The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-31
CoDJTisht 100 By The Bob6s -MerriM Co.

one of the horsehair chairs that were
socially arranged round the table. The
freight threw into prominence the
bony angles of his thin face and
glazed the backward sweep of his
hair, dark brown, and worn combed
away from his forehead, where a pair
of heavy, flexible eyebrows moved up
and down like an animated common
tary on the conversation. When any
thing surprising was said they went
up, anything puzzling or painful they
were drawn down. He rested one
hand on his knee, the fingers turned
in, and, sitting bolt upright, buttoned
tight into his worn frock-coat, turned
a glance Of somewhat deprecating
amiability upon the invalid.
you had a pretty close call, a.
pretty-close-call," he said. IF the op-
orator at Rocky Bar hadn't had the
sense to wire up here, that would
have been the end of your life story"
Dominick had heard this from every
member of the snowed-in party. Rep
tttton was not making 1t any more
agreeable, and there was an effect of
| abrupt ungraciousness In his short an
swer which was merely a word of
comment.
Didn't the people at the Rocky Bar
Hotel try to dissuade you from start
ing" said Buford. They must have
known it was dangerous. They must
have been worried about you or they
wouldn't have telegraphed up"
ooh, I believe they did" The young
man tried to hide the annoyance the
| questions gave him under a dry brew
tty of speech. They did all that they
ought to have done. I'll see them
again ON my way down"
And yet you persisted" The &C
| tor turned to Rose with whom, as he
sat beside her at table, he had be-
come quite friendly THE blind con-
fidence Of youth, Miss Cannon, isn't
it grand, inspiring thing?"
Dominick shifted his aching feet
under the rug. He was becoming ex-
ceedingly irritated and impatient, and
wondered how much longer he would
be able to respond politely to the con-
versational assiduities of the stranger.
"Now," continued Buford, kindly
satisfy my curiosity on one point.
Why, when you were told Of the dam
ger of the enterprise, did you start?"
/ Perhaps I liked the danger, wanted
! it to tone me up. I'm a bank clerk,
Mr.. Buford, and my life's monotonous.
/ Dangers a change"
He raised his voice and spoke with
sudden, rude defiance. Buford looked
l quickly at him, while his eyebrows
went up nearly to his hair.
"a bank clerk, OH" he said with
falling infection of disappointment,
much chagrined to discover that the
child of millions occupied such hum
BILE niche. "I-I-was not aware Of
that"
can assistant cashier" continued
Dominick in the same key of exas-
peration, "and I managed to get a hol-
iday at this season because my father
was one Of the founders of the bank
and they allow me certain privileges.
If you would like to know anything
as I know how"
His manner and tone so plainly in
dicated his resentment of the others
curiosity that the actor flushed and
shrank. He was evidently well-mean-
ing and sensitive, and the young mans
rudeness hurt rather than angered
him. For moment nothing was said,
Buford making no response other
than to clear his throat, while he
down his cuff with a Jerking move
ment. There was constraint in the
air, and Rose, feeling that he had
been treated with unnecessary harsh
ness, sought to palliate it by lifting
the book on her lap and saying to
him:
"This is the book we were talking
about when you came in, Mr. Buford,
Wife in Name Only Have you read
it?"
She handed him the ragged volume,
and holding it off he eyed with a
scrutiny all the more marked by the
way he drew his brows down till they
hung like bushy caves over his eyes.
mo, my dear young lady. I have
not. Nor do 1 feel disposed to do so.
Wife in Name Only That tells a
whole story without reading a word.
Were you going to read it?"
mo; Mr.. Ryan and I were just
looking over them. We were think
ing about reading one Of them aloud.
This one happened to be on the pile. "
! ITO me-" continued Buford, 'the
name is repelling because it suggests
SORROWS Of my own"
J There was a pause. He evidently
expected a question which undoubt-
eddy was not going to come from Dom
mick, who sat fallen together in the
armchair looking at him with moody
1ll-humor. There was more hope from
Rose. who gazed at the floor but said
/ nothing. Buford was forced to repeat
with an unctuous depth Of tone, "Sug-
gests sorrows of my own" and fasten
his glance on her. so that, as she
raised her eyes, they encountered the
/ commanding encouragement of his.
Sorrows Of your own?" she repeat
ed timidly, but with the expected
questioning infection.
Eyes, my dear Miss Cannon" re-
turned the actor with a melancholy
which was full Of a rich, dark enjoy
ment- my wife is one in name only
There was another pause, and nei-
Their showing any intention OF break
ing it, Buford remarked:
THAT sorrow is mine"
What sorrow?" said Dominick
bruskly.
'"The sorrow of q deserted man" re-