Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-31

but whether am or not, it makes no diff
terence. Beggars cannot be choosers''
1t seems to me that people with such
gifts as yours need not be beggars, but
| should be choosers."
She had raised him once again to his self
esteem.
You are kind to say so," he answered
but had no money to start with"
"And was that the reason" she asked
him suddenly, that you encumbered vour.
| self with wife and fam1ly?"
Again, he felt that he ought to enter his
protest on behalf Of the absent ones. His
| wife was good wife-he knew it-but.
after all, how commonplace she was com.
pared with the superb creature with whom
he was now conversing! What a pitiful
humdrum life they led together! Was his
marriage, perhaps, a mistake also, as we'll
as his profession? Certainly it had deprived
him OF all freedom-of every chance of ris-
Ing higher In the world. AS it was, he
could never hope to catch more than pass
Ing glimpse OF the society into which he
would gladly have entered. But to the
single man all things are possible-even the
widest dreams of ambition NAV find their
fultilment, if the tide of opportunity be
taken on the flood. It really did seem a
pity that he should have fettered himself
for life so early in his career For he was
only %.
This and much more to the same effect
passed through his mind, but all he said
was:
I'VE have only one child
"At present." said the lady, her hand
some features radiant with that half-pity-
Ing, half-contemptuous smile which had al
ready exercised such an influence over the
young man.
well, vel" she added, remarking with
secret satisfaction how her words rankled
IN the sore she had already established in
his heart-"well, we'll, 'chacun son gout.
Some place their bliss in action, some in
ease,
Those call it pleasure, and contentment
these.
mo doubt you are thoroughly contented
with your idyllic life. But give me inde-
pendence"
81 am not contented, he said, gloomily,
but what can do? 1 am bound with the
chain of poverty"
There may be-those who would gladly
pay ransom to set one like you free"
II do not know who they are," he
answered, more gloomily than before. His
future did indeed loom black before him as
he listened to this siren voice.
Oue DeuL 4OrWdrQ lltJIe ana looked MIN
in the eyes, witching smile upon her lips.
'You cannot really mean to say that you
are unconscious to, your own gifts. If you
were one of the common herd there would
be nothing to be said You would live your
petty humdrum lie like the rest, and there
would be no need to pity you. But you, my
friend, are formed of something greater and
higher than this-you are fashioned in a
finer mould-you have great gifts, physical
and mental. Yes; it does seem a great pity
that you should be doomed to what is, after
all. kind of penal servitude for life.
His chin had sunk upon his breast his
eyes were fixed upon the foor-he was
meditating moodily on what she said. He
had said it all to himself before in vague
and misty way, but he had always striven to
Danish such thoughts from his mind, and had
never suffered them to shape themselves to
such relentless clearness of outline as they
now assumed. Yes; it must be true, else
how should this mere stranger see it at a
glancel His life, though only just begun,
was already thrown away, and had no
promise for the future.
He felt that the lady's eyes we're on him.
but he did not raise his own to note their
expression. Had he done so he might-or
in his intatuation he might not-have re-
coiled before them. For the look was hard
and cold, and their glitter was the glitter of
a selfish triumph. Another victim in her
toils-the captive of her beauty and her
craft And, though she bad had 20 many