The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-04-03
LATE FORTUNE.

some time organist Of Drulisle cathedral.
AT that time Banks was an author and
| journalist and also child of promise.
Every one knew that be was going to do
| great things when his youthful, brilliant
| eferyescence had passed off. Arthur So
ris Banks himself knew it. At that time
he worked about one day week when
he found work that he felt suited him,
and when he did not find 1t he never
worked at all. As bachelor and Bo-
heman he had very little use for money.
In the fifth year after his marriage
with Mona, to whom he was ever devot-
ed, he was working seven days a week
and some of the nights as well. He was
doing any work that offered and doing it
as quickly as he could. lie had multi.
piled his income by six and his expenses
by sovcn. He was much more journal
ist than he was an author. There was
no more question of cfferycscence, and
the editors could send his stuff up to the
printer without bothering to read 1t first.
The critics on the rare occasions when
they spoke of Eustace Soris at all spoke
of him with gentle regret He had sold
his birthrisht of course: he had acquired
the deadly facility: he would never do
dHytHliR ulolc tHHD Nultc EDUu nutk
work now. He had passed out OF the
will be into the might have been. He
was sufficiently happy about it when he
was not too much in debt. He was hon
estly devoted to Mona, and he would not
Under hny consideration have been an
artist at the price of being Il man. The
idea that Mona should be limited or that
the babies should lose their high position
in order to spare him anything would
merely have disgustcd him. He had by
this time raised his own standard Of COM
fort and spent money more freely than
he had done In the days when, compare.
lively. he had more to spend. The octo-
pus of a second rate social position had
its suckers on him, and he gave up any
struggle except that which had for its
aim and end the finding of food for tho
octopus. Mona would have checked him,
but this perverse ass was capable OF
wanting for her what he had never even
thought about for himself.
She had been proud of her husbands
abilities, and certain yellowing press cut
tings were still cherished by her. She
encouraged him in the weak luxury Of
speculating on what might not happen il
by some lucky chance he found himself
in position when he could take his own
time over his work and was not depend
ent on 1t for his necessities. There he
never doubted. His literary ideals had
never changed. though he was now per-
force false to them every day of his life.
lie saw what was good work md how to
do it as well as ever he did. He even
believed that he had gained something
from experience. Once the necessity OF
pot boiling had vanished he had GER
ta!nty that he would quit the ranks OF
the might have been and put on his
wings Mona believed that, too, as she
would have believed any good thing rf
her husband.
Then the chance came at last after
another five years OF the struggle. 1t
came In two golden months. Banks had
happened by some accident to open IL
circular. As rule he wecdcd out what
We're obviously circulars before he began
10 open his letters. This was the circular
of minor Germanic lottery, rotten and
fraudulent With a cynical knowledge
that he was being swindled, Banks sent
FOR ticket. AS it happened, the lottery
had decided to send a big prize over this
side as an advertisement and attraction.
HuL lUpItHS dbDUt bIlCt Ill every IL
years. And Banks got the big prize.
The mist of accounts rendered rolled
AWAY; there were even some judicious
investments, and Banks began to acquire
II habit, to which for years he had been
II stranger. Of going to bed before mid.
night. In the next golden month Banks
venomous and virnlcnt great-nunt paid
tardy tribute to the mortality returns.
For long time Banks had never heard
Of her or seen her. Ascribing to un In
dependent spirit what was really no more
than want OF interest. she made her
greatncphew, Arthur Sorts Banks, rich
man. After the diamond tiara and the
new carriage horses Mona put her foot
down. ave will go on living" she said,
"as we have always lived. l am much
too old to want to change, but do want
yon to do the really fine thing now"
Banks, as usual, agreed. lie began to
do the really fine thing. But there was
something missing. lie sat and stared
at the paper and wondered what it was.
1t dawned on him slowly that it was
stimulus. TO which he had become accus-
toned. just as the efferent nerves will
not actunte the muscles until the affercnt
nerves have delivered their message, so
1t seemed that his intellectual processes
refused TO respond now to anything but
the keen necessity for making money, to
which they had for so many years been
used. He merely sat and stared before
him, and for awhile at least nothing wns
done. By an effort Of will he did at last
finish a novel which was TO be really
good. He knew 1t was not that. Tho
critics knew that 1t was heavy and Ia
bored and compared unfavorably with
his journalistic work, and they said so.
The public said little and cared less, and
they did not buy that novel.
Rauks has given up all thoughts OF
writing now. lie speaks Of the profes.
sion of authorship with something almost
like disdan, and Mona is acquiring the
habit from him. He also has 50 much
else to do. Any man who suggests that
Banks is dropping out Is always remind.
ed of that
So there the matter stands. His fate
drove him from the first rate 10 the sec.
ond ratio work. And when fate repcnted
and gave him his chance to get back TO
the first rate again he found that he was
spoiled for that, and for the second rate
as well. and that he had better take an
interest in horticulture and exhibit Blen.
helm orange melons at the local show.
where his gardener has recently received
the second prize. And, of course, tho
moral Of this Is that wealth is not ev-
erything. At any rate, 1t should be.
But rather fancy that see an Addi.
tional moral-that in life. as in the pleas.
ing and instructive game Of draw poker.
1t does not so much matter whnt cards
you have as when you have them.-Chi-
1