Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-01-04
Tife's pussihtIittes
BY EDGAR 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 hostelry.
Uniformed attendants few here and
there in breathless haste. walters and
"omnibusesv lowered distractedly
about the flower bedecked tables in
the grand dining saloon and the palm
garden, and through the rich corridors
flowed a ceaseless stream of elegant
women in trailing silken gowns and
prosperous looking men in Tuxedos or
swallowtail coats cut to reveal daz-
zling segments of shirt front.
The riot of luxury, feasting and en-
joyment was at its height when two
men met in the office-two men of 40
or thereabout, with that indefnable
air of self conscious power that marks
the successful business man.
''By the gods, If it isn't Ned Frink."
exclaimed the taller of the two, stop
ping suddenly with outstretched hand.
''Tellerw cried the other, joyfully
seizing the proffered hand. 'I'm glad
to see you, old man"
In another moment the two, seated
in couple of the big, thronelike leath-
ern chairs which the Astor millions
have provided for the purpose Of at
once comforting and impressing the
hotel patrons, were giving an account
OF themselves in true American fash
ion.
They had not seen each other since
10 years before they had separated
after four years of intimate compan-
ionship at fresh water college to so
out and seek their fortunes after the
impetuous fashion Of western youth.
"You have prospered, | hear" said
Frink, "and have become an out and
out New Yorker in fact. and senti-
ment."
'Oh, I've had my ups and downs"
replied Teller with little laugh, "but
I'm on top nowl AS for being a con-
firmed New Yorker, well, Mrs. Teller,
like most eastern women. 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
placency of the man who had had a
hard fight of it and won, but Frink
easily forgave the little touch of vani-
ty. He had been through it all him
self.
''Then there's a Mrs. Teller?' he
said, smiling.
"Oh, yes, and a Jack Teller the sec
ondr' replied the other. You must
see that boy. Ned"
II want to-" said Frink, but some
thing wistful in his voice struck his
friend
"And your" he asked quickly. ''sure-
ly you've not remained single. my
boyY'
'Tve never married." was the brief
reply.
"Why, you're the very fellow to have
romance, should think" went on
Teller. "You used to be a sentimental
chap at college, always writing verses
and all that"
Frink laughed.
eyes, had my romance" he said.
"Well, I'm sorry it doesn't seem to
have had happy ending" said Teller
sincerely. "a wife is a great help to
a 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 a man of me and
proved that was worth the job. She's
been more than a wife to me. She's
beenS my good, honest, loyal chum.
There are not many men who can say
that of their wives"
''No, l fancy not" assented Frink.
smiling.
'It's wonderful the understanding
she had of the way a man feels, an
inexperienced girl like her," proceed
ed the other. "You see she was a
stenogfapher in our Office when / first
met her, and l fell in love with her at
first sight almost. I'd made a little
pile, and when we were married l
thought things were coming pretty
much my way. But hard times set
tied in, and | lost everything. For a
| long time it was hard work to get
bread and butter, but that girl stood
by me 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 a 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 it, 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 l 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-
pointment spoil your life. There's
nothing so sweetens existence as the
eompanionship of 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 II rafbor narrovr to Io+ ono xvo