Arizona republican., 1902-04-14
What's the
 Use ?
Copyright. 1902 By Daily Story
 Publishing CoD
BY CHESTER A. CUSTER
...................................."............


 big easy-chair and smiling cynicall3 as he mCtioned toward Denslow's fla nous picture. "Denslow has it right. After all the effort and struggle is over and the achievement attained, the result is all the same-a grinning skull
 But ycu have no right to waste your faculties. your opportunities as you do." responded the other warmly. "DensloW is not right. There is work to do in the world and the best happiness is at tained only by those who do it. Even in the picture the grinning skull is not the only result There is the laurel wreath and the book of knowledge. The skull is the debris. The real result is tho achievement attained. the thing accomplished. It is q crying shame that man of your talents and position should leaf hIs way through life as you are doing. By love. Prescott. you are thirty eight and have never done lick since you left college. The little herit age left you has been q curse instead Of a blessing. Because. forsoCth you have three thousand a year which ycu didn't earn you are content to dream away your time here at the club with no other inter est in life than that furnished by dinners and booze and chorus girls Arl it's telling on yca. You are not the man you were by long shct. Cad. iH college you could outshine the best of us. So you could in life if you woul1 : try to live instead of merely exist You ought to ba a leader among men in stead of an idler and q drone. It makes me tired"
 Not more than all this surdid scram- bic among your betters for place and | power does me- responded Prescott good naturedly. And when it's all over, what of it?" and he swung his ! hand gracefully toward the pictura ] that's all. It's all right for the fellows i who nave got to hustle for a living. but 1 what an ass I would be to enter the i already overcrcwded lists when l don't have to and where there is nothing to gain. Why should ! forego the com forts and elegancies Of life to enter in a a mad strife for money. which I dc not need: power. which brings responsi- bilities. and glory. which is Q bauble. 1 Old Omar Khayyam had it right two centuries ago.
 i 'Tis but q tent where takes his one
 days rest
 A Death
 drest;
 Strikes. and prepares it for another guest.
 And that biings US to the meat of the matter. Omar's panaoea for it all: Then 'o the Lips of this poor earthen
 
 I lean'd. the secret Of my Life to Learn: And lip to lip il While you Drirk!-for, once dead. you never shall
 return.
 ''I shall now order two cocktails and we will consider the evening sermon at an end"
 The bell was duly rung and the liba- tion accomplished. With sad smile Prescctt's friend arose and departed.
 His cNpostulation with Prescott was the epitCEe e the general talk among tho l3tt2r's friends. For Prescott cer- tainly was throwing himself away Tu dress well. t0 dine well. to enjoy all the pleasures Of the senses-that was tha sum of his ambition. the sum of his life He indulged himself in the things .lt liked to excess. His dissipations in- creased with the years and showed plainly in his pallid face and hollow eyes. Still nature had been so lavish with him and he had kept himself sC well grOomed that he still was q hand some man-perhaps not the less hand some for the pallOr of his face. which became his aristOcratic features, ana the sprinkiing of gray in his hair.
 But there came a day when Prescott was moved from his cynicism and in- difference. It was q woman. of course but the last woman PrescOtt's friends would have expected to have influenced him. Mary Putnam was neither bril- liant Ter say. nor yet Of startling phys iCal beauty. She was not an ordinarv girl that was admitted. and comedy tc look upon, but her beauty came iron within rather than through puisine blood and viv2cious vitality Derrlu,- and well balanced with steady gray eyes. through which shone the light 0. a luminous soul. thoroughly womarly : and possessed of the keenest inteIIi- gence. softened with kindliness anL charity, she was the center Of q Circls of admirers and friends comprising tn most gifted and discriminating
 That Prescott should join this circle seemed incredible. But he did and be- came q most devoted admirer. He went little in society. It bored him and his habits were such that h. was not ac- corded the warmest welcome But Miss Putnam exercised the strongest fasci- nation over him. In some mysterious manner she touched a responsive chori throughout all his nature. Of unusr4
 intelligence and exceptionally well rea( himself, her keen mentality flashed {; < challenge. Her purity and womanlines. / appealed to his jaded nature ShC aroused all the best that was in him : He sought her society more and more involuntarily and uncOnsciously. Therf was no love making between them. II, had not analysed his feelings. Sh, Z liked him immensely. but he depressed :, her. His cynioism was oppressive i: one of her radiant nature, but his bril- Z liant attainments. sparkling wit ant Z resourceful mind inspired her. His ar z tistic taste charmed her. She was in Z finitely sorry for him and sought by { gentle means to arouse him from hi: moral lethlreV Thus matters driftef