The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-12-12
CHAPTER Ix.-(continued.)


CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)
"Ten years ago." abstractedly
What lot of things may happen In
ten years! Deaths, births, marriages,
he went on; "the snufflng out Of king
doms and republics; wars, panics
famine; honor to some and dishonor
to others. 1t kind Of makes fellow
grind his teeth, little girl; 1t kind OF
makes him shut his fists and long to
run amuck."
Why should a 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. Why"
He stopped and looked full into her
eyes. DO you really wish to know?"
Had better?" with wisdom be-
yond her years.
mo, you had better not. I'm not a
good man, Fortune. as criterions CO.
I've slipped here and there; I've gam.
bled and drunk and squandered my
time. Why, In my youth was as
model a boy as ever was Percival
Where the divarication took place
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; Ell? Some persons would
call me a scoundrel a black.leg; In
some ways. yes. But in the days to
come | want you always to remember
the two untarnished spots upon my
shield Of honor: l have never cheat.
ed man at cards nor run away with
his wife. The devil must give me
these merits, however painful It 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, ah.
what of them? The crooked street
vanished; the roar dwindled away.
she was alone, all, all alone.
Il suppose l 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-bov. n |
happy -go-lucky fellow, who cheered
them when they had the doldrums.
With forced cheerfulncss he again |
took her hand and snuggled it under
his arm, giving it a friendly reassur.
ing pat. III not speak to you Of
love, child, but a hair of your head
is more precious to me than all Midas
gold. Whenever I've thought of you
I've tried TO be good. Honestly"
And can't you go back to the he.
ginning and start anew" tremulouslv
Can any one go back? The moving
finger writes. An hour is a terrible
thing when you look to see what can
happen in it, But, come; sermonsl
I'd far rather see you smile. Won't
you?"
She tried to, but to him it was sad.
DER than her tears would have been,
For an hour they walked through
the dim and musty streets. He exert
ed himself to amuse her and fairly
succeeded. But never did the unac.
countable fear, that presage Of misfor.
tune, sleep in her heart And at last
when he took her to her carriage and
bade her good-by till dinner. half.
formed idea began to grow in her
brain; to save Mr.. Jones without be.
tfaying Ryanne.
The latter's carriage was at the 9th.
ee end of the baSaars; so he strobe
sullenly through the press, rudely e.
boWing those who got in his way. An
occasional curse was flung after him:
but his height, his breadth of shoul.
der, his lowering face, precluded any.
thing more active. The Moslems had
deal Of faith in the efficacy OF
curses; so the jostled ones rested ND.
on the promise Of these, satisfied that
directly, or in the near future, Allah
would blast the unDelieying dog in his
tracks.
What cleverness the mother and
scallawag of an uncle had shown to
have kept the child in ignorance all
these years! That she saw darkly, as
through a fog, he was perfectly sure.
Sooner or later the storm would burst
upon her innocent head, and then God
Olone knew what would become Of
ner. Oh, damn the selfish, sordid
world! At that Instant great long.
ing rolled over him to cut loose from
Ill these evil webs, to begin anew
somewhere, even IT that somewhere
we're but a wilderness, clearing IN
'orest.