The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-11-07
TRACK OF THE FIRE.
by JULIA rRU1r BISHOP.

copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Coy
The elder of the two men was still
young, but something had crossed his
face as a fire crosses a forest, sweep
ing out the lines and the looks that
had been. The younger was bright,
buoyant, self-satisfed, in love with
himself. and the world. The elder
had newspaper in his hand, and he
ceaselessly rolled and unrolled it, with
an intentness that might have been
given to the calculation Of eclipses OF
to the evolving of new systems of
philosophy. The younger leaned lazi-
ly back in his chair with his hands
clasped behind his head.
1T was good of you, Howard, to
hunt me up as soon as you came back
to the city," the elder said for the
third time. 81 have missed you'll
have needed the old ompanionship-
l. somehow, | have seemed to be
rather rather alone, of late years."
There was hesitation in his speech
that The other found very curious.
"You've been sticking to the office
too close, Morrison" he said, kindly.
"Of course ambition, and building
ones self up, and hard work, and all
that are all right, but you've overdone
the thing. It's taking good deal out
Of you"
A wintry smile fickered around the
lips of the elder man, as he unfolded
the paper and looked at it critically,
and then carefully rolled it again.
''Apbition?" he said. "Yes-L
used to be ambitious, didn't I?-and
rather talented, too, people thought"
81 hope you haven't thrown it all
away" cried Howard, with shocked
face.
"Thrown it away! Oh, no. Some
men would have done that. But l had
a great deal of self-control. Iremem-
bered afterwards that | had been am
bilious, with certain objects in view,
and so I put myself at the old task,
and have gone Flooding, plodding at
them with set teeth ever since. 1t has
made difference, of course. l am
a plodder now, where | used to run,
with my soul on fire. But l am proud
to do thus much. 1t would have hurt
some men unalterably."
"What in the world has happened
to you, old man?" asked, the younger,
with trembled eyes on the face the fire
had swept.
The elder rolled the paper into a
tighter roll, and held it in both hands,
as though it were his self-control, and
it might escape from him at any mo-
1ent.
81 am glad you came to me as soon
Syou reached the city" he said again,
always with that curious hesitation
An his manner. 81 have thought of
you many times-and have wished
to warn you-you are so very young,
Howard-fully three years younger
than land | know that I ought to
warn you-a against womenp'
The younger, who had bent for
ward, leaned back again, and from
this time on he did not take his eyes
from his companions face.
4 against women," he repeated, me-
chanically, still holding tight to his
self-control. "Foryouare young, with
. sensitiveness and delicacy of spirit
which l often noticed when we were
boys together. Ifsuch an-experience
-came to you-why-it mightwreck
gour life. You might never recover.
Idoubt ifyou would even live through
it. | have thought of that often. AS
for me, I am not sensitive nor deli
cate; and you see have lived. Not
only that, but I have entirely recov-
cred. You could scarcely believe that
] can even laugh now when I think
of it."
He laughed then to prove it, and at
the sound of that laugh the face of the
other man grew white.
ooh, yes, tits all over long age" he
added. 81 have thanked heaven many
lines that I was made of coarse fiber,
md could triumph over such expert
ences. But as for you, my boy, don't
ever try it. Keep away from them
from women. They,wil1 not wait to
see if you are the kind that-that lives
through it. They will break your
heart as a child breaks its doll-tos see