The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-20
JUDAS THE SCRIBE.

blank sheet Of foolscap spread Deneath MS
tirrrad vision assumed at last the appear
apce Of n measurcless space that ihoChc"
his incapacity, and challenged MIN 10 in"Ao
GOD his frequent bCaSiings that gwen
,be opportunity.' he could command sue
80 The long coveted chance OF dlstih
,,risbinu himself had come, but ike 50
many Of fortunes grUdginely bestowed
fayors il Ind come too late His brain ielt
lile 60 much cotton wool, exposing sou
80, obstinate resistance 10 nervous pressure
aud stray thoughts expended themselves IN
fruitless efforts toward deVeioplhoh'' II"
spiration failed him. II had been so long
confined within high prison walls tha'
now il was unable L. shake OH the heaN!
fetters necessity had forged. ana soar WIN
him above the regions Of bald TACT anu
commonplace recital
II was no new story Of which he was the
hero. He had come % London, rs so man!
others do. fun of ambition and high aspira-
tons. lie believed these last 10 be in pro
cess Of realization when. soon after his ar
rival. he obtained one Of the assistant edlt-
orships of an important journal, partly
through interest and partly because oil
semi-amateurish experience he had had III
This line nj oxford, where also he had
greatly DISTINGUISHED himself and ms
PROSPECTS Of future fame were considered
more than promising IL was then hls
fond belief that he had only 20 take the
tide Of fortune nj its food 10 float com
fortably into the desired haven. One by
one. however. hopes which sustained him
through the first few years OF his literary
oxperience had died, not violently, but from
gradual inanition, and lac had no last re-
signed himself to the DAILY routine Of bust
ness. which was at least a livelihood
sunk in this spiritless content he had
been only momentari)y excited 10y an IN
expected call for so many columns OF orlgl-
uai fiction 10 Dee supplied to his own paper
at twenty-four hours notice, owing TO the
sudden illness Of one Of the regular stan
Of contributors Well educated and well
read. with an easy flow OF language Tombs
combined a pretty literary taste that,
showing itself occasionally even in The
hack work To which re was reduced, bad
led to this demand. which was due also 90
the fact that. being Easter week, nearly
everybody was ont Of town-among the
rest the sub editor Of Mayfair, whose cspc
cial province il was 10 have copy in Ie
serve ready for such Emergencies
This was how il happened, and now ia
the deadly WEAKNESS OF reaction Tomb
felt inclined to curse the train Of events ne
sulting in this fortuitols good luck, which
served only 20 prove 10 him a deterioration
Of intellect he had before suspected. The
delicate flights OF farcy and power of az
tistic contrast on which he had once prided
himself might still be forthcoming were
he to get a central idea on which 20 hang
them; but, alas, this was lacking. and the
poverty of conception of which he WAS SO
painfully aware must prevent their being
called into requisit.on.
rs he sat there staring blanhly I front
Of him knock came to his door. and there
entered aman haggard eyed 90, himself and
in very evident distress.
Though they met seldom midst The stress
Of London life and the struggle for exist
crsce. which in either case was compulsory.
the two had been friends in early youth,
and now memory Of that close inter
course had brought the one i'm his dire nc
cessity to the other for sympathy md help.
The trouble was one involving the less of
honor "a well as material advantages, 10
was indeed a confession TO which Iomls
listened with breatLlc-s intensity, as
though his own Interests had been %,
stake The passionate outgourine met
with a warm response; they were both H.
resistibly drawn back t1to thcirold friend
ship: and the man wiz had come broken
down and dcspairing LETT al last with self
respect and energy.
Tombs. once more alone, turned to hi,
sheet of paper, which no longer seemed $50
blank nor Of such formidable size. il
Imagination WAS kindNd 10y the story he
had heard 1t was Just such a story
Mayfair wanted, with a strong motive
dramatic situation Gud unmistakable trgt.
10 nature. Experiences having taught him
70 correctly measure their reQuircmcHt-.
he was certain that had this story come g.
him at second hand he could have trc.tcl
il powerfully and made it an unqualified
success Or if even II had been a strau GEES
who on insufficient grounds had cou.idcd
TO him a secret, it might have been po,-'ni.
To have used the subject natter be %
friend. his only friend, man he had hruc-
fited-for benefits conferred establish more
claim upon one than benefits received no
IT was impossible; the idea must not tc
I
thing unclean, a crime SO base and low b.
should not even be temptation.
His fingers toyed nerYously with the len
that had found its way into their grasp,
and while he was making desperatc cu
desvor 10 force his thoughts into another
channel, almost parallel If il must be, bat
not quite similar in design or direction
somehow a title which fitted the story cN
actly was written at the top Of the page
and after that the end might be forc-ceu.
His pen now flew Ike magic. Sheet ai-
ter sheet was covered with the small
crooked handwriting and allowed q flat
ter 10 the floor Carried away by his sU3
ieot he wrote without cessation and with
no feeling Of fatigue; it Nas Sigh oi re
lief rat her than OF exhaustion that escaped
hi, lips a. he wrote the last words. Then,
pale as death with excitement, he gathcre,!
tbs manuscripts together and read It over
not with the tender partially Of an author
for tho offspring of his brain, but as critic;
and moreover one who has an unfair
knowledge Of the facts. who has been face
20 face with the model as well as the coz.
pleted picture.
Ye, even so lac found no fault with his
eompOSitiOn-lf - could he called MS OWL
-<ynen Ony a reproduction OF another
words. imbucd with that others vitality
and ,uade tragic by his despair. a color
crept In TOmbs' face. but it was the hue Of
shame: and II YVES not because his hands
were trembling so. but because the paper
stang them. that lac laid il quickly down.
lie caught sight Of himself IN an opposite
mirror. conscience stricken, afraid TO meet
his own reflection. aud seized with sud
den loathing Of his action, Traitor be
cried aloud in bitter self contempt.
The next moment the manuscript was
on the fire. a1ame, while every now aud
then a word or sentence stood out, clear
and telling in its virile strength, and after
warn-only the black debris lay upon the
hearth
But th.ssyords had been written, and SO
were impressed upon Tombs' mind. As
lie lay in led. awssc, through an interim.
nable night, his brain tbsobbing and con-
ficting emotions changing AID chasing
away each indehlite intention. he could
repeat whole paraglaphs, and the idea
which had first attracted now possessed
him, becoming too fascinating 10 resist.
Before daylight he was up and writing
a0oinst time no lonOpr an upconsis.. f.1