Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-08-06


with shudder. How on earth did
you get to know all about those people
and their lives?"
Massinger laughed cynically.
"In my small way; | am an inter-
ested observec of men and their lives.
he said. Il think that ! have a sense
Of the dramatic Man struggling
against fate fascinates me. Some day
| think shall write a novel. If do,
promise you that it Will not be popu
lar"
Lord Marlborough shrugged his
shoulders
You are rank pessimist, he de-
clared.
"AlI men with single grain OF phil
osophy are pessimists, The more one
knows of man and appreciates his cow
ardly fear OF death, the deeper grows
ones scorn OF him. Look at this
wilderness; think OF the thousands and
thousands of heart-broken men cling
ing ON TO life with desperate nervous
tenaeity which seems to be the ruin
and end of all their strength"
Their wives and familiest'
BAH In half the cases their wives
and families would do better without
them. They would rise to their level
and earn an honest living But |
speak Of the other half, the great army
Of men who must know that the world
has no need of them, and that every
step forward in life must be on the
downward grade"
Lord Marlborough made no answer
! He sat forward, watching the passers-
by in the streets with a sad, gloomy
face. Massnger from his corner never
looked away from him. He was try
ing to read how the parable worked.
BY degrees the character of the
neighborhood through which they were
passing changed. Dinginess became
dirt, shabbiness. suualor. The corner
public houses became glaring gin PAL
aces. The shops became oren stalls
and the streets narrower. The dark,
silent misery of the suburb was
changed into the Haunting coarseness
Of the slums. Fighting men and
wrangling women formed little knots
at every street corner Massinger put
up his hand and stopped the cab man.
I'VE will walk from here he said
Button up your coat Lord Harbor-
ough."
The cabman, much overpaid, touched
his hat and drove off with curious
look over his shoulder Massinger
took his companions arm and they
walked off together down the narrow
street.
4 1t seemed to Lord Marlborough that
the horrors increased At every step
they were jostled and confronted by
creatures from whose drink-sodden
features every spark of womanhood
seemed to have died out. The air, foul
enough itself, was full Of shrill oaths
and threatening cries Once, at cross
ing, a girl fitted like a shadow out OF
the darkness and touched him on the
elbow. She could not have been more
than Is or 16, and but for her hollow
cheeks and terribly deep-set eyes she
would have been pretty. AS 1t was, the
pleading light in her eyes, and the
quivering mouth, brought great lump
into Lord harborough's throat. He
thrust a sovereign and some silver, all
he could find for the moment. into her
hand He felt her fingers close upon It
and he hurried on. But she made no
attempt to follow him Presently as
he heard no footsteps he ventured to
look around She was leaning against
the wall crying bitterly
MY Cod Surely this is hell!' he NUT
tered. There can be nothing worse
than this.
Massinger shot quick glance at him.
'fIow do you know? Evolution is IL
Irritable, You have seen these mems
faces Would 1t surprise you to hear
that not half of them were born in this
condition? They have drifted here
from all classes of society, many If not
from yours at least from mine. Re-
member that in this world the unsuc-
cessful and the criminal rank together
and fell together"
They strobe on together in silence.
Suddenly Massinger stopped short In
the middle OF the pavement.
"D-n" he muttered.
They were underneath gas lamp.
Lord Marlborough, glancing carelessly
up himself started. Massinger's face
was suddenly CHASTITY. He was staring
across the road toward high block of
seemingly uninhabited houses in the
last stage of dilapidation. On the OPP
posite side was plot Of waste ground,
a ruinef- wharf and the river.
What is it," Lord Marlborough
asked impatiently.
MassInger shuddered palpably as he
answered:
Nothing! I'd no idea we were com
ing out here, though. Let us take this
turn
He laid hold of his companions arm
as though to draw him away. But
Lord Marlborough did not move.
I Why were you looking so intently
at that block of houses over the way?"
he asked curiously. What a God-for-
saknu hole N is -