Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-02-24
Iiir's 41nssihilitirs
BY EUGAIs TEMPLE FIELD.

1t was at the Waldorf Astoria during
horse show time and the dinner hour
the busiest time of the whole day at
that wonderful hostcly.
Uniformed attendants flew here and
there in brcathlcSS haste. walters and
"omnibuScs' hovcrcd diStractcdly
about tue flower bcdCckrd tables in
the grand dining saloon and the palm
garden. and through the rich corridors
flowed a ccaSclCSS stream of elegant
women in trailing silkCn gowns ANA
prosperous looking mon in TuXrdoS or
swallowtail coats cut to reveal daz-
Zling s"gmCnts of shirt front.
The riot Of luxury. fcastn" ana en-
joymcnt W%S mt its height when two
mon met in the Objective men of 10
or tE2rcahoUt. with that inl"lrH'Ir
Oir Of self conscious power that marks
the successful business man.
"Hy the gods. if it isn't Ned ':.nN.'
exclaimed the taller of the two. stop
ping suddenly with outstrrtchcd hand.
"Tcllcr." cried the other joyf .ly
soiZing the proGcrcd hand. I'm glad
to see you. old man
In another momcnt the two. seated
in coupl" of the big. throErlikr lrath-
crn chairs which the .ASior millions
have provided for the purpose Of Ht
one" comforting and imprcSSin% TIE
hotel patrons. were giviE:c an ac"ornt
of themselves in true American fash
ion
They Lad not s"c: each Other since
II years before they had separated
after four years of intimate compHn-
ionship at Il fresh water college to 80
out and seek their fortunes after the
iElIStUouS fashion OF western Youth.
You have p"oSprrrd. hear" said
Frink. and lave hccolmr an ont and
out New Yorker in fact and Scnti-
mcnt."
"Oh, Eve had my ups ana downs"
replied Teller with a Little laugh but
I'm on top now. AS for being Il con-
firmcd sew Inri:CT. well. Mrs. Teller,
like most eastern w0mrH. doesn't care
for the west. We've never even done
the conventional trip to California.
She prefers crossing the pond when
we travel
In the last words was all the COM
placcncy of IL" man who had had a
hard fight Of it and won. but Frink
easily forgavc the little touch of vani-
ty. lie had been through it all him
self.
''rhrn there's a Mrs. Teller" lie
said. smiling.
"Oh. yes, and Jack Teller the Sec
Ond"' replied the other. You must
see that boy, Ned"
81 want to-" said Frink, but some
thing wiStful in his voice struck his
friend.
"And you?" he asked quickly. Sure
ly you've not remained single. my
boyY'
I've never married." was the brief
reply.
"Why, you're the very fellow to have
a romance. i should think" went on
Teller. You used to be sentimental
chap ut college, always writing verses
and all that"
Frink laughed.
"IcS. | had my romance" he said.
"Wcll, I'm sorry it doesn't seem to
have had a happy ending" said Teller
sincerely. ".t wife is great help to
Il man. I'd like to tell you before YOU
meet her" he went on, bending for
ward earnestly, "what mine has done
for me. She's made man of me and
prove! that | was worth the Job. She's
been more than wife to me- She's
been my good. honest, loyal chum.
There are not many men who can say
that of their wives"
"No. | fancy not" assented Frink.
smiling.
''ItS wonderful the understanding
she bad of the way a man feels. All
inexperienced girl like her." proceed
ed the other. You see she was Il
stenographcr in our office when first
met her, and | fell in love with her mt
first sight almost. Id made Il little
pile. and when we were married |
thought things were coming pretty
much my way. But hard times set
tied in. and | lost everything. For Il
long time il was hard work to get
bread and butter, but that girl stood
by HE through thick and thin. When
| WAS sick for year with rheuma-
tism. she went back to office work and
kept me and the boy with what she
earned with never word of COM
plant or regret through it all. | tell
you. Old boy, she's got the stuff in her
that heroes are made Of Goodness
knows where she got 1t. that courage
of hers. | never asked her about her
family. and she's not one to talk much.
but fancy they were ordinary
enough. believe she came from
some little town in New York state,
and | know she never had anything
much in her life. But now the strug-
gle is over, and | can give her about
what she wants, thank God. | tell
you, Ned, it's pity you let one disap-
pointmcnt spoil your life. There's
nothing so sweetens existence as the
companionship of a good woman"
"And nothing poisons it like bad
one" said Frink bitterly.
But surely the good ones outnum-
Der the bad. Forgive me, Ned, but
isn't it rather narrow to let one wo-