The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-24

THE FOOTBALL OF FATE.
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Arthur Billings rose from TIC ligh
Sunday evening supper which supple
mented the heavy noon dinner ON tha
day at IT, hotel where he boaracd. and
hurried to his room to hold a l.iepathA
conference with his sweetheart in an
. other state, who was supposed to b
holding al the same moment q 'eiopathlt
communication with him. The auur be
tween Z and s j. m. had been agreet
upon by a letter, and Arthur lad no
missed tie claire-audient priv.leg once
although no results had indicated an!
wave Of thought transferenc, betweet
their souls. II his sweetheart Kiai
Lincoln. had-but her experience wia
come later
Arthur was one Of those ,xcellcn
youths who are born to be ths i1otball
of fate. He did right. not from convlc-
tion but simply because be could not dC
otherwise Goodness was tempcamentu
with him He was so amlablc that he
would nor strike back for fear of hurt
ing his enemy Ola ladies anl babies
adoied bin lie was docked part Of hj.
salary every day, while De was rcscuins
the perisaing from under The feet Of
fractions horses or from trolley cars. it
was natural for him to do All Things be.
sides going on innumerable errands fof
idle people who knew OF his good tom-
per and his utter inability to say "no."
1t Is ncs a saving grace to be cDhglns
and self-ehaclng and amlable, especially
If these cardinal virtues are exploited al
the expense Of those possessing them,
and the generosity that exceeds justice
is seldom appreciated. AS Arthur Bill
llngs left the supper-room he encount-
cred an Old lady carrying a handful OF
railroad folders. She intercepted him.
"Oh, Mr.. Billings, l was just looking
for you. | am going to California to
visit my daughter, and l want you to
show re the best route and figure up
just how much it costs and how long tn,
trip will be, and where the eating sta
tions are You have been there and
know al about IT,
Now, Arthur was working overtime
on his telepathlc hour but he could not
say no to the iuconsid rate demand of a
helpless woman. so, he sat d wn and
patiently traced on the railroad map the
route to California, marked the - ms
and stopping places with a red pencil
figured up the cost of the trip, and an-
swered all questions with that consider
ate gentleness which he had acquired
with his hair and eyes Then ,he clock
struck s. His telcpathic circuit was
broken What II Kitty felt hia defec-
ton and missed the transfefcnce of
those thought waves for which she wait
ed He would explain in his letter.
This Sunday night letter had no.
bumped up agains; any snags OF fata
since their engagams mt. 10 held an the
news of the week that Interested them
as well as the love Of his heart Il often
barely escaped not being written. or
was written at railroad speed in order to
be mailed that night, ana The ono ne was
/ writing on this occasion was ushcd a.
usual Actors and sporting men whc
believe in hoodoos nave panic if they
encounter a black eat on the eve of al
event. Arthur Billings was no. waylaia
by any black cat nevertheless he
encountered a hoodoo when he stepped
out with his sweethaarts letter address
/ ed and stamped ia his hand. II Il vert
out that night II must be mailed at once
and he was hurrying to the postofflce
when he was nearly upset by man go
ing the other way at high rate OF
speed. He recognized fellow clerk
Hello. Billings, he cried, 'acara tn,
news? Sterling has been run over b.
an automobile and is dangerously hurt .
Sterling was their head boofkeeper
and a popular man. Billings wds imme
iiately crushed. I'm go with you" he
said, as soon as mail this lstfsr"
oh, never mind the letter; come
htph5 ohu uiop IL III tue hIoA DoA w
see"
This last mall has been taken up.
Here, boy to a passing youngster.
take this letter to the postcffioe and
drop It in the box at the door. And here
Is 10 cents for your trouble. DO you
understand"
The boy looked at the letter and then
at the 10-cent piece
"You bet / do, he said with q grin
and ran Off.
When the tw3 men reached the book
keeper they found that the accident had
been greatly misrepresented, the victim
being mere frightened than hurt 10
bones were broken, and The bruiso.
would easily heal Billings mayed q
comfort him. and was honestly glad @
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