Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-10-02

of more disinterested spectators and
the broken story which the hero tells,
and consider it then, in the mass and
sympathetically,s remembering your
own youth, you will have story that
is not to be laughed at.
1t happened in, Brooklyn and it be.
gan on that evening when Baldwin s
landlady and his roommate, Wickens,
agreed in consultation that something
was amiss with Baldwin. He main
tanned an irritable silence. He re-
fused khis food. He slammed the
doors. He answered "No" wherever
the monosyllable could be made to
serve him. Yet these symptoms are
common to so many mental maladies
that it was impossible to dlagonise
the case to prescription. 1t would
be necessary to know that while he
sat with Wickens, after supper, in
their common room, staring at the
fowered paper on the wall, his body
rested lazily in the ample embrace of
fat armchair, but his thought was
fitting through the eternity of years
that are yet to be added to the age of
the old gray beard earth, and the eye
of his imagination beheld times toy,
the world, spinning with all futillty
in the round to which thepowers have
condemned it everlastingly. He saw
himself as an infinitely small life
among the myriads that swarm on the
round sides of the globe, and that
globe as flying speck of star dust in
a million of such notes. He was un-
happy, consequently, and resentful.
He plucked match from his pocket
and bit at the soft wood. 1t reminded
him of his pipe. But the cold tip of
the amber, striking hard on his teeth
after the soft fibre of the match, star
tied and displeased him. He threw
down the briar with noisy petu-
lence.
Wickens look ed over his newspa-
per. "Whats the matter with you,
anyway" he said. "You're in a deuce
of stew tonight"
Baldwin answered sullenly. "What
do you think?"He was lingering but
ton on his coat. The smooth bone of
it slipped in his perspiring fingers,
and he wiped his hands upon his
trouser legs.
1t was a cool night, and Wickens
saw the action with alarm. "What's
the use of going on like this?" he
protested.
whats the use? What's tho use
of anything?" Baldwin blurted out
whats the use of shaving in an of
fee? Whatll it all amount to in q
thousand years from now?"
"Better ask your parson," Wick
ems answered with an irreverence skill.
fully irritating.
Baldwin glared Mt him. "You thinl
that's clever" he said. "I wish yor
felt the way do" He rolled rest
lessly in his chair. ct don't want t.
work." he whined. 'I don't want tt
do anything"
"Well, I'm sure I don't know wha
to do for you," Wickens pleaded.
Baldwin turned to the open win
dow.
'Let's try walk downtown" tn
other added.
He was sulkily silent.
"Come on" Wickens said, putin,
down his paper. "Your liver's out o
order. A walk will do you good. It
cool night and the moons out"
He, took his chum by the arm. Bald
win shook off the friendly hand witt
childish irritability. "All right,
he said, "l'm coming" and rose t.
follow.
As Wickens had dremarked, the mool
was out. "There," said Baldwin
when he saw it staring down at him
chow many busy fools do you suppos
that old skull has leered out?"
"Oh, change the subject" Wicken
said. Everybody has the same trou
BILE at your age. It's like the measles.
Doesn't help me any"
''Hold up your head" he ordered
"Put your shoulders back and ste
out. 1 never had an attack of tn
blues yet that couldn't walk ava
from"
They tramped noisily down tn
street. The brisk exertion pumpe
the blood through Baldwin's veins
By the time he had walked two block
in silence the cheerful movement ha
begun to drive his bad mood from hir
and he groped stubbornly about in hi
mind to hold it.
When they neared the buster thol
oughfares they crossed regiment {
the Salvation Army on it's way to ba
tie with the legions of darkness:
Wickens heard the bass drum with
smile.
LUCKY dogs" Baldwin said. "The
think they know what it's all about.
Wickens lost his patience. "Ol
don't be an ass" he said "Who al
you, anyway, that all creation has t
give you its reason for existing?"
Baldwin sulked again. In me
ment, "Look at that" he broke ou