The National tribune., 1892-03-03

/ h, -, ~ whose. bdnR account Was vet uH-
/ g I. s4s- o. boru aud whose profession jour
nalisml was 50 capricious But when thOy met
has wife they understood and pardoncd his I'M
| wisdom.
When his first child appeared on the scene
ho did n more audacious thing.
That ends this lodginghouse existence
he said. " I'll quit Bohemia, and get homo
for me and mine"
And he bought n neat little place not far mp
town, and furnished it "on time" binding
himself To mako weekly payments on the fur
nlture and scmi-aunual ones on the house.
" Hes acquired a stock of worriment 10 last
him the rest Of his days" remarked Boyce, a
reporter who had struggled for three months to
pay for floor fuI of furniture on tho INSTALL
ment plan, and had finally boheld most Of bis
goods hauled back TO the store from which they
had come
But Corson was as daring as he was bright.
y What j. life without cOugeuial euyirOumeutF'
no said, and lac and his wife went joyOusly
upon sunit way, which was marked ia due
time by the birth Of a second baby, a 10y.
Still, COrsOn managed 10 increase the attract
iveness Of his home and to make his payments
with little overToTk. His regular employment
rs exchange editor Of newspaper, ms viva
cious articles theatrical subjects IN two
weekly periodicals. his rarely accepted maga-
zine contributions, his occasional sketches pub
iishcd here and there, his royalties for two
]
other odds and ends, kept his receipts about
even with his expenses and he did not worry.
lie was young and his nature was baOyant. Ills
wife was OF similar disposition.
Il haven't got in the way Of saving YETI he
said 20 me one day. over an aiter-luncheOu mug
OF beer But that III come when the house IS
| paid for. Then Pm going to let mp a bit on
! hack work and DO something credittDe to my
! self. don't bother about fame yet. Once Im
on Easy street, though. III begin to let my best
abilities have show and try to build up repu-
| tation."
! Aud he confded TO me an idea which he in.
] tended 10 embOdy in novel entitled Sc Brave
/ Surrender" COHceit that surely would win
| celebrity for any man who would treat it ar
| tistically. why don't you begin it now 4"
| / asked.
"Oh, haven't time yet to do anything that
| isn't sure 10 bear pecuuiary fruit at once. /
can't wait for late harvest. The thing would
| probably give me standing with literary people
and magazine editors aud wouid lead to laurels,
| perhaps. But for itself there isn't the money
in it that there is ia the sort uf rot I'm doing
now"
| lie spoke tho truth. Therein is explained
! the existence Of y host Of brilliant hacks
Although he deferred the bringing forth OF
| his great conception he cherished il f0ndly,
/ aud its anticipated advent was his dream. Even
at that time deemed CUr-on a heTo-Oue the
I kind not only possible but numerous IN these
/ days Of apparent littlencss To do g thing
worthy Of his talegts some day was his life am
I bition; 10 make safe and sure tho home of his
| wife and children was his seli-appointed pre-
7 limiHary task.
! The sudden killing Of Haskell, the artist, in
Y n railroad accident was like fash OF light
ming 10 Cor,On. When he heard OF it his face
I paied aud horrible awakening showed IA his
\ blue eyes
mo-, ,,,,.,- \ -,,--, So -bt NO. Lr,,r, a.,
/ him" he said ia q low voice. ! could easily
read that he was thinking: III had been on
\ THAI train! Debt still hanging over the home
I Blanche aud the babies," lie added aloud
IN write 10 that life Insurance. man 10 call to-
/ morrow"
/ Three days later-it was on n Sunday
Y dinei at his house. His wife was charming
hostess-conteitmen aud eayety personified.
/ The children reflected her brown eyes and her
amiabiity. Their home WAS maHifcsily that
\ of an art lover. made SO with such economy as
/ womau's ingenuity renders easy. Wo had Il
/ merry afternoon. Whom left ut evening Cor
son walked will me 10 the corner. We stopped
/ beneath an electric light.
How happy you ought to be, my bOy.'
/ said.
Yes" he replied quietly.
% But you work too much. Surely you can
afford To reduce the pressure a few pounds
No. found out yesterday that / must in
crease it,"
Ills soft eyes met mine. There was a hidden
sadness there. and his face was without its
wOntcd animation. The electric light gave it
Rn almost ghastly look.
what do you mGan?" ! asked.
Simply this. They wouldn't insure my
/ life. They found have consumption AMI also
/ liability to valyulaT LESSONS Of the heart
! Whether / exert myselfOr not the doctor won't
! give me more than four years to live. by loaf
81
| couldn't clear the home Of debt / can pay it
OF in nine months if l hustle. / sha'n't know
a moments rest uatil do. IL there's nothing
| else, you know, when Pm gone Blanche aud
the youngsters can let the two upper stories
aud live on the rent"
But your great idea-y0ur Brave SurTen-
render your bait for fame?"
"Pl have 10 drop that It's living for
| Blanche and the children that / must look for
now. / mean to stay in the ring till every cent
| is paid, IL ! drop dead the moment after Don't
mention u 10 anyone, Od man. She mustn't
know IL. I'll have 10 say good night now
want 10 do comic song for Renshaw, the CO.
median, before sleep. hunted down a funny
idea in bed last night. It'll be worth s. n
stanza if it's good"
looked after him as he walked back. hur-
| rying homeWard TO begin that race with death
| which moro than one man has run and many
| a man has lost
Corson himself had made the terms of the
contest Tie goal that he undertook to reach
ere his pnrsuer should overtake him was the
| payment of the last dollar due upon his home
| Any attempt to influence or 10 persuade him
from his course would have been futile lie
had sliheued his lips and dilated his uOslrils
aud lac meant business. When i met DIR. Harb-
ster i'm the lobby of the Broadway Theater be-
| tween the acts on the next night / asked him
| ii CorsOn's case was as grave as COrson thought
| it.
Exactly. II not more so. 1t came on him
insidi iOusly, you know, without haemoptysis or
prominent chest symptoms -
| Please cut technical terms"
"Well, ho asCrIbed his fever and throat
troubles and dyspoptic indications to local and
| temporary causes. Phthiss had lis clutch on
| him before hc suspected it. Ho may live two
! years; he may live four. The time depends on
many circumstances"
And his heart trOuble?"
"Oh. there's really little to fear from that.
| Unless some violent emotion or exeTtion pro-
ducrs asystole -
"Shnp lingo again :"
Pardon me! Consumption will probably
have claimed him long before heart disease
| would have time TO announce itselED
Won't he shorten his life still more by
keeping that manuscript factory going in his
braInI"
"Yes-but perhaps no. You see, he knows
! he's doomed, aud reasonable amount of work
wont hurt him as much as anxiety would
If he gave up work he'd fret about the pay
| ment OF his debts. That would bring insom-