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

1T was a false charge, "a said Paul
Il did what other writers always do
found my plots and I used them.
Shakespeare did it. Everybody does it,"
! Very good. You are now ON the
highroad to destruction. Say, old
man'-he sat up and spoke earnestly
why don't you go up in the world in
! stead Of down? I think it must be quite
as easy
Then began, with the help Of this
Samaritan, q new experience for Paul
the deacon. He got variety entertain
ment written for him with songs and
sketches, something after the style of
MIR. Corny Grain. He was not q very
versatile actor because his strength lay
almost wholly in the sentimental line,
but he could play well and his voice
was still very good. The life of the
variety entertainer is checkered with
light and shade. 1t is hilly, all up and
down. with no high levels, and some
times there are broad bottoms in the
valleys. The entertainment lasted, with
the help of friend Homerton Smith, the
whole winter. Then, Mr.. Homerton
Smith being called abroad, the enter.
talner went bankrupt. He went through
the court and had to confess, before he
got his discharge. that he was none 9TH
er than the deacon who was refused
priests orders under such startling cir
cumstances. This amused and astonished
the world, because when o man is
knocked into space by such an accident
we never expect to hear of him or from
him any more. Nobody knows where he
goes or how he lives.
would willingly pass over the next
passage, but the story must be followed
out to the end.
When he left the court of bankruptcy,
he had for all possessions the clothes he
stood in and few pounds in his peck
cts. He might have gone back to the
music hall, but he was afraid. Every
body now knew from the papers that he
was in orders-in deacon's orders only,
1t Is true, but the people do not observe
nice distinctions. He might have had
himself advertised as the REV. Paul
Leighan, B. A. Lion Tenor, and gone
on to meet the applause of the multi.
tude. That method occurred to him. Or
he might go on without taking any no.
tice of the exposure and be guyed by
the gallery. Not even the most brazen
CT music hall singers likes being guyed
by the gallery, if only because the pro-
prietor considers the fact in the next ad-
Justment Of salaries. Paul was still ex-
tremcly sensitive to tie opinions Of the
house. He did not face the gallery. He
became, or tried to become, u journalist.
That is, a picker up of odds and ends.
He ran about at night collecting things.
he haunted the outskirts of crowds he
stood about in bars of taverns. But he
never made good penny liner. He
did not know what was wanted or
where to look for it. The true purveyor
Of flimsy must have some knowledge of
humanity, together with some sympa-
thy. Paul had only studied one speci.
men of humanity-himself.
This business, never very successful,
came to q sudden end-a crash-a dis
aster-a collision. The law, in fact,
was going one way with great steadi-
ness and resolution, and Paul was going
the other way, and they met, with the
result that Paul. being wrecked, went
into seclusion for six months. You must
not, you see, sell to tradesman the
| support of the whole London press
Times, Daily News, Standard. Tele-
graph, Post, Chronicle, and all-unless
you are able to carry out your pledge.
| They called it obtaining money under
false pretenses. And once more the Rev.
Paul Cannington Lcighan. B. A., fig
| tired in the papers, and once more a
| good part OF his record was published
for al the-world to read, including the
scene at the cathedral, the reason why
only half correct-the Paul life cpl
sode, and the bankruptcy.
Margaret, in her fiat, read the paper.
Paul had not seen her since that day
when he came straight from the cathe-
dral. She had read of him from time to
tlme-read of his disgraces and his
| shames. The man was hopelessly dis.
graced. degraded and ruined. Nothing
| could now restore him to his former
place. No repentance could bring him
back to the world of honor. Yet he had
still before him all his life-he was not
yet 30. There is always hope for the
young-at least it is happily SO thought
and taught. For my part, seeing the in.
tenslty OF the temptation for the young.
doubt whether their case is more hope.
full than that of the old, who may be
vicious, but are no longer deluded by
imagination.
He will come back to me-" she said.
II suffered him to kiss me-to speak of
| love-in the midst of his disgrace. I
have made him part and parcel of my
self. When he comes back to me.
will What could she do?
fro BE CONTINUED
.-.er-.
The Ribs.