The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-24
Fate and John Manners.

him, the senior partner kindly said.
With several of his feIIow-cIerks he ila
celebrated this event with dinner, an,
for the first time in his life ne drank to-
much. 1t might have done no great harm
but he insisted upon taking his compan
ions 10 visit his fancee and her fathe
after dinner. He did not notice Marie
look of fear, or the gathering anger glow
ing in her fathers eyes; he was bolster
ously happy and refused TO leave, with
out meaning 10 be offensive in his refu
sal. When at last he left the house
| policeman stood watching him down -
| road, and this angered him. He cams
back and struck the man, with the result
that next day he stood in the dock of G
police court. and his vulgar offense was
advertised broadcast.
| His employers listened to his excuses
and in the end they consented TO overlook
! his fault. Then came brief note from
| Marie. telling him she could not marry
drunkard.
As soon as he could get away from the
office, he hurried round to see her. but
| her father met him at the door, and re-
| fused him admittance. Vainly he pleaded
| that it was the one slip In life that had
! hitherto been we'll spent, and vainly he
begged TO be allowed to appeal to Marie
| herself
Il had rather see my daughter dead
than know that she was married to a
| drunkard," was the answer.
"a man who once takes coo much in a
time of excitement is not a drunkard,
sir. 1t shall never happen again"
Il have heard that promise given be-
fore now from such as YOU" was the
cold reply. You say 1t was the first
time. How do 1 know that you speak the
truth?"
Then John Manners became furious; he
was an honorable man, and to have his
word doubted was more than he could
bear. His voice was raised in anger IN
I'll he saw Marie's white face pressed
against the window pane but few yards
away. He turned toward her, but she
vanished. 1t was two years before he
saw her again. Her father was a wealthy
man and he took her absoad, where they
remained until she met one whom he
thought was worthy to be her husband.
In those two years John Manners had
ruined his life. Drink was sought to dead
en- his disappointment, and soon drunk
enness became a habit with him He did
not know, as did Mr.. Power, that his
mother had died early in years, killed by
drink, and had fOredoomed him to like
destruction, but after that one slip alco-
hol had a fascina ton for him he could
not resist.
He lost his situation, and after awhile
others. which his friends obtained for him.
They wearied of him at last, and he
drifted in and out of the newspaper OF
fees about Fleet street, selling odd bits
of news, making precarious living, ana
spending most of his small earnings in
the effort to forget that life is misery
when regrets fog the memory.
e Ali, L -, han
and flow these wrecks of humanity, grad
ually drowning the islets Of virtue still
showing in their natures, imbeciles de-
serving pity and crying for protection
from themselves-a cry to which their
fellows aBe deaf. John Manners in ten
years had no friends, and had those of
other days met him by chance they would
scarcely have known him-indeed, he
hardly remembered himself as he used to
be when he could go to his nightly rest
with the hope of waking to enjoy the NOR
row.
Yet the remembrance Of what he might
have been never ceased to haunt him;
1t was a spur that drove him to drink,
that forced him further and further from
the limits of society. Dimly he fancied
that he loved Marie still, he tod himself
that his degradation was caused by her
shadow and made it his stumbling block.
But life became more and more unbear-
able, and the thought Of eternal rest
pressed him more hardly day by day. Just
to fall asleep and sleep forever. He began
to think of means to that end. Sometimes
he would wander along the Thames en-
bankment and watch the dark waters roll
smoothly by and plan an early death
therein, but in the end life always shook
him TO renew the struggle and sent him
away from temptation-until the NOR
row.
One day, when the world was bright
with the sun of an early spring, he craved
for rest more strongly than ever. He had |
not known the comfort Of bed the night
before. and he had not eaten for twenty |
four hours; he had not even enough money !
to buy a little of the drink that drowsed |
him to forgetfulnesS. He stood on the |
west stone stairs leading to the river, |
among some children who were playing |
there. He wondered If he would instinct |
lively struggle for life. for once he had |
been a fair swimmer AS he stood there a |
passing steamer sent a heavy wash |
splashing on the stairs. and as the water
returned IT carried away small boy with |
t. sitting his shrieks as 1t rolled him over
n its grasp.
Inc wreck OF Il man pluHSeu III after lIl6
ad apd clutched at his rags; they came
away in his hand, and the two struggling
luman atoms were borne apart. But the
nan reached the boy again, and by that
line he was fifty feet from the stairs.
The shrieks of the other children had
brought a crowd and a boat put off, while
man who was pulling a numbering barge
made frantic efforts to reach them.
All this time Manners had never thought
# the nearness OF death, for the struggle |
o keep afioat with the boy was desper-
tie one. The boatmen reached the place
n time and managed 10 save them. Man
lers lay in an exhausted condition at the
,ottom of the boat as they pulled back.
They carried him ashore, for he could
lot walk. and he was given dry clothes
nd not drink, and this reused him a lit
le A man came in ard gave him q
which had been collected from
he crowd on the embankment for him
lie could not speak his thanks, but lay
asping and helpless.
The boys mother came, weeping, and
banked him. Then a doctor arrived, who
ent evervo.e away. BY and by Manners
-as taken to a hospital He could hardly
waIlow the brandy they gave him on |
he way. he was so drowsy. Before they |
cached the hospital he was quite asleep,
nd he never woke again. and all the
vening papers had special accounts Of
London hero's death.-London Pick-Me-
p.
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Hayes and the Farmer