Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-29

I accept the responsibility" Some
days later he was going to recall this
assurance.
Sometimes ! wonder :" pen
siyely.
Wonder about what?"
What manner of man you are"
II should have been great deal
better man had I met you ten years
ago."
What? When I was eleven?" with
levity intended to steer him away
from this channel.
"You know what I mean" he an
swered, moody and detected.
She opened her purse and dropped
the pendant into it, but did not speak
"Ten years ago." abstractedly.
"What a lot Of things may happen In
ten years! Deaths, births, marriages,
he went on; the snufflng out of king
doms and republics; wars, DanlcS,
famine; honor to some and dishonor
TO others. 1t kind Of makes @ fellow
grind his teeth, little girl; It kind o.
makes him shut his fists and long to
run amuck."
'NNhy should strong, intelligent
man. such, as you are, think like that!
You are resourceful and unafraid.
Why should you talk like that? You
are young, too. Why2"
He stopped and looked full into her
eyes. do you really wish to known"
"Had I better?" with wisdom be-
yond her years.
mo, you had better not I'm not o
good man, Fortune, as criterionS go.
I've slipped here and there; I've gam
bled and drunk and squandered my
time. Why. in my youth I was as
model boy as ever was PerciVal.
Where the divarication took place l
can't say There's always two forks
in the road, Fortune, and many Of US
take the wrong one. It's easier going.
Fine excuse; eh? Some persons would
call me q scoundrel, black-leg; III
some ways, yes. But in the days to
come I want you always to remember
the two untarnished spots upon my
shield of honor: i have never cheat
ed man at cards nor run away with
his wife. The devil must give me
these merits, however painful 1t may
be to him. Ten years ago, only a
decade; good Lord! it's like hun
dred years ago, sometimes"
Fortune breathed with difficulty.
Never before had he taken her into
his confidence TO such extent. She
essayed to speak; the old terror
seemed fairly to smother her. 1t was
not what he had told her, but what
she wished to but dared not ask She
was like Bluebeard's wife, only she
had not the moral courage to open the
door of the grisly closet. Her
mother, her uncle; what of them, All,
what OF them? The crooked street
vanished; the roar dwindled away;
she was alone, all, all alone.
Il suppose ought not to have told
you," he said troubled at the misery
he saw gathered in her eyes and
vaguely conscious of what had written
it there. Your mother and uncle
| have been very kind to me. They
know less of me than you do. have
been to them kind OF errand-boy; .
happy.go.lucky fellow, who cheered
them when they had the doldrums.
With forced cheerfulness he again
took her hand and snuggled it under
his arm. giving it friendly reassur
ing pat. "Ill not speak to you Of
love, child, but hair of your head
is more precious to me than ell Midas
gold. Whenever I've thought of you
J I've tried to be good. Honestly"
"And can't you go back to the be
ginning and start anew" TREMENDOUSLY
Can any one go back? The moving
finger writes. An hour is terrible
thing when you look to see what Cal
hapnen in. it,, But, come; SERMONS