Middletown transcript., 1891-07-30

died hs left me enough for a start,
and Ae advice to make it do, and not
to be- borrow or accept help from
any nan. And 30 I have done until
now, and rather than lie here and
heap up debts and be q burden TOTO
strdngers," said the young fellow, with
anotker of his hot fushes, and with
tears 10 bis eyes, g / sometimes think
I would prefer to have gone off alto
gether when ] was SO low, and at
least have made a decent end of it,"
aetrangersl I am the only one, |"
replied Fletcher, quietly; and 1, Mr..
GrSn6 10 not count Have you not
FOUL that out yet p =
have foand out that you are the
gooz genius Of the colony, and among
the Eermans, too. They talk of you
sll 6ser the city. How many weak
Dor you hare saved from ruin, and
fool in Girls, cast adrift here and
thaf you are always working for sick
folkB and poor foIks."
fletcher only shook his head. "Still
I a not count, Lam not genuine
artiele. !, It is no secret here in Leip-
sic. They all recognize it, if they do
not Understand it. They wonder why
/" ca Fletcher r" hangs &about here
yeaf after year. Heis settled curl :
osits. They challenge each other
ovek their beer mugs to read the rid
dles which they cannot do, my young
friaed, for the excellent reason that
he doesn't know and can't tell him.
self
He smiled again at the others puz.
zled face.
tit is another Peter Schlemihl
case. only reversed /; am the shadow
without the man. l might have been
as happy to-day as any one who lives
on this earth, j / had been a man.
But the fibre was somehow left out
when I was made. Twas a weakling
before I was out of my teens, and
after that forever falling and reform
ing and because she knew that to
marry me would only be in the long,
run to sink me deeper into perdition,
she could never be my wife, she said J;
though she would always wait for me.
OF course I laughed at that. I
thought a few years would satisfy her,
but they did not. They only thor
oughly proved to me that she was
right, that there was no manhood in
me. So, chiefly because | had MOTH
ing else to dol had already gather
ed all of this worlds goods / should
ever need-I came over here. Some
things I find here bind me still,
shadow though | am, to the land of
the living-some friendly faces, some
chores to do, that better people would
never light upon. You see. tempted
people somehow recognize me as q
kind of spectre-a warning. Not
that have fallen in the old way as
yet. But secrets have a way of leak
ing out without tongues to tell them.
So | stay on. 1t is nice, cheerful
story for an invalid" concluded the
speaker, rising and looking down with
his grave, kindly smile. 81 have
never told it before, but you are well
come to it, Harold Grant"
Two weeks later Fletcher was max
ing his way along the streets to the
FIVE o'clock service at the American
chapel. He felt unusually lonesome,
even for him. Grant was almost we'll,
would not need him much longer in
fact, did not need him now, for some
relative-an aunt, he believed-had
arrived from America day or two
before.
The chapel was filled when he en-
tered it. The preacher for the day, a
learned doctor, was reading his elabor-
ate essay with much energy and
pleasure. The late-comer took seat
near the door, and being s.on con-
vinced that this particular feast had
not been spread for his delectation, he
lazily lapsed into his own thoughts,
while his eyes roamed about among
the heads and shoulders in front Of
him.
What struck his fancy to night was
to trace the roles which people assume
and play SO long that they tell them
even in their unconscious attitudes.
There was Fellows, the sanity young
theologue. with his long smooth hair
ripping to bis coat collar, his eyes
upon the ground. his whole express
sion chaste devotion to every iota Of
truth presented. There was modest
Doctor Strong, hugging himself to-
gether out of peoples way, and even
winking apologetically. There was
intellectual Mrs. Strong, his wife, her
head on one side, her fine chin in the
air, preparing herself for a brilliant
aiter-discussion of the whole theme.
There was aristocratic Miss Jones
bolt upright, nostrils scof6ng the COM
mon air. There was benevolent Miss
Green, disporting gracious smile for
all wandering eyes. And-yes, here
was Frank Fletcher, that selt-consti.
tuted critic of life, ably equipped
truly, as the disappointed actor al
ways is. With shrug of his shoul
ders he jammed his hands into bis
pockets.
Just look at Old Fletcher He
is deeper in the dumps than ever to-
night whispered DR.. Hopkins, be-
hind him. This to young Clark
whose passionate soul was divided be.
tween the strains of his last musical
composition and the charms of Miss
Terry. the lovely young English
violinist.
Where p aaid Clark, aloud, start
ing up and looking around. with the
amiabIe intention of confirming his
friends proposition, and settling back
again, with his eyes on Miss Terry'l
L..