The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-05-13
vIcT1aas OF A $40 4AsIT.
lrsa whose Absent-aIiudadnesa Lead
Elan INTO zLaE-a- 49,

Hen whose Abaent-lLfuHednesa Leads
Them Into storEay Paths
The absent-minded men are bo7e1ess
cases. One OF them played one OF his
old tricks the other day. He was WALL
ing down Fifth avenue when he saw
some one coming toward him whose
face seemed to be familiar. His own
story best explains the situation.
'I was conscious" he said, chat
knew the man very well, but / was
thinking of something and his approach
did not make clearly defined iInpres-
sion on my brain was also conscious
that when he saw me he gave a start
and tCOz a step toward me with his
hand outstretched- And vet, all that
did not recall me sufficiently from NV
thoughts to enable me to realize clearly
just what was happening. / said, in an
absent way How do You do2' and
walked on as if were in the habit OF
seeing him every day or as If were
only slightly acquainted with him
Even in that minute I was awake to
the fact that there was a queer light in
his face and that he returned my bow
very stiHy-
''It was not until had gone a couple
OF squares down the avenue that it
flashed into my mind that the man was
one of my Oldest and most intimate
friends, whom ] had not seen in several
years, and that when he had started to
greet me cordially i had worse than
'cut' him by giving him q cold bow. I
then, as a man VIII do, turned to hurry
back after him, but, Of course, he was
gone"
Here is another extreme case which
seems improbable, but for the truth of
which the writer can vOuch- A New
Yorker who made a trip to California
was met at the pier in Oakland by a
man who rushed up to him and wrunE
his hand heartily.
Glow do you do, WHIP cried the
stranger with delight. 81 heard you
were coming and I thought you would
like to have me meet you
The New Yorker looked at the other
man in blank establishment
''Tm afraid" he said, chat there is
some mistake. do not seem to know
you"
''WeI,' said the other with a laugh,
''you are a cool fellow to joke in that
way. But how long are you going TO
stay out here? I want you to come to
our house"
''But, my dear sir declared the New
York man earnestly, 81 don't know you.
I never saw you Before can't imagine
what you can mean
so, il that's the case was the reply
in tones OF Indignation, II will not
trouble you. But just 20 refresh your
very remarkable memory I propose to
tell YOu that know you. I am your
cousin, George D.. We were boys
together, we went to school together,
and you haven't changed in appearance,
and do not think that 1 have. Good
day, sin and he started to walk away
in disgust, but the New Yorker ran
after hint, Offering thousand apologies.
He is a nan who simply cannot remem-
Der even faces.
The abssnt-minded writer who after
filling a sheet Of paper with what to
him at lea st is valuable literature tears
il up, wit hOut knowing what he IS
doing, and throws the bits of paper in
a waste basket, recently brought con
fusion and horror into his existence by
one of his ''thinlzlessH actions. He had
completed an article of several thousand
words and had finished looking it
over" and making changes and correc-
tons in it. Then he sat back and let
his mind dwell on the subject upon
which he had been working, and work
ing very hard, and for some time too.
AS he mentally reviewed the whole arti-
Gle, his fingers began to do deadly work
with the manuscript. They tore it all
into the finest bits and threw them
away. Then the man got up with
sigh of content that the work was com
pleted to his satisfaction. Not until the
next day, when he went to his desk to
take out the manuscript, did he discover
how much his terrible vice of absent
mindedness had cost him All his labor
and pains were gone in fragments of
worthless paper and the thought made
him faint and sick And yet he himself
declares that there is no help Tor him.
He considers himself a hopeless case, %
and tries to make the best of a bad trait
"a straying and capricious mind.-N
Y. Tribune.