Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-10-31

teu 10 euch family IN inc OnlJeu states
by equal division of all the property
1t contains"
II don't understand you, papa"
Every likely notl But if all the
property in the United States should
be equ ally divided among all the peo-
pie in it, there would be about one
thousand dollars apiece. The average
family contains five members, SO you
see when your mother wears those
TWEEN ty-thousand dollar diamonds, she
will be wearing the capital of twenty
people, or of four families"
"What do you mean by that, papaP
Do you mean that if mamma has twenty
thousand dollars worth of diamonds,
twenty other people will have to go
without anything at ALP"
THAT is about the size of it, my
dear. If there are twenty people and
twenty peaches to be divided among
them, and one man takes half of the
peaches, there will not be but ten left
for the other nineteen people, will
there?"
II should not like that II was one Of
the other people-but do want NAM
ma to have her diamondsl Mrs, Van
Smith has beautiful diamonds and
they are not half so rich as you are,
papa!"
II fear you do not realize the value
of money"
Perhaps not! ! hope | never will
! should hate to be poorl By-byl
Edith is ON her steps and we go to-
gether."
A moment later the butler appeared
barring letter on silver tray
HE brings my death warrant!" was
the thought that passed through MIR.
Strong's mind Hobbies did not come
he has written. The deal has failed.
1t is my death warrant"
He waited until the butler had left
the room and then opened the letter
with trembling fingers. 1t was as he
feared. The deal had failed He sank
into chair and covered his face with
his hands, caring nothing about partic-
ulars. 1t was enough to know that he
was lost. All the world must know his
| financial distress tomorrow. Ruinedl
Ruined! Could he face the world and
begin again? Could he face his own
family? The words Of his daughter:
81 should hate to be poorr' rang in his
ears. In his mental distress, those
carelessly spoken words, uttered with
out thought, weighed more than they
should. 1t seemed to him that they
expressed the sentiments of the whole
family. How could he tell them that
his wealth had vanished even quicker
than it had come. He started up and
paced the floor, his thoughts acting
like whips to scourge him on"
In this, his hour of despair, his whole
life passed in review before him. He
thought of the high hopes of his
youth, when he had wished to be num-
bered among those who fought for
justice and truth and the rights Of the
people. In the mad scramble for wealth
he had ceased to be just, he had dishon-
ored truth, he had trampled upon the
rights of OF hers! He had sold the best
part of hi self for wealth, and now
even that, the price of his infamy, was
gonel His life had been a failure
from first to last-a miserable failure!
Measured by the highest standard it
had always been failure-even
though his check had been good for a
millionl Measured by the lower
standard of worldly success, tomorrow
men would write upon his brow-fail-
ure 1t was uncomfortable! Why
should he continue to live when life
had lost its value? With sudden re-
solve, born of self-contempt and de-
spair, he stepped into another room
and came back with revolver.
And yet-he could not go out of life
witout one last word to Mary. Poor
Maryl She might take it hardl He
would assure her that it was not
through lack of love for her that he
ended his existence, but-what reason
could he give fer deserving his post al
her side? He sat down to his writing
desk and took out some paper.
Dear Mary" he wrote, and Their
words failed him. How could he tel
her? He stared blankly at the paper
After all, would it not be the act of q
coward to leave his family alone tc
fight poverty? Had he right to do til
Suddenly soft white hand glidec
past his, seized the revolver and re
moved it.
Robert Robert! What is the mat
ter? What are you about to do?" criet
his wife in distress John told mt
that he brought you letter, and theI
you began to walk up and down thu
room, crazy-like, with revolver il
your handl Why didn't you come ant
tell me about it? You have no RICH
to try to bear trouble alone. What i
it, Robert, dear?'
Her arms were around his neck. ant
she was covering his face with kisses
ut means, Mary, that we are poor
This house will have to be sold; yol
will have no carriage, no diamonds, n,
trips to Europe. | shall not saw
euOuRn OuO VI IHc BcHcTdl WItCh "
pay the running expenses of this hous
; for another six months. We are poor
, Mary; poor. Our wealth has takel
wings to itself and flown away. There
nothing left, but the little house you
father gave you, and perhaps two o
three thousand to start me in bushes
, in humble way"
''But Robert! You have no reason t
despairl We have health, strength
: the children and each other! The bes
| gifts of life are still oursl Do yo
, know, Robert, | have thought some
r times that it would be better for tn
t children, if we were not quite so rich
. The possession of great wealth tend
. to make us forgetful of our commo
S humanity. We will move back int
the little house in which we were S
l happy, and let the social bubble loa
g without us, We will live for ourselve