St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-20
A Wasted Opportunity.
By A. A. Smith.

D1DING in a chair car was an unac-
IN customed luxury to Martin Lovett
Tor several years-just how many he
could not recall-his usual mode OF
transit had been by way of the rods
OF In box cars, with an occasional Jour-
ney on the ''bind baggage" when he
was In great luck. So he leaned back
ana enjoyed the luxury of the swift mo.
lon and the cushioned seat. The
rhythmic "clickety-click,c ,clickety-click'
OF the wheels was conducive to a
dreamy, restful languor. and for the
time being he was almost indifferent to
the black pail of failure which fate, or
circumstances, or his own inefficiency
had cast over him.
Lovett was tramp printer. and for
tune had dealt capriciously with him.
There had been times when she seemed
70 smile upon and beckon him onward
and then she would vanish like mock
ing sprite and plunge him deeper into
the abyss of despair. Again and again
ne had entered the race, urged forward
Oy q subtle instinct which adversely
could subdue but never quite destroy.
Again and again there was the same re-
suit, until now he lay humbled and
passive, with only an occasional CLEAN
OF his old hope and energy.
Vague shadows of thoughts fitted
through his weary brain as the great
train rushed along-impressions as
light and indistinct upon the mind as
were the fitting trees and fences to
the eye. The scenes of his early life
touched lightly upon his memory, and
dreamily once more he felt the prompt
ings of ambition, the alternating ella
tion of success with the sting of de-
feat, and in fancy he was once more
grasping at the elusive sprite of oppor-
tupity. But little more distinct than
all the other shadows which pressed
upon him was the never-ending prob
lem of existence, and behind it the
specter of what might yet come to him
sickness, starvation, and somewhere,
in some neglected spot, nameless pau
per's grave. He had never quite sue
ceeded in banishing that specter,
though in his intervals of buoyant res
olution he had driven it to the back
ground It's gaunt presence was vague
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 econo-
my in dietary matters he was sure of
more than half week of existence,
and in that time something was sure to
'sturn 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 as
he watched the flying landscape or
gazed dreamily at his fellow passen-
gers.
ing old gentleman to the right and
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 n 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 a 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 a pang of cupidity and
sent thrill through his long dormant
spirit.
He knew the bag contained 1000.
Two thousand dollars. What 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 a trifle to the
man who owned ii. but what would ii
not mean to him: Then. with bitter.
cynical smile he reused himself from
his wild fancies and turned to watch
the mad race of the fields and trees as
the train sped along through the deep
ening twilight.
1t passed little station with a |
church near by. There was tenn
perance meeting within. and through
the open window he heard the strains |
of song which brought the tears to
his eyes. and a flood of memories swept |
over him. 1t was simple little tenn
perance song: Where is my wander |
ing boy to-night?" His mother used to /
sing il to him when he was boy. and |
il was his favorite. As he heard it lie |
thought again of his strong-hearted.
cheerful. honest mother. who had |
taught him lessons in honor and moral /
fly which even his hard life had never
quite effaced. and in an instant the
mind of this man, whose life had never
been shaped by priestly council and in
whose early training the element of
Christian character had supplanted
creed and dogma, turned from its bit
ter, criminal covetousness of the money
to memories of home and mother. Low
EFT was impulsive and somewhat un-
stable. Perhaps the possession of those
qualities rather than those of cold. cal
culating, selfish judgment largely ac-
for his failures
The little village was left far behind
when there came sudden grinding of
the brakes, a scarcely perceptible slack
enipg of speed, and then Lovett was
conscious of frightful crash as he
wss hurled forward. AS he grasped
broken chair he knew the wreckage of