Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1908-01-17
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T. ife
n, Iron ANSrrNr SUFFER-


II was the evening OF my return
from India and | was sitting by
la ans fire. toasting my feet, for
there was a slight dr.leIc and | had
come in. chilled and damp.
had been away for five years and
news of the fellows had a flavor, eX-
ceiling ANYTHING | had found in my
wanderings.
Finally. said. lazily blowing a
ring of smoke over my head. Its
strange Jack Bardon ha, never mar
lied. He's the sort one inyoImtari-
" associates with wife and chill
drcn."
IlasIall closed his eyes dreamily.
I knew that a story was for.h-com-
ing. At last he spoke. The right
woman came into Jacks life too
late" he said. 1T happened last
winter and Jack is worse than cuc
Mp vet. In fact, he never viii get
oyel il. l., case Of misery with
no time limit. | do not know who
the woman Was, but | have an INK
ling, and il I'm right, can! say
! blame Jack nuch. The woman
was married. Jack told me. and to
an old codger. who was good
enough sort in his way. but capable
of inspiring about as much feeling
in a romantic woman as musk
room. She was very young and her
family had arranged the match.
Jack only gave me a few facts
and mentioned no names. never
saw a mans face as white as his
was when he told me. The Girl, -
he called her the glrl'-and he met
first at luncheon in his rooms,
where there were plate, laid for
four. 1t was the usual sort. You
know the kind mean, the l!mcheon
of Bohemia.
The other two. I'm almost sure
were Nell Eastman and Clarence
Wild. Society has almost ceased to
gossip about them now, but You re-
member that even when YOU were
here. they used to meet often in
Jacks rooms. He always fell sorry
for Nell and excused her for her
defiant way Of taking what She
wanted in life. Jack would forgive
a clever woman anything. 'Lifc's
been rough to Nell he always said.
Il think the woman was friend
Of Nell's although that part Of my
story is mere guessing, and we'll
take his word for it that God never
made a more beautiful woman.
"She came into my rooms. Has
lam he said. like some radiant an
gel and with only the bright red
spot burning in either check to tell
me that she did not lunch every day
like that. He said it was the short
est luncheon he ever sat at, that she
interested him as no woman had
ever interested him before. and that
he was mad for the moment wh-r
they should be left alone
But when the other two left
them. ostcnsiblv to see a picture in
another room, and he would have
drawn her into his arms. she slammed
him with the innocent horror Of her
protest, sent him to his knees. in
contrition that his passion had pro-
famed her.
"He talked to her and found
her innocent, so innocent, he mar
yeled, told her ,tcrnly that she must
never trust herself in such -.rla-
ton again, and she wcpt and prom
ised. But before she left his rooms.
because he could not give her up. me
asked her TO come again. and she,
fighting with all her young strength
against the temptation. refused. yet
came.
"Thev met often after that. She
was only a slip Of a girl when life
threw them together and .t seemed
TO him that he had been waiting for
her alwav-. The inevitable hap
Dened. They loved each other with
love that counted all remembrance
Of the barrier, between them, tyran-
nous. The very air ached with their
love. They reached the state Of
mind where they counted the world
well lost for each other. They long
ed 10 sacrifice themselves on the al
tar of the worlds disdain and so
they gave themselves 10 each other.