The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-03-06
I. O. i.
By HOWARD FIELDING.


j
ing in ambush, waiting for chance to
tell him what traitor he was He
thought of all the cruel things she
might say; how she might show him
the difference between himself and
Brown, with balance heavily in favor
of the absent; and she might say that
she would prefer Brown even If he re-
turned from Central Africa with ring
in his nose and confirmed habit of
cannibalism. Russell fancied her re-
fusing him in so many different ways
that he began to be afraid some slip of
the tongue would launch one of them
upon him, oven as his acceptance by her
father had come by accident. He began
to resent this refusal which was only a
fgment of his imagination, and his res
olution to seek her society no more
melted in the heat of his i'll temper.
he determined to show her that her
charms had no power to tempt him, and
to make her understand in some way
that her father had committed piece
of stupidity. Meanwhile, despite all
this raging in his soul, his bearing to-
ward her was frank, courteous and
friendly, as it had always been.
The Society for General Culture had
survived the summer, and its members
had come back from the shores of the
salt sea with an added thirst for knowl-
edge. One of the girls had also great
idea to propose at the society's first
meeting. 1t was not original, but it
was the latest fad In societies of that
kinda revival of an ancient custom.
She suggested that they find some
struggling poet and help to win recog-
milton for him. Russell must know one,
and it would be such fun to encourage
the poor fellow and help him by judi
cious criticism and little money, till
at last he could get his poems into the
magazines.
Russell reflected moment, while a
great and amusing scheme filtered
through his brain.
81 know the man." said he, at last;
she is a deserving fellow, but without
some help his genius will never be
known
The man whom Russell had in mind
was the janitor of downtown building,
young fellow with about as much idea
of poetry as wooden Indian. But ma
ture had given him an ideal exterior
the long hair, the thin, hungry looking
visage, and the eyes which forever fixed
themselves on vacancy. Russell had
often remarked what perfect picture
of the traditional poet this man was.
The yearning look in his eyes might
have expressed the craving of genius
for the ideal, but in reality it was the
hardened expression of covetousness.
A more matter-of-faot, hard-fsted, un-
romantic pursuer of the glittering dol
lar it would have been impossible to I'M
agine. In the building where he worked
he was known as Cupid, on account of
his cupidity.
Russells plan was to hire this man to
personate poet, and to write preposter-
Gus nonsense for him to read at the So
ciety's meetings After mature deliber-
alton he decided to let Alice into the
secret, partly because he did not like
the idea of deceiving her, and partly be-
cause he doubted his ability to do so. 1t
required some persuasion to bring her to
| consent, but at last she entered fully
into the plot, and helped Russell to con=
coct the soulful mess for Cupid to read,
His first appearance and the poem were
an immense success. He read twenty
line wall called 'sDust and Ashes" a
| title suggested to Russell by the fellows
| occupation. The girls were in rapture.
and it was immediately decided that the
| poet must read before larger audience
| during the following week. The socie-
ty would issue about fifty invitations,
and begin at once it's work of introduc,
ing the poet.
| Russell was somewhat alarmed at the
success of his joke, but he determined
to carry it as far as it would go. The
preparation of the poem, however, was a
work of considerable magnitude, and,
digging out the verses. Alice proved to
be remarkably ever at this Sort of work,
and together they esolved q sad narra-
rive Of disappointed Affection, with 2
climax WHICH cast general blight over
the face of nature. 1t wasn't SO bad after
all, and when the society and its guests
swallowed the production for work OF
genius, and overwhelmed Cupid with
congratulations, the real authors were
not only amused but fiattered. They
had been ''tahen in" by their own pro-
duction no less than the otheEs. Cupid,
in reply to o hundpcd questions, told the
lie which had been prepared for him by
Russell, with face as somber as the
opening of hard winter, and the two
conspirators got no end of fun out of his
stolid bearing in the midst of his hon:
ors. All sorts Of ridiculous plans Cor
getting him into favor wepe proposedl
and Russell fopesaw that eventually
Cupid would have to disappear or be dis
covered. When the exposure should
finally come, Russell feared that his own
disappearance, too, would be a necessary
condition of safety.
But Cupid had to be provided with one
more poems and Alice and Russell were
hard at work upon it one evening in
early November in the library of the
Rays. Alice had not beep quite we'll
and she sat in a big chair before an open
| fire playing the pretty invalid. There
was an air of languor about her which
was happily all that remained of hel
illness. 1t was immensely becoming
Russell thought, and the freight fash
ing upon her pale cheeks gave her 9
fascination which well nigh overcams
! his resolution. BY hard struggle ot
the will he kept his mind fixed upon thu
poem, and hemade note now and ther
upon writing pad in his hand, leaning
iowa rd the fire for light
~