Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-10
II TINE ELEVENTH HOUR g 1usoDoss GARRISON
THEODOSIA GARRISON

him like nightmare It was the postscript however,
that dealt him his death blow. IF you break up
camp as you expected" it said, "and come to New
York Friday, don't forget that expect you out here
Sunday. Come and spend the day I've told mamma
all about you, and she's crazy to meet you
1t was the fact that Ruby Hazel had apparently
taken her family into her confidence that made jim
realize that the die was cast He sat on damp log
in the rainy woods that day and tried to remember
what he had said to Ruby Hazel, and what she had
replied, until his brain was pulp. The picture OF
himself tied to Ruby Hazel for life was only little
worse than the idea of telling Ruby Hazel and her
parents that there had been mistake, and that she
didn't care for him in the least, which would have
been chivarous if not convincing.
He must have had very bad two hours of it there
in the woods but he evidently knew where to put the
blame for he came back to camp feeling sick and
righteous and miserable, but with his mind made up
to face the consequences OF his own 1d1ocy, meaning
of course in plain language that If Ruby Hazel
wanted him, he was hers and would be led as lamb
to the slaughter
At the time it never occurred to him that possibly
Ruby Hazels family might not consider allowance
Of fifteen dollars week a1uence, or himself some
thing dropped down from Parnassus to elevate the
Tompkns family circle
He came to town the next week and spent three
miserable days in closed house with the shrouded
furniture and stopped clocks. and was forced TO i'm
agine Ruby Hazel ornamenting the old rooms, and
grew cold at the thought. 1t was sheer cowardice
alone that prevented him from cabling his parents to
appear on the and forbid the bans.
When Sunday morning arrived he faced 1t as
doomed prisoner might his hanging day. put the same
vanity that occasionally scates these gentry to array
finest apparel.
The one thing Jim does blush to remember is what
absolute smartness he strove for in his salad days
He says now that the fact that his throat never
cut with his own collar is sign that the gods had
reserved him for lofty things in the future.
He arrived at Ruby HazelS town, dismal little
suburban place. about two in the afternoon, and was
directed by the station agent the while divers small
boys gaped at his spendor to the Tompkins house.
The man added facetiousy, that he hoped Miss Rube
would be home--a suggestion which Jim haughtily
overlooked.
He found the house without difficulty A chance
remark of Ruby Hazels to the effect that she was
crazy about statlary led him to infer that the lawn
adorned with huge plaster dog and stag, and the
drive ornamented with an iron jockey holding ring
aoft led to her bower.
He was admitted by an untidy maid who. apparently
overcome by his appearance, gaped at nim until
whisper from the hall above instructed her to show
the gentleman into the parlor The parlor was quite
unlike anything ne had seen before; in fact 1t inter-
ested him that for the moment he forgot to be sur
prised that Ruby Hazel hadn't appeared at her own
front door to fling herself into his arms 1t was all
red plush and gilt and onyx tables and manteldrapes,
and the easel in the held crayon portrait of
determined if somewhat wild in the eye young gentle
man with a pompadour like brush, and an extraya-
CANT display of necktie There realistic cluster
Of oranges made from yellow tissue paper dangling
from the chandelier and the walls were crowded with
oil paintings obviously of home manufacture, that
even in his distracted state enchanted him.
Over the mantel lion framed behind genuine
bars and bearing the motto In Captivity" Also, he
noticed that he sitting directly over a rug in
which was woven pleasing likeness of the late Gen.
eral Grant with crossed American flags above his head
entwined with the quotation, Let us have peace. In
fact the entire room was reminiscent of Ruby
Hazel's style of hairdressing that he wondered he
hadn't imagined it all their first meeting, and for
the hundredh time his brain hrobbed at the evasive
recollection of what he had said to Ruby Hazel and
what would be expected to say when she appeared
1t was not Ruby Hazel who presently entered, but
Ruby Hazel she would be some thirty years hence.
From the too elaborate hair to the straining lace
blouse Mrs. Tompkins was stamped like a coin with
her daughters personality. He would have known
her in crowd, and the sickening conviction seized
him that she had to demand his intentions and
that Ruby Hazel doubtless concealed in the next
room listening.
Mrs Tompkins herself, however after the first for
NAL greeting, Seemed ill at ease as Jim himself. She
evaded his natural curiosity concerning the where
of Ruby Hazel by incoherent dissertation