The observer., 1900-01-13
Life'S Possibilities.
BY EDGAR TEMPLE FIELD.

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1t was at the Waldorf.Astoria dur.
ing horse show time, and the dinner
hour, the busiest time of the Who'll E
day at that wonderful hostelry.
Uniformed attendants few here and
there IN breathless haste, walters and
''omnibusses" horered distractedly
out the flower bedecksd tables Id
the grand dining salon and the palm
garden. and through the rich corridors
Howed ccasless stream of elegant
women in trailing silken gowns aud
prosperous looking men in Tuxedos
or swallow tail coats cut to reveal daz-
zllng segm onts of shirt front.
The riot. of luxury, feasting and en-
!oyment was at its height when two
men met in the office-two men of 40
or the; eabouts, with that indefnable
air OF se.f-conscious power that marks
the successful business man.
by the gods, if it isn's Ned
Frinkr exclaimed tho taller of the
two, stopping suddenly with out
stretched hand.
"Tellecl" cried the other, joyfully
seizin3 the proffered haad. "I'm
glad to see you, old man."
n another moment the two were
seated in a couple of the big,
throne-like leathern chairs which the
Astor millions have provided for
the purpose of at once COM
forting and impressing the hotel
patrons and were giving an ac-
count of themselves in true American
fashion.
They had not seen each other since
Is years before they had separated
after fe'er years of intimate compan-
ionship at fresh water college, to
go out and seek their fortunes after
the impetuous fashion Of western
youth.
"You have prospered, I 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 now. AS for being a CON
firmed New Yorker, well, Mrs. Teller,
like IN ost 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
Tn the last words was all the com
placency of the man who has had
had fight Of it and won, but Frank
easily forCave the little touch of van
ity. He had been through it all him.
self
"Then there's Mrs. Teller" he
said smiling.
"Oh, yes, and a Jack Teller the
second" 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 you?" he asked quickly.
",5u- ely you've not remained single,
my boy?"
"Fve 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 sentimen-
tai 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 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 man of me and
prove that was worth the job. She's
been M ore than wife to me. She's
been my gool, honest, loyal chum.
There a~e not many men who can say
that of their wives:
"No, fancy not" assented Frink.
smilin~,
"It's wonderful the understanding
she had of the wav man feels, an in
experienced girl like her." proceeded
tbe other. "You see she was a stenog-
rapler in our Office when / first met
her and I fell in love with her at first
sight. almost. I'd made little pile,
and when we we're married I thought
things were coming prey Aucn my
way. But hard times settled in and [
lost everything. For long time it
was hard. work to get bread and but
ter, but that girl stood by me through
thick and thin. When | was sick for
a wear with rheumatism she went back
TO Office work and kept me and the
bov with what she earned, with never
a word of complaint or regret through
II all tell you. old boy. she's got
the stuff in her that heroes are made
If Goodness knows where she got