The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-09-01

tall from his hand one by one 10 the
table. Yes: there Is another reason.
You remember what Mercutio said of
his wound lis neither as deep as 4
well nor as wide as a church door. but
twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow:
you shall find me grave man, The
bad prince ought not to stay too long.
you know"
She seated herself at the table and
scrutinized him with grave, troubled
eyes, her chin reposing dafntily on the
crux Of arched hands. you must
make it clearer to me than that. What
are, you afraid of my finding eutg"
He shrugged and smiled. Life
makes some pretty queer shuf1es, Miss
Randall. and you can't fool much with
the deck yourself" he said, somewhat
irreleyantly. picking up the cards and
unconsriously beginning TO rifle them.
eff you don't play the game square
: 5 only question of time till you get
caught. and Their nobody will play with
ron. / don't know why Life dealt me
the hand hold. All know is I've
got to play the cards according to rule.
Sometimes I've found that mighty.
hard. keep wishing and wishing
there'd be a different hand dealt, but
wishing won't change it. It was the
shuttle that settled it long ago."
II don't think, sir, that you've said
anything that concerns you and me
very much, y she commented. glancing
up shyly. 44.a8aqa al ;.
Concerns you and me. he, echoed
sadly, and, rising, he began to pace
the room. Miss Randall, let me tell
you something, he added at length,
halting and regarding her flxedly.
"One evening toward sunset /
leaning over the rail Of Mis-
river steamboat, and,F net binding mus
pleasure in what I was thinking about,
Ifput my hand casually into my peck
ct and drew out deck OF playing
cards, cards that had been used-wen,
considerably, contemplated them a
moment and then let them fall from
my hand. They dropped into the wa
ter In a kind Of little shower. And
then curious thing happened Those
shabby old playing cards foated along
side a rosebush all in bloom that some
body had evidently planted too near
a caving back upstream. It seemed
as if they kind of hoped to go along
with it on its journey, but it didn't
look right. The rosebush was too
pretty for bad companions like that.
And then, one by one, those shabby
playing cards, lying on their backs in
the water, began to sink under and
drown. Then along came an eddy and
caught that pretty rosebush and swung
1t out into the current, and away it
went down the stream, happy and
proud in just glory Of sunshine and
sparkle. 1t served those old playing
cards right. They ought to have been
drowned for trying to keep company
so high above them. That's what I
thought looking down from the boats
rail-"
Without conscious effort or any at
tempt at elocuhda Kirby had told the
little allegory with simple feeling and
sincerity, his manner growing more
distracted until at the conclusion it
seemed as If he were speaking to his
inner self, taking counsel with all that
was best in him. Silence enSued, while
Adele looked dreamily away, and he
continued to stare at-the cards, but
seeing them not.
"Does a man always stop ITO think
whether he has hight or not" she
ventured at length, speaking so low
that he strained forward to catch the
words.
Doesn't "a woman always want him
TOT" he gravely returned
"Ah. but there is something a wo-
man wants a man to do more than
that-she wants him not. to give up
anything till-he is beaten" she whis-
pered.
Suppose he is the kind OF man that
ought to be beatenY
She arose, throwing the scarf aboul
her shoulders. and walked meditatively
to the door.
'But mightn't it be perhaps-perhaps
with one woman" she whispered. che
couldn't be beaten even then?"
Astonished at her own daring, she
gave a little gasp. then incontinently
fed, while Kirby stood staring after
her, fearing to interpret her words. He
turned with a start as Bunce strobe
through the balcony window.
''WelI, have you told her g0odby?"
snapped Larkin, who had interpreted
the foregoing passage as q species of
farewell.
NO" said Kirby violently. irritated
at the interruption,
'Well,, / reckon it's about time to
sit down and take-a good hard think,
warned the other, pacing the room like
an excited sentry. "Do you think you
could git this girl?" he continued, with
heavy sarcasm. Glow about it when
she finds out. who you are-Cameo
Kirby 2"
easy on that name, Larkin!'