Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-06-25
A CHANGE OF HEART.

EduAlue N1eFFlSN, VINO is NeFS6H EUb
@holly devoid of personal attractions.
asked Bessie one day why she snubbed
poor Conway so.
Il can't snub him, darlingest girl"
replied Bessie; Il may try to occasion
ally, but my envenomed shafts can't
penetrate his armor of mild dignity and
swees courtesy. They rebound and hit
me. He has the effect OF always putt
ting me in the wrong. and don't know
Of anything more maddening than that"
He's good-looking
Il suppose he is"
And he dances better than any OF
ene men know
Eyes, I like to dance with him myself
HE worships the ground you walk
on
Il can't help that.
I'm not so sure, Bessie; believe You
do give him little encouragement now
and then. AS to being too good, don't
believe In such thing in man. They're
not made that way. Well, If you don't
want him Ill take him and see what |
ean make of him"
''You are welcome as far as am con-
icerned."
Accordingly, Pauline made her little
experiment. Bessie found herself watch
ing 1t with some interest. She observed
that Conway was quite unresponsive,
and she felt little impatient with him.
1.-THE IDIOT" she exclaimed to herself.
as he left Pauline's side in obedience
TO her merest reckoning glance. IL he
had any sense at all he would just stay
where he was"
She hardly knew why she had called
aim to her. When he came, with an ex-
pectant look in his brown eyes, she said,
rather coldly: "Well?"
~ thought you wanted me" he said.
~sYou were mistaken" declared Miss
Bessie; Il did not"
Conway smiled good-humoredly, and
was turning away with bow when she
stopped him.
Suppose | had?" she said. why
should you rush over the instant as
If"
He waited moment. politely, for her
TO complete the statement, and then, as
she seemed to have no intention OF do
ing so. said, calmly: Because you
wanted me-"
That's reasoning in vicious circle"
she said, in slight confusion, cor, rather,
1T isn't reason at all.
Then will give you the reason more
fully" he said. Its because love you,
and 1t is my highest pleasure to obey
wish of yours Will you try me?'
It was rather sudden, but of course
Bessie knew better than to tell him
that. She told him, however, that 1t was
dmpossib1e and hopeless. He was fool
ish enough to press her for reason,
and in fit of nervous irritation she
told him he was too good, too inoffen-
sive, too polite and too dignified. He as
.sures her that she was altogether mis-
taken, but he took his refusal in man.
ner that proved his title to the virtues
she had mentioned. and 1t was some
.timebefore she saw him again.
She was In street car-onA Of the
open summer variety, and she heard his
voice behind her with a peculiar thrill.
He was not speaking to her, though. He
was addressing burly-looking person
with a stubble of black beard on
particularly prominent jaw. He spoke
politely, begging this individual to re-
'frain from thrusting his arm in his face
as he spread his newspaper before him.
whats the matter with your"
growled the big man.
Nothing at all serious" said Com
way, evenly. TITS merely unpleasant.
I know you don't realize that you were
making nuisance of yourself, so you
must excuse me for calling your atten-
,tion to the fact for the third and last
time"
Bessie noticed that his color was
heightened as he and the burly man
sglared at each other She thought,
though 1t alarmed her, that Conway's
glare was becoming. At last the burly
man, with snort of contempt trans
ferred his gaze to his newspaper, which
he held in the same Objectionable posi-
ton. Conway instantly snatched it from
his hands and threw it from the car, and
as the burly man rose he struck him un-
der the chin, using at the same time
a decidedly bad word. AS the burly man
staggered back, he clutched at Conway
to save himself. aud the next instant the
two had fallen from the car and were
rolling in the muddy street
Bessie got off at the next corner
When she reached Conway he was sit
ting on the curbstone, looking rather
sick and faint. One eye was swollen
almost shut, and his nose had bled a lit
tie. His collar was half off and his
necktie was hanging over his back. His
coat was torn in several places. The
~nYnoriy cf nna of tho crowd that ha
looked as il he had been ''up against
it, was certainly justified.
Bessie helped him into the providen-
&ial CAB with the assistance of the cab
man, and to his horror followed him
herself He rather brokenly explained
his sense of humiliation, but she stopped
him by wiping his face with her dainty
little handkerchief The way she did II