Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-20
Chicago News)

1xnere,cnee that Tom Grinnei and his
friend. Monroe. owed the happ'est sum
mer OF their lives. at least. 1t was the
bannics, Tor one Of them. Tho bloom or N
nocencc fostcrcd in the Rensselaer, Poly
technic was stin unfadcd In their checks.
Therefore on any theoretical subject they
could easily have given points TO Edison.
But there were one or two little wrinkles
in practice that they were not yet up TO.
At least one OF them admitted that much.
Monroe had no hesitation whatever in
acknowledging that there might be six.
or possibly seven. unimportant articles
that he had not yo; thoroughly mastered.
OF course. he would do It later on when
he got 10 81. Every line OF his long. lazy
figure showed that he had perfect con-
ndence in his abilities when the time
came and that he was quite content TO
wait for the occasion.
Grinnel would have been exceedingly
surprised and not little indignant II one
had limited that experience had anything
10 give him but a pleasant time. Mon
roos scf-reliance was passive and let
him wait in calm security for the trial
OF It, Grinncl's was ferccly active and
was always pushing him on 20 seek new
worlds 10 conquer. lie was quite small
and exceedingly trim and very lively, not
unlike "a cricket. and what he didn't
know could be found only in the en-
cyclopc0ia- lie was also very young
indeed
The way they got on the right side OF
Nine Experience was by remembering
and applying an old rule. II was the one
about "Thou hast q friend, thy friend
has q friend. thy friends friend has
friend" which is so good 20 rccoilect
when one IS thinking Of parting with q
secret But 81 IS equally worthy OF note
when one IS looking for a position. In
this case. Monroe was the friend. lie
found a friend IN his sister Julia. She
revived a schoo. -giri attachment for Belle
Bartlett. now wife OF the young civil en-
gineer, Robert Shandon. ard Mrs. shan
don passed the acCuaintanceship on 20 her
husband. Therefore. as when the rope
began TO hang the butcher the butcher
began 10 XII the OK and the kid began 20
600 when the Y. and T.. Railway
Company decided to put n branch road
through % T. ard put Mr. Shandon
in as engineer IN charge his wife told
him what Miss Julia had told her about
Miss Julia's brother ana Miss Julias
brothers friend both still waiting timidly
on the doorsteps Of the Polytechnic, and
ne FASTENED 10 secure their valuable ser
vices as assistants. they to reap great
profit from his experience.
II was during one Of the longest Of
these TCcreations that Tom met his eX-
perience Monroe had had pieces Of his
ell along. For ne really took IN a great
deal out Of the corners OF his aleepy eyes
and the more he absorbed the more he
was filled WITH q mild wonder at the
tF fffma.e Ifa 1rrfIrr
and mild determination 20 60 on alb
sorbiug Rut Griuners eyes were so very
wide open and dwolt on such sublime
heights that ne saw only the serene blue
everywhere and De couldn't be gotten 10
admit that the~c were any rocks and
houldcrs about him until one was actually
rolled onto his toes.
r. came about when they pitched their
tents FOR quite a long stay I'm one Of the
prcttcst rarts Of Wisconsin, where the
tracks were laid thr0ueh the woods ten
miles from n town The green hills shut
them in on an sides. q little lake lay be-
fore them. sparkling with invitations 20
fish and row and the fragrant woods
about them offered a most tempting walk
o. the farmhouse. FIVE miles away.
whence came their provisions.
Even Miss Julia Monroe. who was
rouChiuc 10 for few weeks with her
friend. Belle. waNed quite enthusiastic
over &c. And that was giving IT. very
hlch praise indeed for Miss Julia was
rather h'ase Individual. She had seen
such a great deal that her capacity for
enjoyment seemed little strained. Then.
too. ehe Was very handsome. Of the
nucenlv. gently bored type. with an
italian drocp 10 her eyolid and % drawl
in her musical voice. Enthusiasm. with
such style. she knew. was quite out Of
place.
Now. Mise Julia was Grinners first
lit OF experience. As has been said be
fore ne was very young. So young that
even he was unconsciously con-
scicus Of il. and strove instinc-
lively 90 make himself believe
that ne was old. Therefore. he was very
fond OF Miss Julia's society. IL made
him feel sort of w0rldly-wise and blase
too. 10 DE talking with such very ;ired
person I'm such q very cynical way. And
90 Miss Julia, perhaps, because she was
80 tired. perhaps too we'll amused. never
took the trouble 10 reveal IL 10 him when
ne said foolish things. their acqumnt-
anco went on finely.
All this left Monroe rather IN the back
ground He hadn't any Girl to pull the
world 10 pieces with; he couldn't always
10 calculating the area OF dirt-heaps
and there was no getting Grinnol FOR
tramp or hunt. Tie was smiling
rather sarCastically over 81 one evening
as they sat around their campfire. The
Shandous. still IN their honeymoon days
had retreatcd on one side OF him into
what they fondly deemed concealins
shadows. where Mrs. Belle was smooth
ing her engineers head, which lay in
her lap. while he murmured some ten
der "reminiscences 20 her. stopping occa-
sionaIy 10 kiss the hand that she laid
on his lips when he came to an unduy
sentimental part on the other side,
Miss Julia leaned back against "a tree
trunk. with Grinncl stretched at her
feet In pose OF graceful devotion They
were watching two chips that Grinncl
had launched side by side into the flames.
and from their swapping and suffering
he was prophesyng. In an undertone.
something evidently unusually clever,
from the complacent look on his own
face and Miss lulia's languid smile. IL
was small wonder that Monroe. 2 love-
lorn bachelor. sitting thus between such
vivid tablcaux OF the "Bliss Present"
and the Joys 10 Come" should pull his
moustache and grow pesslmistic.
Presently, however, Mrs. Shandon
paused long enough In her confession OF
what mother and the girls" had thought
Of him the first time ne called 20 look M
and ind the bachelor watching them
from the tail OF his eye, and to catch
part OF her cynical smile
she took her hands away from her
husbands head and Strengthened up rath-
er consciously
"what Is ug'' she asked. beaming
back az him TO cover her confusion
'Don't be selfish and keep the joke 70
yourself. What are you smiling at?'
I'm not smiling said Monroe. I'm
peneiyo. Tn thinking Ia like TO give a