The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-01

this kind are not everyday affairs.
but now and then instances transpire,
ana very romantic reading they make.
whlle probably many others never
happen TO see the light OF publicity.
Ihe writer, for example. has often
tried TO imagine the feelings OF an ac-
quaintance who, some years back.
missed becoming rich by SO fine a mar
gin that IL would not have been
strange II his temporary paralysis had
merged into Insanity.
The circumstances were richly dra-
matte. Inclined to be wild" he had
quarrelled with his father and quilted
the paternal roof some months before.
needless OF the fact that that father
had money and property TO leave
TO some one when he died. Finally. hs
put the finishing stroke 10 his impru-
dence by allowing himself 10 be
trapped into marriage NTH a design
ing third-rate actress, and the news of
this somehow reached his fathers
ears at the last moment.
on the wedding day. just as he
was reluctantly starting off for the
church, telegram was thrust into
his hands, containing a strong appeal
to his sense, and threatening to disin-
herit him If he contracted the mar
riage. In his excitement he did not
open the envelope. but kept 1t clutched
in his hand until the moment when he
went TO pay the registrar. Then he
partly realized that he had made the
mistake OF his life, but 1t wa,s too late
for reflection.
His father died some months later,
broken-hearted but inexorable; but
the particular iirony Of the situation
lay in the fact that the actress-wife,
who had married him on the strength
of his expectations. left him within a
few weeks OF the disillusion. Beyond a
hah hA hA faIA fatx
minutes earlier. both would have been
only too glad to come to their senses
on the spot.
There were quite a number Of start
ling reverses and unexpected windfalls
authentically reported during the re-
cent boom In South African mines.
but the crushing experience of
the time reads almost like an
extract from the ARABIAN Nights"
He held a hundred shares i'm
mining venture which for months
had threatened to collapse. and one
| day disposed Of them for ridiculous
sum. no doubt considering himself ex-
| ceedingly shrewd to get even that.
BY one or those inexpiicable chances
which make truth queerer than fiction
at times. almost instantaneously came
news OF an extensive lode having been
struck, and up sprang the value of the
SildlCS. nc ylciu went OH, eXCteQluk
all expectations, so naturally the rise
continued, until the unlucky specula-
| tor had TO swallow the fact that he
had missed, by only a few minutes.
| sum which ran sersnely into six fig.
ures. True, he was by no means beg
CARED, but the realization was prob
ably none the less bitter
1t is matter OF history that the au-
thor of a most successful novel killed
himself in sheer despair and despera-
tion just when prosperity, figuratively
speaking, was lifting the knocker OF
his door. His book. upon which he had
built great anticipations, hung FIRE for
months, and the publishers, pro-
nouncing IL an Impossible work,
| made no further efforts TO push its sale.
| Suddenly a great critic took 1t into
| his head to laud the novel in such
| glowing terms that an immediate de-
mand resulted. In a few days the
| sale promised TO be phenomenal but
the author heard nothing of It; he had
| locked himself up In garret; a check
| on account and note OF congratula-
| ton from the publishers reached the
| house just after pistol-shot had rung
| through IL. Had he put off the rash