The sun., 1901-07-25

~ near 1Wenty-tnliii street FelN
singleton, the poet. saw tiny.
frightened dog dodging between the
carriages. The poor little creature
was so terrified and so evidently un
used to being ont alone that Felix
was afraid she would be killed. So
he picked her up in his arms.
She was beautiful lap-dog ana
her shining coat spoke Of loving care,
MS did the blanket she wore, which
was marked with handsome mono
gram, in gold. AS soon as the dog
felt herself in n safe asylum she began
to lick the hands OF her benefactor and
10 look at him with gratitude. They
were already friends when, having
climbed six flights of stairs, the poet
deposited the waif in the sorry gar
ret that served him as temporary lodg-
ing.
Singleton was 25 years old and was
beginning to be recognized as man
of talent, but talent is merchandise
not always negotiable. Fortune had
not vet discovered the road to his man
sard, a road that, TO do her Justice, was
hard travelling for n person who is al
ways represented with eyes shut.
While he waited for the blind goddess
to knock nj his sixth story floor, Felix
lived from hand to mouth. IT would be
all right, he often told himself, if his
great book Redemption" was once on
the market, but the callous publisher,
while not denying its beauties, doubt
al nj itxy pafnen1 N h
| lsh II without a guarantee ofS200. Felix
could have effected peace between
| Britain and Borr as readily as TO have
| produced the money; thus We're the
| wheels Of progress blocked by want Of
n paItry 5000!
When he and the dog reached home
| Felix lighted candle which was stuck
! in the neck of bottle, and, brushing
the loose papers which were parts OF
his yet unrecognized masterpiece
from the table, he proceeded to SET
forth his meager repast. He shared
his dinner and his bed with the dog
and. in the morning, they divided
equally the milk that formed his
breakfast. Singleton was sure that
the dog was n valuable one. So he
went down and bought morning pa
per to see if she was advertised. Ht
turned to the Lost and Found column
and this is what he read:
1.-TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS RE
wardi!!-For the return of a lap-dog, an
swering to the name of Mira lost yester
day near Twenty-third street"
lie called: "Mirza! Mirza!"
The dog barlled ioyfully and raj
toward the door.
"Ah, hal" laughed Singleton. "Nop
I know your social position and you
name, my friend. Two hundred dol
lars reward! To think of giving 500
for such very little dogl SOM
one must love you very much. TIVE
hundred dollars! What a godsend fo
some poor dcvil-lilte myself" h
added as an afterthought.
lie rested his head on his hands AM
tried to think Two hundred dollar
was lust the sum he needed to publis
his book. "Redemption" once out, hi
play would be accepted, his success as
snred! Why not take this money? ]
was simply question of his ow
, wretched pride. IT was honest none,
Or, he said to himself, if he did no
i. like the idea of keeping the none.
' what was to prevent him from consi6
r ering it as loan sent by the Goodies
8 Of Chance? A loan that he could re
e turn, once the current of success
. turned toward him. The temptatio
was too strong! Redemption" shoul
be published.
This decision made, he felt that h
had crossed the Rubicon; it only r.
y mained for him TO think of the lea:
mortifying way for him to claim II
!, reward. Suddenly he smiled. "Tf
very thing!" he cried patting Mira q
the head. He ran down the six fligh
of stairs and soon returned with II
complete costume of a house painte
which he had borrowed from the Sc
y of his landlady He dressed himse
in the white trousers and the pain
!, stained blouse, took Mira in his. arm
i and went to the address given in Il
advertisement.
He was shown into n drawing-rool
:, where. while he waited for some OF
,x~I 10 dDlbtdIs ihA hh 'Pl'ol thbily
studying an unfiatterng reproducti,
of himself in II long mirror. His cou
o. age began to fail and he looked Ion
~ inely toward the entrance. Sudden
a The door was flung open and a char
n. ing young girl came in like whi
or wind. Without saying n word to hi
at she picked up the dog and shower
I'd kisses upon her soft muzzle, ints
ly spersng them with loving words a
'n affectionate reproaches.
X Poor Singleton stood as if nailed
ar the floor. He was at once disgust
TO
A. and Mortified. Here was the prettit
girl he had ever seen, and what mt
he had made of the whole thing WI
IL his clever disguise! At that instant
would have sacrificed unhesitatine
ne the entire manuscript of "Reden
VI, tion" could chasm have opened ,
W der his feet and swallowed him a
nn mis- dirty blouse. She looked at him
NJ last and smiled kindly, a little 81
ms prised evidently at the appearance
MI this workman. He seemed decided
81 above his position!
at is you," she said, "that ] mi
thank for returning my darling Mir
4 I. L n, II We