The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-14
Our Daily Short Story

gravely gentle with a suggestion of
tenderness that stirred In him emo
tons he had not felt since his mothers
finger had been taken from his hair
forever.
But he lodged the emotion and the
drum and sunk the sensation in a
carless by glory, the fellow knows
his ropes. A little while the CORE
spondence ran upon literature and the
emotions In the abstract but Bronton
remembering hard those giriish letters
OF long ago soon hipted coyly a desire
to know what the II in Mr.. Boswells
name stood for. He had been told
promptly that II was not Mr.. Bos-
well. but Miss, and that the M stood
for Mary. Hearty laughter came to
him for the first time since he had
Joined the Money-Mads. for NJ Bos-
wells letters. In spite of that cleverly
suggested tenderness had been mascu-
line almost to the point of tobacco
smelling.
What the deuce is he driving at?"
Bronton grumbled, SOLDERING suddenly
Was 1t an effort to force his hand or
design to dupe a young girl. Bronton
had business mans opinion of lite
rary chaps. And as stocks took a bad
turn just then his projected fun ended
In grim determination to lead on a
secoundrel to his undoing. He laid on
the young girl thick and sweet and evil
IDENTIFY she won upon NJ. Boswell. The
replies he received took on a more
openly. tender tone. quickened with a
CHEEKY hope that 1t heartened one to
read. Charlotte was soon cut down
to Lottie or simply NY dear'-which
last sometimes caused a rufrle from
the distant drum Bronton was for
ced to yield grudging admiration to
the fellows skill, his gradual approa-
ches, and the tenacity with which he
held each gain of ground. This let
ter had begun MY dear" and so full
had II been OF a strong, sweet patience
that once or twice during the reading
of It the distant drum had drawn
near-"suppose 1t should be a woman,
a woman he could understandable
kind of woman he had felt the need of
when things went wrong. But at the en-.
ding. But at that ending "dog-tired"
he had hardened his heart in bitter
disgust-at such bad acting. Now
for lot or girlish sympathy and not
little girlish love and we will see
what becomes of Mary
A reply came by return mail: MY
own dear little girl" he read. Your
sympathy was very sweet, but 1t made
me feel like a thief In the night"-ah,
ha-"for matters were not nearly so bad
lieve"-oh. bosh-'T wonder II you
realize what your letters have come to
mean to me-like open, sunny places
in the thin woods of life. Do you
remember the woods where Rinaldo
strove-flend possessed? l don't mean
that my life is nearly so difficult. but
I'm an impatient beast and when 1
cannot make all earth and half of
Heaven go the way I want. there is
nothing left but swearing. and that
avails little save a grudging sort of
self contempt'-true, true. my dear sir.
Don't 1 know. But you must know
naught of the fair sex II you fancy
that they write letters like those. But,
Jove. II you only were a. woman" He
shook his head. Rather. you are an
uncommonly clever scoundrei.' He
drove the letter deep into his pocket
and went out to face what the day
might bring-and the day brought
Sullys failure. Wild day on the
floor with men bowling like fiends
around him. and in the thick OF IL.
Bronton found himself thinking of the
letter-the woods where Rinaldo
strove And 1t angered him walk
ing home. tired. hungry. the loser by
many thousands ne thought OF II
again and with the thought and the
anger came the conviction that he
was in fit mood TO uLmask villiany-
to do anything that would give head
lash. I'm an impatient beast my
self" he muttered grimly.
When the elevator had left him face