Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-12-28
HIS TEMPTATION.

..John, what shall we do? Here is
your story returned again"
''Send it somewhere else, OF course,
replied the special correspondent
-cheerily.
But we need the money so much
now" continued his wife, a tremor in
her lips.
Dropping into a chair, the special
correspondent took up the evening pa
per and hurriedly scanned the head
lines, in the habit of a man long accus-
toned to handling papers to get the
most out of them in the shortest time.
"How you startled me, dear" said his
wife, with a frightened look, as he rose
abruptly from his chair.
II have it now, Maggie have it! If
this doesn't bring me some ready cash
/ don't know news when l see it"
What is it, John?" her face lighting
up with eager expectancy.
Haven't time to tell you now" he
replied, hastily drawing on his overcoat.
60 to sleep. Don't wait for me-"
"A. G. Royal died here to-day. Do
you want the story?" The special cor
respondent wired this query to a lead
ing paper in city 800 miles distant,
Royals former home, where he had
been prominent figure in the COM
munity, successful in business and
foremost in the work of the church.
For Is years mothers had pointed him
out to their sons as worthy of their
imitation. The head of his firm, resid-
ing in a distant part of the state, had
sent his son to town to learn the bust
ness, placing him under the special care
of Royal.
After putting the query on the wires
the special correspondent set out to get
the details of the story, his news in
:stinct assuring him that his laborwould
not be lost. In his younger days, be-
fore Royal had risen to eminece, and
before the special correspondent had
edrifted away from his native city into
Bohemia, he had enjoyed Royals friend
ship and counted it one of the choice
blessings of his life. Although he was
81 newspaper man who rarely got left, y
he had not heard of Royals presence
in the city until he read the brief an
nouncement of his death in the Even
ing Star.
\ keen regret >anote his heart when
he read the short item; regret that
comes only in the presence of death
with the realization that the poor, cold
clay before you will nevermore warm
responsive to the kind offices of love-
AS he himself said, he was 'alI broke
up over it, to think that he did not
know and could not be with him in his
last hours"
The special correspondent knew Roy
ais secret, which made it important
that the latter's presence in the state
should not be known, and the lInowl-
edge had long Deen in itself a source
of sorrow to him. But news is news.
and to the special correspondent is
money. Brushing aside the tear that
would come, tribute to the past, and
swallowing a great lump in his throat,
he hurried to the undertaker's Office.
YES, We've got the body here" said
the undertaken, nonchalantly, in reply
to his question. They are embalming
1T now ready for shipment. Would YOU
like to see it?''
The special correspondent looked
down the long building, where the
dim, pickering gas shed a pale light
on the rows of collins on each side of the
narrow aisle. A careless laugh from
the brightly lighted embalming room
IN the rear fell upon his ears, sending
through his frame a SILVER Of repuo-
nance.
They say his folks are pretty well
hxed, and | guess the boss gets a good
price for this job, fell upon the special
correspondents ears.