El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-26
CONTINUED From Yesterday

hess had been succeeded by gloomi-
ness that was positively melodramatic
and alternated with periods of sickly
/ sentimentality. His moroseness was so
marked, especially as it was accOmpa-
MED by diminished appetite, that Mrs.
! O'Brien noticed it, and her, motherly
solicitude was aroused. She rather
liked the Duke.
"'Tis bilious We are, choild," she
said one morning after watching him
attentively "Yir liver's all upset
Oil have to physic We. Show me yir
tongue"
The Duke shook his head.
you myke a mistyke, num-" he re-
piled. ''It amt because I don't feel
like BLOWN aout me kite that wants
physic."
Thin phwat's the matter?"" she de-
manded.
"NOthin', habsolutely nothin'. Him
all right" he assured her.
"But we're not all right" she said
authoritatively, AN We can't fool me
by sayin' that yez are. If it's not yir
liver, phwat is it?''
The Duke heaved a heavy sigh.
Its igher hup. Mrs. O'Brien-fgher
hup," he said tragically.
Thin it's Indigestion" she dag
nosed.
He shook his head
Il carn't tell you what it is, so don't
arsk me-" he sighed thine p'r'aps III
cure it."
1t dawned upon Mrs. OyBrien that
the cause Of his trouble might be other
than physical
"Ye haven't had bad news from yir
mother?" she inquired kindly.
he answered in the negative, and the
old woman definitely made up her mind
that he was suffering either from bill
fousness or indigestion. She made no
further aIlusion to the matter, but the
next morning when he came in to
breakfast he found surprise awaiting
him. Instead Of being allowed to sit
down, as usual. to the nourishment
called for by two hours of hard work
after rising he was waylaid by Mrs,
OBrien with a big cupful of black
strong SIENNA tea.
Down with ity' commanded Mrs.
O'Brien peremptorily. "Ye're not q
baby. Hold yir nose an We woan't
taste it,
He hesitated, and she coaxed him
''Oi'll give yez lump av sugar after
it"
Once again for the sake of Nora he
sacrificed himself and under the eyes
of the grinning Shrimp swallowed the
obnoxious connection. though every in
ternal organ of his body revolted.
For the best part of the remainder Of
that day he really was ill. and be was
careful thereafter not to let his love
sickness show in the presence of Mrs
OBrien-by gloominess, at any rate
In the stable, however, and out exer-
clsing the horses he was free to let 1t
influence his moods. He liked to utter
Nora's name aloud. To him it was as
sweet music Plucking an unusually
beautifully tinted leaf left on hedge or
tree by the winds of winter, he would
dedicate it to her and wear it next his
heart with a portrait Of a woman he
fancied looked something like her that
he had cut from a stray page Of q
newspaper. When no one was nigh
he could murmur his secret and his
hopes and doubts to Nora's favorite.
Lady Belle, and it seemed to him that
the creatures big lustrous eyes regard !
ed him Understandings and sympa-
theticalIy.
Iydy Belle" he would tell her. my
Nora's a hactress. lovely hangel. like
the fairies In the pantomime at Droo-
~ Lyme an Sanger's. with pink tights
an wings and spangles. an the lime
light pPyin' ON 'em. She's too pretty
an good for me naow. Yus. she is
But some dy the Dukes goin' to be
somethin', too. an all the pypers'll be |
talkin abaout William Perkins. the |
gryte jockey. Then you'll see me dash |
up in me motor to lay me nyrne an !
fortune at 'er little feet, an she'll be |
me Dlushin' bride. An Lydy Belle. I'll /
.tyke you too.''
In his rare hours of leisure he had. |
at the cost of much labor and brain |
raeking. written many letters to her
declaring his love. only to tear them !:
up In his fear Of sending them.
The Shrimp happened upon him in
the stable one day while the Duke was
IN the throes Of one of these epistola-
tory efforts. The amorous stable boy |
was seated on an upturned pail and /
drafting his letter evith the stump Of
pencil on paper grocery bag some
"hat crumpled and dirty from having
Deen thrown with other refuse on the
garbage heap, whence he had rescued
IL as affording handy medium for re-
cording the phraseologic conceptions OF
MS brain as inspired by the promptings
Of his heart.
"Writin' po'try. Oh, mother" snig-
gered his tormentor.
The Duke did not condescend to re-
spond
rake my tip, Dock, an quit" went
on the Shrimp. Its q sign you got
EN- bad when you gifts de pome