The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-09-21

", - w. NhS y WIN
the observations
oimore disinterestel spectators and
the broken story which the hero tells.
aud consider it then, in the mass aud
rympathetically,: remembering your
own youth, you will have story that
Is not to he laughed Mt.
II happened in Brooklyn and it be.
gan on that evening when Baldwiu's
iandlady and his roommate, Wickens,
agreed in consultation that something
was amiss with Baldwin. He main
tanned nm irritable silence. He re-
fused his food. lie slammed tho
doors. He answered "No" wherever
the monosyllable could be made TO
serve Kim. Yet these symptoms are
common to so many mental mnladies
that IL was impossible to diagonise
tho case to n prescription. 10 wonld
he necessary to know that while he
lat with Wicaens, after supper, in
their common room, staring Mt the
Powered paper on the wall, his body
rested lazlly in the ample embrace OF
fat armchair, but his thought was
Hitting through the eternity Of years
that nre yet to he added to the age of
tae old gray-beard earth, and the eye
ot his Imagination beheld times toy.
the worll, spinning with all futil,ty
IN the round to which the powers have
condemned it everlastingly. He saw
himself as an infinitely small lifo
among the myriads that swarm on the
round sides of the globe, aud that
globe as n flying speck OF star dust in
million OF such notes. He was un-
happy, consequently, and resentful.
Ile plucked a match from his pocket
mud bit ut tho soft wood. Ii reminded
him OF his pipe. But the cold tip Of
the amber. striking hard on his teeth
after tho soft fibre of the match, star
lied and disp!cased him. He threw
down the briar with n noisy petu-
lence.
Wickens look ell over his newspa-
per. What's the matter with you,
anyway" he said you're in a deuce
of n stew to night"
Baldwin answered sullonly. "What
do you think?"He was1ingering q but
ton on his coat. The smooth bone Of
it slipped in his perspiring fingers,
anu he wiped his hands upon his
trouser legs.
1t was cool night, aud Wickens
saw tho action with alarm. whats
tho use of going on like this:" he
protested.
whats tho use? What's the use
OF anything?" Baldwin blurted ont.
Whats the use of shaving in an Of
flee? What'll it all amount to in a
thousand years from now?'
Better ask your parson, Wick
ems answered with an irreverence skill
fully irritating.
Baldwin glared ut him. ''You think
that's CLEVER" he said. 81 wish You
felt the way do" He rollel rest
lessly in his chair. 81 don't want to
work. he whined. I don't want to
10 anything"
"Well, I'm sure 1 don't know what
to do for you," Wickens pleaded.
Baldwin turned to the open win
COW.
Lets try walk downtown" the
other added.
He was sulkily silent.
Come on" Wickens said, putting
down his paper. "Your Iiver's out of
order. A walk will do you good. It's
cool night and the moons out"
He took his chum by the arm. Bald.
win shook off the friendly hand with
childish irritability. "All right"
he said, "1'm coming" and rose to
follow.
As Wickens had remarked, the moon
was out. "There." said Baldwin,
when he saw it staring down at him.
"how many busy fools do you suppose
that old skull has leered out9"
'Oh, change the subject" Wickens
said. Everybody has the same trou
BILE at your age. IT'S like the m castles. ~
Doesn't help me any,"
Hold up your head" he ordered.
Put your shoulders back and ster
out. l never had An attack of the
blues yot that couldn't walk away
They tramped noisily down the
street. The brisk exert,ou pumned
the blood through Baldwin's veins.
by the time he had walked two blocks
In silence the cheerful movement had
begun to drive his bad mood from him
and he CROPPED stubbornly about in his
mind to hold it.
When they neared the buster thor
oughfares they crossed a regimen, OF
the Salvation Army on its way to bat
tie with the legions of dsrkness
Wlokens heard the bass drum with Q
smile.
Lucky dogs" Baldwin said. "They
think they know what it's all about. :
Wickens lost his patience. COB.
don't be an ass, he said. "Who ar.
you, anyway, that all creation has to
give you its reason for existing?"
Baldwin sulked again. In a mo.
ment, Look at that he broke OUT
waving his hand to the row OF liehte i
shops. Shaving and sleeping as ii
they knew what for! Where are the
people that kept shop in old Rom ?''
Dead, most likely"
Yes, and what did they live for o.
For the fun there was in it. !
guess"
"Clsver, you are" Baldwin was
choking with speechless contempt.
ckens saw the quarrel to which
= were drifting. "Well." he said.
you may finish this walk alone. u
End stopped before a book shop win.
dow to look over the array OF vol.
Gmes.
Baldwin stalked down the street.
MUIR sing his mood. Wickens was q
1901 at any rate-always had been
All men were idiots ny {hav r,o.,ld
not go gambolling around in this
slaughter house as II the butcher were
not waiting for them with the newt.
bic knife. He, Charles McTagg art
Baldwin, was going to be a sheep nc
longer. He was going toto dc
something or other. 1t did not mat
ter what.
He turnpd down n ala .4