Sharp County record. (Evening Shade, Ark.) 1877-1976, 1900-02-09
A Wasted Opportunity,
By A. A. Smith.

DlDlNG in chair car was an uiac
IN customed luxury to Martin Lovett
For several years-just how MANY h,
could not recall-his usual model o.
transit had been by way of the nod.
or in box cars, with an occasional 1 nr
ney on the blind baggage" wheA h
was in great luck. So he leaned ltcl
and enjoyed the luxury of the swift 10
ton and the cushioned seat. a. yht
rhythmic "clickety-click, clicI, .e.ei ,.k
of the wheels was COMO - ''O NJ
dreamy, restful langusr,ee h,
time being he was almop. Wv Us Id tc
circumstances Or bic nust cling 81
baJ nast al,o', ., VI Ai' 5late." y
Lovett was a tramp prih "
tune had dealt capricioushus n
There had been times whs "AS.s az &c
to smile upon and becko1N d
and then she would vanislt j.
ing sprite and plunge hi he tnaa uay
the abyss of despair. AgIiA il
he had entered the race, urg6 re
by a subtle instinct which \ un Is
could subdue but never quite -
Again and again there was the 3 e,
suit, until now he lay humbled aid
passive, with only an occasional glei6
of his old hope and energy. 1
Vague shadows of thoughts fitid
through his weary brain as the graz
train rushed along-impressions ks
light and indistinct upon the mind Is
were the fitting trees and fences Il
the eye. The scenes of his early ill
touched lightly upon his memory, arb
dreamily once more he felt the prompt
ings of ambition, the alternating eth
ton of success with the sting of dA
feat, and in fancy he was once mort
grasping at the elusive sprite of oppolt
tunity. But little more distinct thai
all the other shadows which presseA
upon him was the never-ending prolS
lem of existence, and behind it THE
specter of what might yet come to hi1b
sickness, starvation, and somewhere
in some neglected spot, nameiess paul
pcr's grave. He had never quite sud
ceeded in banishing that specter,
though in his intervals of buoyant resi-
olution he had driven it to the back
ground. It's gaunt presence was vaguei
ly outlined in his mental vision now,
and mechanically he thrust his hand in
his pocket and felt of the coins therein,
Their total was two dollars. That
meant that with his customary econol
my in dietary matters he was sure of
more than half a week of existence,
and in that time something was sure to
turn up His hard life had taught
him to be philosophically submissive
to circumstances when he could not
control them, so once more he drove
the specter back into the dim prospect
i've and thought not Of the morrow is
he watched the flying landscape or
gazed dreamily at his fellow passen-
gers,
His eyes fell upon prosperous-look-
ing old gentleman to the right and u
few seats in front of him, and suddenly
he threw off his lethargy and awoke to
lively interest, though why he could
hardly tell. He remembered seeing the
old gentleman in bank in the town he
had just left. He remembered that the
cashier had given him money-rolls of
bills-and that he had put them care
fully away in small hand bag, while
the banker good-naturedly chaffed him
about his indiscretion in carrying so
much money about. There was the
same hand bag now, held on the lap of
the benevolent-looking old gentleman,
who did not appear to be in the least
disturbed by the possession of so much
treasure, While in the bank cashing
his small check for the work which
had enabled him to ride in the chair
car Lovett had witnessed the trans
action, and now the sight of the treas
ure aroused n pang of cupdity and
sent a thrill through his long dormant
spirit,
He knew the bag contained $4,000.
Two thousand dollars! What a golden
field of opportunity the possession of
such a sum would open to him. Once
before he had possessed as much and al
most it had proved the foundation of
success, but he had lost it through his
lack OF discretion and experience. He
had lived and learned since then and
knew that if he could but venture again
he would not lose. Two thousand dol
lars; perhaps it was but trihe to the
man who owned it, but what would ii
not mean to him? Then, with a bitter.
cynical smile he reused himself from
his wild fancics and turned TO wn,,nc
the mad race Of the fields and trees az
the train sped along through the deep
ening twilight,
1t passed little station with al
church near by, There was tenn
peronce meeting within, and through
the open window he heard the strains
OF n song which brought the tears to
\. L.. "a