Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-04-26
CHAPTER IX.-(Continued.0


Ten years ago." abstractedly.
What lot OF things may happen in
ten years! Deaths, births, marriages,
ne went on; the snuffing out of king
,doms and republics; wars. panics.
famine: honor to some and dishonor
to others. II kind Of makes a 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 a wisdom be
You'd her years.
No, you had better not. I'm not a
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 | was as
model a boy as ever was Percival.
Where the divarication took place
cant 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: have never cheat
ed a man at cards nor run away with
his wife. The devil must give me
these merits, however painful II may
be to him. Ten years ago, only a
decade; good Lord! it's like a hun
'dred years ago. sometimes"
Fortune breathed with difficulty.
Never before had he taken her into
his confidence to such extent. She
sessayed to speak; the old terror
seemed fairly to smother her. II 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. ali.
what Of them? The crooked street
vanished; the roar dwindled away:
she was alone. all. all alone.
81 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
IL there. Your mother and uncle
have been very kind to me. They
know less of me than you do. I have
been to them a kind of errand-boy: a
happy-g olucky fellow, who cbeered
Ghem when they had the doldrums"
With forced cheerfulness he again
took her hand and snuggied It under
his arm. giving 1t a friendly reassur.
ing pat. I'll 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 Won.
I've tried to be good. Honestly"
And can't you go back to the be-
ginning and start anew" tremuiously
Can any one go back? The moving
finger writes. An hour is a terrible
thing when you look TO see what can
happen In II. But. come: sermonsi
I'd far rather see you smile. Won't
-you?"
She tried 10. but TO him il 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
oade her goodby till dinner. a half.
formed idea began to grow In her
brain; to save Mr.. Jones without be.
traying Ryanne
The iatter's carriage was at the 9th.
er end of the bazaars; so he STROBE
eulleniy through the press, rudely el.
bowling those who got in his way. An
occasional curse was flung after him:
out his height. his breadth of Shout. |
der, his lowering face. precluded any.
thing more active. The Moslems had
q deal OF faith in the efficacy Of |
curses; so the jostled ones rested up |
on the promise OF these. satisfied that
directly. or in the near future, Allah |
would blast the unbelieving 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. Nh vas perfectly sure
Sooner or later the storm would burnt
upon her innocent head. and then God !
alone knew what would become Of |
ner. oh. damn the selfish. sordid
world! At that instant a great long
ing rolled over him to cut loose from
all these evil webs to begin anew
somewhere, even II that somewhere
We're but . wilderness. a clearing in a
ssesst