Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-27
THE STOLEN COIN.

Hector Mainwaring was a newspa-
ner man, a dramatic and art critic on
one of the Chicago dailies. When he
left the office one night the hour was
almost II. He had gone there to read
the proof of an article intended FOR
the next mornings paper. He was an
moved at having had to go back JUST
to correct a proof sheet, but the week
before. i'm one of his finest articles, an
absurd typographical error had just
taken away the effect OF phrase
which had been his pride and turned
the whole thing into ridiculous non
sense. Since then he had made point
of going himself every night to look
over the final proof.
IT was the beginning of winter, ana
n cool wind was blowing from Lake
Michigan. AS he passed along Clark
street il occurred to him that ne Woulu
have a glass of something to drink De-
before returning home 10 his line Dacn-
elor's quarters. lie sat down at one
of the tables in Il saloon ana Slowly
sipped a hot toddy. When he had mn
ished he put n half-dollar on the table
ready for the waiter and turned rouhu
to pick up his cane.
Inst as Hector rose Il hand suddenly
snatched up the silver coin, ana the
thief Immediately darted out OF the
door. In an instant Hector drew an
other coin from his pocket, threw IL
on the table called to the waiter anu
started of in pursuit
II was very evident that the TIMER
knew he was being followed, ana IL
was also evident that he was lneApe-
rienced in his vocation, for he ran on
and on. up one street and down an
other coming out agaih hundred
wards away from the place he had
started from.
Hector was interested, for he was
TOO bright not TO know that the man
in front of him was not an ordinary
pickpocket. Hector himself knew all
the side streets and passages quite
thoroughly, and he suddenly turned
down one, ran at full speed, and came
out again under a lamp just as the
wretched man reached 1t.
Both men stopped short and Hector
said, shortly:
"Give me back my money!
The thief stood motionless, and the
journalist saw by the light of the street
lamp the SduuCsL HNAilnh ioNS ~ $500
ever looked upon.
The,man before him was apparently
qrite young, but his face was pale ana
pinched, and his black hair ana mus
tache gave him ghost-like look. Ills
clothes were shabby, and he had alto
yether what has been described as
.'the look of drowned man.. Hector,
a, the sight of such evident misery,
felt as though he himself had been
guilty of some crime, and when the
wretched man held out the silver coin
~ his accusor, without attempting TO
offer a word of apology, but with an
expression of utter despair in his sunk
en- eyes, our journalist could not lind
q word to say.
He took the coin, put ii carefully in
his vest pocket, and then pressed his
pocket-book, containing about $40, into
the mans hand, and made off himself
as though he had been the thief.
Ten years passed, and after much
uphill work and struggle, Hector had
gained for himself considerable fame
as Journalist and art critic. His abso-
lutte sincerity and perfect competency
had won for him golden opinions from
the public, and his vedrict on all mat
ters connected with art and literature
was always awaited with anxious i'm
patience.
In spite of his success and his fame
the first hard years of struggle had
left their traces on him. There was
always a touch of melancholy which
he never quite succeeded in throwing
off He had seen the comedy of hui
man life too near, and 1t is, alas! no
comedy for those who are behind the
scenes.
One bright May day, however, Hec-
tor was quite gay as he entered one
of Chicago's most popular restaurants.
At one of the tables there was group
of professional men-artists, journal
lists and lawyers-and they were en-
gagged in an animated discussion re-
garding an art exhibition then open.
Hector's arrival made sensation.
and many hands were held out toward
him. Somewhat absently, and yet with
the easy cordality of man accus-
toned to society, he answered the va
rious greetings and then took his GUS
tomary place at a small table, where
Paul Martens, the young landscape
painter, and Charles DENIM, a well
known portrait painter, were waiting
for him.
/ With these two friends Hector could
always enjoy himself; he knew and
sympathized with them thoroughly in
their love of art and in their utter con-
tempt for all that was mean or mer-
cenary.
"Why, Hectorw exclaimed Paul. ''you
look positively radiant this morning.
What has happened, and what have
\ you been doingY"
"Why. precisely the same as every
one else. | have been looking at pict-
ures and sculpture, but | have discov-
cred one piece which has done me
good for the whole day. A perfect
masterpiece, an inspirationw
Hector's friends listened eagerly.
and at the neighboring tables the con-
versation ceased, for IL was worth
while hearing what the great art critic
had to say, and hearing Il from his
own lips before the papers cot 1t the
next day.
There certainly are some very fine
things in the exhibition, but in my
opinion there is one that surpasses all,
one such as we only get once in about
y zen years. mean Jean SturteVant \