Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-22


is q mathematical problem. and that
every man Is AN enigma? Here is a crea.
ture who commits q common and clum.
sy forgery. There is not the least reason
Tor believing that he feels the smallest
shame or repentance for it. He shows
that he has no such feeling He steals
and Is detected. He doesn't feel any
Shame. He thinks the matter will be
Just passed over. Nay, he now pretends
that the money was wanted for parish
purposes. He is u most accomplished
iiar-a brazcn liar. wonder
what his industry has been. 1t is indeed
an Impudent letter. As for the second
part of it. the alleged penitence is the
most palpablc sham. There is 10 true
ring about it. Write to him in reply.
Icll him that he must continue to repent
III order to save his soul alive, and not
III order to get priests orders. Tell him
also that under no circumstances will
| l allow him to Officiatc again i'll my
diocese rs 4 deacon. nor will l bestow
| upon him the order of the priesthood. :"
This instruction the chaplain faith
| fully. even zealously, carried out, so
that the young man was for short time
heavy i'll spirit, because he knew not
how. outside the church. he was to live.
When he had finished these letters. il
was close upon o'clock. At this time
the mind Of man naturally turns in the
direction of dinner. This led him tC
think Of his resources, because dinner
cannot lie obtained without money. He
Il -rt II IL 4
counted il. There were ten So notes,
which h had borrowed of his friend at
the club, and there was the sum of c3
lis. Cd. in gold and silver-total, e53
lis. i'd. The money constituted his
whole possessions. There was q small
Nm due to him from his late vicar: but,
then, he owed more than that ut his for.
mcr lodgings. Well, c53-thcre seemed
Il good deal Of spending in f53-four
months spending perhaps He would
have little holiday He dined comfort
ably If not luxuriously ut a west end
Restaurant with a pint of Sauterne He
was at that time no drinker. but he
liked. in small quantities, dainty wines.
such as Hook. Still Moselle. Sauternc and
| Buc"llas. After dinner he remembered
| a place which he had not seen since he
| first assumed the responsibilities of q
! deacon. II was palace i'll "a certain
/ square where they have u wonderful
! ballet every evening, IL most admira-
bly, conducted palace, yet not quite the
place for the spiritually MINGLED Thith-
III he Jared and gazcd at the stage and
| NJ the company. which in its turn gsZed
| upon him in wonder and i'll joy. because
| he was really and Enthusiastically Il par.
SOIL, and 30 fcw parsons were ever seen
! i'll that palace. When the performance
was over. he went out into the square.
lie did not want to go home his lodg-
| lngS would be too dull after the blaze
| Of light, the blarc of the music and tue
! froops of dancing girls. Then he re-
, mcmbcred place where he had beer
| once taken, u place not far from Hay
market. Could he find it again?
The establishment called itself club
Doubtless, therefore, it was club
! At the entrance stood functionary
with u gold stripe down his legs and u
gold band round his cap. who invited
, members" to sign their names III 4
book. Paul signed the name of his vic
ar, with his address clearly written,
and mounted the red carpeted stairs.
/ a club indeed it was-a most beauti-
full club There was band playing in
one room-a small band-p!aying softly,
band discoursing wonderful waltz
Thcrcwere dancers in that room. The
young man looked on, and his brain
rcelcd. Music, and fcasting, and wine,
and maidens fair-everything was here
There was another room where supper
+, tables were laid ont Here there We're
bar and young lady dispensing drinks
and waiter opening champagne and
parties of two or of four or of six taking
supper, with laughter and merriment.
And in another room were u pair of ia
bles where they We're having a little
quiet baccarat, and another room where
they were enjoying rather noisily lit
tie nap. and another room where there
prevailed deadly quiet while few
gentlemen in pairs played ccarte.
A beautiful little club, SO gentleman
Iy-the manager himself, who was there
every night and knew the place. made
this rcmarA-so complete little heaven
below.
A week later Paul looked ruefullv at
his purse. Out of the $50 there was
left only IS. His holiday, he reflected.
had lasted much less time than he ex-
poctcd.
y Money must be made somehow. In
two or three weeks he would be strand.
cd. There was always Maggie, vet he
shrank from begging of her so soon. He
did not want just then too much talk of
conscience. He must make money. The
church. ut leas, FOR time, must be con.
sideIcd IS ont of the question.
Now III these days, how does q younr
man hard up, or y young woman, ALWAYS
try to make money? He writes n story
he always begins by writing a story.
the young woman who is hard up does
exactly the same thing. Then he sends
1t TO an editor and expects to have an
immense check returned immediately.
Sometimes he improves his chances bv
f., telling the editor that he has lust
dashed il OF. =" Paul the deacon did not
do this He knew little about things.
lie knew. for instance, that o story tell