This caused our hero to stop and look troubled.
"True," he muttered, "for what end or for what purpose? Would she look at me—me a tramp! Preposterous! And yet I would like to see her, if only for the pleasure of basking in the glow of those heavenly eyes. For what good or purpose? Who may tell? I have as much right to win her as any one. Pshaw! What an idiot am I!"
And yet he was as sensible as the majority of mankind, and had only been indulging in the pleasant pastime of constructing air-castles. Without ties of home or kindred to claim his thoughts during the long days and nights of the tramp, his mind had constantly reverted to this young woman, and builded in his heart a creation that had at last taken full occupancy of it. No wonder then when his daydreams were about to be brought face to face with reality the practical common-sense of his nature had a hard struggle with the fascinations of imagination. Tommy observed him closely and probably understood what was transpiring in his mind.
"Ben," he said, "I have heard that all men are fools when in love, and I think you must be in love. That's no concern of mine however, only mind you, young man, after you have been well scorched, come to me and I'll tell you something about love!"
There was such a peculiarly bitter and sarcastic expression in the boy's tone and face that it recalled Ben's wits from dreamland with a jump and he devoted his attention to his companion.
"Well, rooster, what is it about love that you profess to know so much? Are you in love?" he asked with a smile.
"No, but I had a friend once who was," replied the youth.
"And what became of him?" asked Ben.
"It wasn't a him, it was a 'she'! And this 'she' fell in love. Love! It was something more than love—it was worship! She gave up home, friends, happiness, salvation—everything did she sacrifice on the altar of her love—and as a natural consequence she awoke to find the sacrifice rejected."
"And what became of her?" asked Ben.