The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-06

was really uue 20 iaGe hours In the past,
but he decided at once that it must be due
to the present. So he frowned at the chair
man again.
Ibid you see me yawnp' he said severe
ly. did you? When the games are SO
| stupid that the king has to yawn, HIM
He did not finish, but the chairman felt
uneasy because of the things that the
| king had omitted to say. He FASTENED on
| to the next announcement
1.-The title of hour next number is a
'Tableau OF Today" he cried, ''hand
| which explains itself.
When everything had been arranged by
multitude of slaves Of Circumstance,
the scene showed large office, with roll
er top desks. and typewriter stand. In
the foreground was clerk who had served
his company Is years, He looked it.
At the desk sat the Company 1t was
thinking, through the pangs of headache,
of the night before and the day before
that. On the day before it had run up
against most unlucky lot of Circum-
stances. 1t had made a huge speculation
in stocks of the P. p. G. railway and the
speculation had gone very wrong indeed
Then, in order to recoup ITSELF the Com
pany had tried it's luck at cards that even
ing. And every trial turned out more dis
astrously than the last. So this morning
the Company saw that it had got to do
something to lessen expenses.
To resign at the club was out of the
question. To give up the box at the opera
would be absurd. When you have accus-
toned yourself to an expensive brand Of
cigars and Wines it is really quite impos-
sible to drink or smoke anything inferior.
live ~ L.
and the Company was going to do it.
1t called the lovely damsel who was in
the next room. 1t said to her, "Take a
letter, pleasel'
And while the company was debating
the letter the clerk, who had served the
company for Is years, was thinking over
the queer fate that had ruled him into this
rut where he only just earned enough to
keep himself and his family from hunger.
And then again he concluded by congrat-
ulating himself on having such good,
steady employment. It was more than
many men had.
He lookednp, some one having touched
him on the shoulder. It was the lovely
typewriter damsel, and she handed him
letter. He read this
DEAR SIR Circumstances over which we
have no control necessitate reduction of ex-
penses. Your resignation will be accepted on
the LIST of the month. THE COMPANY.
The clerk looked out of the window ST.
lently. Outside the people were hurrying
along the street ceaselessly. 1t was like q
huge torrent. He read the letter again,
smiling rather queerly. Then he opened
small drawer of his desk and took out q
very small tin box. 1t smelt of peoples.
He poured the contents into his mouth
and threw his head back, swallowing with
quick gulp. Then he looked out Of the
window again. and waited fora certain
Circumstance
One of the last things he heard was the
Company saying to the lovely typewriter
damsel, Wasn't this the night you were
going to take supper with mel"
There was great deal of applause at
the conclusion Of this tableau. The king
came SO near to smiling that the chairman
began to feel safe and reckless.
HI will now present to you," he an
nounced pompously, "ha Domestic Detail,
which will be the last hof hour hattrac-
tions for this day" He bowed very low,
and, still bowling at odd moments, return
ed to his chair.
The king frowned as he watched him,
but he said nothing, for the play was be-
ginning.
These two, this young man and his
wife, had only been married little over
year, and that year had been as dream
of perfect happiness These twain had
been one, in the most complete and de-
lightful way possible. All their joys and
sorrows they had shared
But now there happened to them Cir
cumstance that wrought a cruel change
In them both. The Circumstance was
loyable one, and that was the pity Of it.
The young husband looked at the Circum-
stance and began to feel a fearful hate to-
ward it, for the reason that he caught his
wife looking at 1t with love in her eyes.
And there were moments when she, too,
looking at it, found her husbands eyes
fixed lovingly upon it, and then she hated
it fercely and blindly. AS for the Cir
cumstance, it kept smiling to itself.
Jealousy and unreason reigned now be-
tween these two. They grew nervous
touchy, irritable Each feared that the
Circumstance was robbing him OF her of
the others love. And then, again, there
came moments when, driven by pride and
vanity, each determined to conquer in the
fight and win the sole title to the Circum-
stances love.
One day fearful thought came to them
both. Each struggled with the thought,
but it triumphed. Then they gave way
to it. The thought, in each of them, was
that II the Circumstance were out of the
way they might return to the old days
when they loved each other so dearly.
The Circumstance was lying up stairs,
asleep Through the half open door the
husband approached ON tiptoe He went
round to the other side of the couch, and
in his hand, which was shaking little,
was glass of water He had reached
the farther side of the couch and was just
pouring white powder into the water
when his eyes took on queer fixed stare.
Through the half open door came his
wife, and in her right hand was glass
OF water. Her eyes were fixed upon the |
face of the Circumstance, and in the lines
of her own face battle was raging be- |
tween Love and Self Sacrifice and Hate
The eyes of husband and wife met, and |
two glasses of water went crashing to the !
floor. Quick signs of shame dyed their
faces, and after an instant of helpless con-
sternation they came into each others
arms, and for long time held each other
so silently.
When the Circumstance ayUoke III heard |