The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-05-25
CHAPTER XIII.
Continued.

OOuLluucQ.
eyes, said Tom, "its all over with
me. Just come of age and lots OF
money to spend, and all the world be-
fore me, as you might say--but I'll
never have the heart to make any
stand again. To think that all I've
got, and might have done so much
with, is to go to woman that never
had sixpence in her life, and knows
no more than dog how to behave
herself! AS for hurting her, it
wouldn't have hurt her, not a bit
and If she'd had the chance she would
have done just as bad by me. Law,
cried Tom, with bitter contempt,
what's the good of law when it can t
protect a fellow before he's come to
his full sensesi To think l should
ha e tied such burden on my back,
and for myself forever before / came
of age. It's horrible" he cried, with
the earnestness of conviction.
"Oh, Tom, per haps it will not be SO
bad" said Janet, putting her hand
within his to show her sympathy.
She was very doubtful what it was
that made him SO despairing, and she
had been vaguely impressed with the
fact that this time what Tom had
done was something terrible; but
neither her own trouble, nor any
doubt about his conduct (Which was
SO seldom blameless) could quench
the sympathy with which she re-
sponded to his appeal
ooh, yes, it will be quite as bad
and worse-and I'm a ruined man, y
cried Tom. Done fort although it
was only last week." he said, with a
piteous culver of the lip, which a
half-grown mustache nearly shaded,
shat I came of age"
Janet felt the pathos of this appeal
go to the bottom of her heart. She
did not know what to say to comfort
him, and she could not keep her eyes
from strayinS after Charlie, who aft r
all had been very kind, who had gone
away at her prayer like the most COM
plete of gentlemen She was very
thankful to be released, yet her eyes
followed him with something like
pride in his docility, and in the vigor
and strength and magnanimity of her
first lover. Though she was much
afraid of him, Janet forgave him
kindly as soon as he was gone. The
tears came into her eyes for Toms
distress, while yet, with a thought
for the other, she watched him with
corner of her eye over Toms bowed
head. He turned round and took off
his hat to her before he disappeared
under the low arch, and Janet, in po-
likeness and regret, made the faintest
little bow and gave him last glance.
This made her pause before she an
swered Tom.
"It's all Beau's fault" said Tom,
as il he had been talking of stolen
apples. "She would never have been
any wiser, nor mother either, If it
hadn't been for Beau with his con-
founded law. And / don't believe it
now" he said; IT won't believe it.
Think, Jan--to be married and done
for, and no way of getting out of it,
before you're twenty-one!'
But wasn't it-your own doing,
Tom?"
Then Tom got up and gave vent to
great moral aphorism. There is
nothing in this world your own do
ing" he said; you're put up to it, or
you're led into it, and one tells you
one thing and another another. But
when you've been and done it after
what's been told you, and every one
has had hand in it to lead you on,
then they all go, and you have to bear
1t by yourself. And everybody says
It's your own doing. And neither the
law nor your friends will help you.
And you're just ruined and done for
before you ever had begun at all. :"
"Oh, Tom" cried Janet, "come
home-and perhaps it will not turn
out SO bad after ALL"
Ut can't turn out anything but
bad-and I'll just go and drown my
self and be done with it ALL"
"oh, Tom, Toni"
He got up from her with his hands
deep in his pockets and his gloomy
head bent. Leave me alone" he
said, pushing her :way with his
shoulder, as in the old nursery days.
where's dinner? But I'll dine at
the club, you can tell Beau, if they'll
have me there"