The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-07-16

NANssShA anu wv was " S0AhV~
thing ostentatious, vainglorlous. ego
tistical. even In his kindest acts. Tom
hated himself for seeing 1t. but there II
was. 1t became the more noticeable
as Tom himself grew more regenerate
and so made fewer demands upon the
Others consideration. And then the
gloomy vanity of the man! His lit
erary pretensions! His solemn belief
in himself and all he did!
"Heavea knows he has done enough
for me-" sighed Tom. quite ashamed.
Il must try to see nothing else. but
what can't help seeing shall never.
never. never make any difference to
my regard for him."
Tom wanted to get to work at once
In the house. In the garden. anywhere
and at anything. but the other would
not hear of 1t for days He was to
rest and forget and to enjoy his life.
They made excursions together In the
curricle or in Daintrees boat. Tom
would have been almost happy IL he
only could have given his kind compan.
lon the heart whole admiration which
the latter took for granted And his
inability In that respect was so real a
grief to him he could have wept ut 1t
and at the others kindness put togeth.
er, but there was still not tear In his
heart He often wondered was there
any heart left IN his body. What he
deemed his :ngratitude seemed some
times to prove that there was NOT.
There were qualities he could honest
ly admire In naintree hut they were
not those qualities upon whose posses.
sion Daintree most prided himself He
was man OF iron nerve and will
That was undoubted. One day In a
sqrah near the Heads he handled the
boat with magnificent GOODNESS and
skill when Tom thought they must
both have goae to the sharks When
they landed safe and sound. he infiict.
ed so many Of his poems upon Tom
whom the salt breezes had overcome
with drowsiness. that the pantry and
the knives TO clean seemed prefera BILE
% such nightly ordeals. Tom asked to
be put into livery and TO work ut once.
He insisted upon 1t and gained his
point through the accidental touch OF
livery"
They drove Into Sydney next day
with specimens OF the family crest.
which Tom was to bear on every but
ton. Daintree being a magistrate.
cockade was duly included In the or.
der. and for a time the master was In
high feather at the prospective dis
play. But II recalled family troubles
,re long. and all the way home he
talked dismaliy Of himself as an Exile
like Byron-my literary second self"
Somebody had once called him ''own
brother 10 Byron" lie never tired OF
quoting the phrase. He was destitute
Of humor and made Tom blush for
him where he would have shaken with
laughter at another.
His cOntrariety was unique. Not
only was he good magistrate spoilt
through neglectlng the bench for bis
desk, but an old athlete who Dragged
about the poetry he could not write
instead OF about the races he had real
ly won. On the top Of his bookshelf
stood the row Of furnished silver cups,
and his proud eye climbed no higher
than the volume or two Of mediocre
verse underneath. He made little
enough Of his genuine triumphs, his
real abilities. but he would talk with
bated breath OF a few stanzas which
often rhymed as false as they rang.
Once Tom cleaned the cups when Dain-
tree was out. and he few Into some
thing very like q rage when he came
In and saw them. He was the most
unaccountabie Of men.
''StIll he IL the kindest," was Toms
reflection on the top OF that conclusion,
and the same night he not only made
another Of his poor attempts at thank.
ing DaIntree for all that he was doing
aud had done; he nc last put the ques-
ton which seemed 70 mark q stride
In his slow and uphill return from
brute TO man. And yet even now Il
was no very sincere curiosity. but
rather an uncomfortable feeling that
he ought TO seem curious. which
prompted him 10 say:
II can't understand your kindness 70
me. Why did you begin Il? Why do
you 20 on? ! wonder Whist made you
take an interest ln me az the start"
Wonder was the word. for wonder
he did. but keenly inquIsItIve be was
not, and the stride was shorter than
II had looked.
II believed in your Innocence" re.
piled DaIntree with elaboration: that
was ALL"
II ran't think why. You were the
only one. Yet you knew nothing about
me. II seems" And stu his tone was
That ~ purely ImpeTsonal speculation.
DaIniFce took the cheroOt from be-
tween bis teeth.
II knew something about Blaydes."
said he.
"Ab"'
"Not much: very little. In fact. but
that little was pretty bad. knew
what an Internal blaekguard he was.
and I felt sure there must be more