The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-23

Southern woman's compelling charm,
me most gracious fascination of bear
Good reason had I then, as I now
nave, 10 hold Tom Faraday lucky
man, lucky beyond the merits Of men
! In spite of the sorrow that was upon
Ter, she greeted me with a cordiality OF
| which l was conscious Of being IN
/ worthy. making me welcome at once az
| a friend Of her betrOthsd. and bidding
me make myself at ease in her home
hers now that 1t was no longer her
fathers
/ thanked her with what grace I
/ could, although I was conscious Of
Jack Of ease Elm her presence. I am
a ladies' man, am unsl6lled-to my great
. discOntent-in the arts by which men
| find favor in the eyes cf wOnanEind.
| That l am big and hulking and awk-
| ward may be the cause OF this OF
! lack Of experience in the matter OF love-
making. But this / have always laid
at the door OF my reverence for woman
la reverence so true and deep that I
! have never been able 70 discriminate
readily between the good and the bad.
And knowing myself for a man. and
| by that reason not the equal Of good
women, am awkward distrait-in their
presence, without the presumption
| which, have frequently heard argued.
| goes so far toward cOnQuests
| But reckon that that's enough about
| Lucas Hammond. I don't fiatter myself
that am a very interesting person.
/ And this is the story OF Thomas Fara-
! day and Esther SpotswoOd.
| What I started out 10 say ives that.
with all my cOnstraint in this ladys
| presence, she ignored IL and ere long.
| by her sweet courtesy, had made me
forget that I considered myself an IN
cultured lout Of a fellow. And so I was
entirely at home.
! Pretty soon, too. I realized how she
had won me from my state OF boorish-
ness, and from that time on I have
! loved the girl
loved her. and she did not know
men. And 10 this day II is the same;
she will never know. l realized that she
was not for what Zeb called "the likes
of me-" and accepted the situation, nor
have ever overmuch begrudged Tom
t'araday his luck. For was he not more
deserving than |?
Since the death OF the doctor. Fara-
day and l. by mutual consent, had
preserved silence on the subject OF the
green lamp. I readily understood that
leaning upon him for strength as she
must now, Esther would be deeply dis
tressed at hearing Of our adventure; and
now much more so by the announce
ment OF our intention 10 push on until
we had solved the mystery
Danger. indeed. there might be none
al all But her loving woman's heart
would be sure to conceive a thousand
perils which would attend upon Tom
every step, should he persist.
IT UT the present 81 least, IL would be
as well 70 let the matter drop, 10 be
taken up later, when she was more re-
signed 20 her bereavement, more COM
posed in mind.
But strive as I would Cand I think
Faraday was In no better Case), 7 could
not dismiss the perpleXing thoughts OF
II from my mind And presently, on
the fourth day after the funeral. that
occurred which brought q I'D the more
prominently In our consideration.
The previC,ls morning there had been
reading II DR.. SpotswOOd's will II
being an ordinary document. Of very re-
cent date, deyising nearly all Of his
personal property to his daughter and
the remainder TO his executor. Thomas
Faraday. II had caused scarcely a
ripple in the even tenor Of Culpepper
life. And anything more peaceful. or
dinarily, than the latter would be in
deed hard 10 find
The weather for some time had been
lowering, foreboding a storm. and now
the atmosphere was sultry in the ex-
IRENE.
After dinner on this particular day,
we. following our custom. took cha RS |
out upon the lawn looking down Oser
the Shell road 70 the gulf and there
sat smoking. Esther q cannot help
calling her such, for Esther she is /
always in my thoughts was detained
In the house by some details Of domes-
tic management.
For some time Tom and enjoyed our
cigars without breaking the silence. |
Then Faradsy spoke.
DO you know. Hammond he said |
looking over his shoulder to see that