenor Of the
sweet little notes. Not one Of US ac-
cepts an invitation for herself alone.
Which one of the girls would you like
70 include in your very pleasant plan
for Thursday evening or Saturday aft
ernoonT
Then he settled down to regular
call on Wednesday evening. He met
all Of the young ladies and really had
better opportunities for conversing
with any one OF the others than win
the one he sought. Bright, pretty girls
they were, each earnest in her work,
with high aims and youthful amDl-
tons. An artist, a schoolteacher'
writer, a music teacher, v1ol1nlst, a
kindergartner and an editor made up
the list.
Often there were other men there,
and Adams soon discovered that ne
was not the only one who would IKE
to see TilIie alone. After awhile he be-
gan to wonder if the other men were
as completely shut out as he and the
unwelcome thought suggested 1tselr
that Tillie might manage to see him
alone if she really wanted TO.
"Can it be that Title doesn't care TO
see me?" he asked himself uneas1ly.
IF il were so wouldn't she tell me-?
His own nature was so simple ana
direct that this would seem the most
kind and true thing to do. He could
not understand the feminine complex
i+v that led the girl to enjoy his I'M
wavering. unspoken devotion. The pro-
tests of the other girls that she was
unfair to the man and did not deserve
sucb homage only increased her deter