Telegram-herald., 1891-01-17

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tag In ambssh. vstsiAa ~ : sh~nes =
tel him whss ssHiees ~ - He
sAosghs II al he esusl tkiaes -
nigas s>y, hew sAs uiGAt shou him
the differences betvsap himnen "a
Brewn. With . hAl&aos hesvisy n hvse
Of he Ahsent; snd she might cay thsa
che would prefer brown even Il he ~
turned from Central Afsics With sine
In Ms noe And . eoaArmnd habit a
ossnibzlism. Rasssii fzaclsA her -
fasins him IN 30 many dinsssns wsys
that be began % b afraid some alp q
the toogus would launch 60 Of then
upon him. oven - his scesysancs by her
father bsd come By secidsnl He began
70 resent this refusal which rs only .
ngment Of his imaginatio and his req
olutioa 10 seek her society no more
melted IN the heat Of his III temper.
He determined 70 show her thai her
shssns hsA ne power 70 tempt him. sadl
70 make her understAnd In sone way
that her fashsr haA eommittAd 3 pfnos
Of stapidity. Meanwhile. despite al
this raging In his soul. his bearing 20
ward her was frank. courteous End
friendly. - II bad stwsys besn-
The Society for General Culture had
survived tho summer. and its membsrs
had como hack from tho shores Of the
salt sea with IN sdded thirst Tor lrnowl-
edge. Ono Of the girls had also great
idea 70 propose ~ the socicty's first
meeting. 1t was not original, but IL
was tho latest fad IN societies Of that
kind-a revival Of IN ancient custom.
She suggested that they ind some
struggling poet and help to win recog-
milton for him. Russell must know one,
and it would DO 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 .
great and amusing scheme filtered
through his brain
81 know the man." ssid he, At last:
che Is deserving fellow. but without
some help his genius will never Be
known"
The man whom Russell had in mind
was the janitor Of q downtown building,
young fellow with about as much idea
OF poetry as . wooden Indian. But ma
trre 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
Tho yearning look In his eyes might
have expressed tho craving Of genius
for the ideal, but in reality 1t was the
hardened expression OF covetousness.
A more matter-of-fact. hard-hsted, un-
romantic pursucr of the glittering dol
lar 1t would have been impossible to i'm
agine. In the building where be worked
he was known IS Cupid. on account Of
his cupidity.
Russelrs 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 deoeiving her. and partly be-
cause he doubted his ability to do 80. 1t
required some persuasion to bring her to
consent, but q. 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 ''Dust and Ashes" a
title suggested TO Russell by tho 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 its work Of introduc-
ing the poet.
Russell was somewhat alarmed 1T the
success OF his joke, but he determined
TO carry 1t as far as 1t would 60. The
preparation Of the poem. however. was .
work Of considerable magnitude. and,
with Alice, he spent great many hours
digging out the verses. Alice proved to
be remarkably clever 1T this sort OF work,
and together thcy evolved sad narra-
two Of disappointed affection, With .
climax which cast a general blight over
the face OF nature. 1t wasn't SO bad after
all, and when tho society and its guests
swallowed the production for work Of
genius, and overwhelmed Cupid with
congratulations, the real authors wero
not only amused but battered They
bad been taken in" by their own pro-
duction no less than the others Cupid.
In reply TO hundred questions, told tho
lie which had been prepared for him BY
Russell, with face a. somber az the
opening Of hard winter. and the two
conspirators got no end Of fun out Of his
stolid bearing In the midst Of bis hon.
ors. All sorts OF ridiculous plans for
getting him into favor were proposed;
and Russell foresaw that eventually
Cupid would have 10 disappear or DO dis
covered When the exposure should
finally come. Russell feared that hisown
disappearance, too. would be . necessary
condition Of SAFETY.
ElIl llEsDtIa