Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28

, alternately at the money and at the man.
AT last he spoke, slowly and quietly:
"Some day. Barney, you'll do a thing like
that, and get smashed in consequence. I'm
unfortunately unable to throw you out OF the
window myself. but there is a cabman loiter-
ing about in front, and l will call him in
to assist me- If you don't at once put that
money in your pocket. Don't make me VIC
late, the sacred rules of hospitality" sa.a
You have violated them, Hal, already, by
getting angry. l see you are angry, SO don't
deny 1t. Besides, the cabman wouldn't come;
1 own him. and if he did I could put you
both out" +,..--i
you can't hire me, like a cabman. you
know, Barney"
"Of course not, of course not. I'm not try
ing to, dear boy. Do sit down and be sensi-
BILE. I've come to you as one friend to an
other, for I'm at a crisis in my career. /
need help, so be good to me. l take a seri-
Gus view of life now, and"
"Since when?"
"Since this morning, II you like. The
when doesn't matter. I've come to the con-
elusion that I'm wasting my existence.
You'll scoff, of course. but l know | have
genius-not talent, mind, but genius. There's
no use of making any bones about it, or pre-
tending false modesty; II a man is a genius,
he knows it. Very well, then, why not say
so?"
81 see no reason against It."
"Quite so. Now, Haldiman, how much
money do you make in a year?".
"You mean, how little?"
put 1t any way you like. Name the
figure
whats that got to do with your genius?"
"Never you mind. What's the amount?"
NOW, Barney, If you're cooking up some
new kind of financial insult, l give you fair
warning 1 won't stand it."
Barney had gulped down his stimulant and
! now paced up and Town the room, clearing
a track for himsel by kicking things out of
the way, Haldiman sat in a deep armchair,
his legs stretched out and his hands in his
pockets, watching his friends energetic
march to and fro.
"The artistic profession" cried the pedes-
trian, has been held up to the scorn Of the
world since painting began. Read any novel
and you will see that, if the heroine is to
make a doocedly bad marriage, she ~invarla-
bly, falls in love with an artist-invariably."
well, she generally marries u.s."
Yes, and lives in misery ever after"
"Oh, we're generous, and share it with
her." Va.
you see what I mean. The artist is held
up to contempt, and all respectable people
In the book are aghast at the girls choice.
Now, why is this?'
ASK me a harder one. 1t is because fc-
ton Is VIGOROUSLY untrue to life. The wives
OF the Royal academy live in splendor and
luxury undreamed of by the ordinary woman
of title"
Nothing of the sort. It's because the ar
lists don't misunderstanding themselves. They
have no commercial sense. Therefore they
are poor. Now, IL a man inyents a soap,
what does he do2"
Washes himself"
HE advertises IL. He becomes rich. Why,
then, II a man writes a great book. should he
not advertise himself and his book in every
way that is open to him?"
81 believe he does, Barney. Where have
] you been living this while back to be SO
, ignorant Of the approved modern methods in
art and literature?p
isn't a great picture of more value to the
world than a much advertised soap?"
well, If you ask me. l should say no. I'd
h IsSn the eD soap asJ as c%ivilizeF against the
Barney stopped in his walk, raised his
heavily to his sides
II haven't a3frie8d in the world" he cried,
In tragic tones. yHNot one--not one"
Barney, this Conversation is bewildering.
What are you driving at, anyhow? Art, soap.
literature, advertising, friendship, marriage
what's wrong? Who is the woman"
Don't talk e 70 me about women I hate
II thought you were most successful in
that line. I believe / have your own author
ity for the statement"
Success! One is successful up to a point,
then there Is a disappointment that shows
that a sham success has been, I'll never
speak to a woman again"
I've been there myself-severaI times.
still, we always return-if not to our first
love. to our fourth or fifth. As for friends, !
don't know any man who has more"
"Not true friends. Haldiman. | haven't
one, | tell you. | did think you were a
friend. and you do nothing but sneer at me.
You think l don't see 1t. / do, all the same.
I'm the most sensitive of men, although no
body appears to appreciate It,"
II don't sneer at you, Barney. What put
that into your head. i think you sometimes
fail 20 appreciate other peoples constituencies
You are a trife prone 10 1aunt Bank OF Eng.
land notes in the faces Of those not so well
provided with them as YOU are. Then the
sensitive soul rises In rebellion"
That's my unfortunate manner. Haldi-