The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-29
Chapter Iv.-Continued.


The street ran fiat and gray in the slowly
gathering DUSK straight to the western hori-
zon where the sunset embers were strewn in
long, dark-red streaks; the maple trees were
c,ean-cut silhouettes against the pale rose
and pearl tints Of the sky above and a ten
derness seemed to trembe In the air Hark-
iess often vowed to himself he would watch
no more sunsets in Plattville; he realized that
their lovelness lent too unhappy tone to
the tlnaginings and introspections upon which
he was thrown by the loneliness of the en-
Tirorenent, and he considered that he had too
much time In which to think about himself.
For five years his introspectons had monoto-
nously hurled one word at him: Failure;
Failure! FailuTe." He thought the sunsets
were making him morbid Could he have
shared then, that would have been different.
His long, melancholy face grew longer and
more melancholy In the twilight, while Will
lam Todd patiently whitfield nearby Platt-
vile had often discussed the editor's habit
of silence, and Mr.. Martin had suggested that
possibly the reason Mr. Harkless was such
quiet man was that there was nobody for
him to talk to. His hearers did not agree,
for the population Of Carlow county was
thing OF pride, being greater than that of
several bordering counties. They did agree,
however, that Harkless's quiet was not un-
kind, whatever its cause. and that when it
was broken 1t was usually broken to conspic-
uous effect. Perhaps 1t was because he wrote
30 much that he hated ITO talk.
bent figure came slowly down the street.
and William hailed it cheerfully: Evening
Mr.. Fisbee."
"a good evening Mr. Todd" answered the
old man, pausing. -"Ah. Mr.. Harkless, Il was
looking for YOU" He had not seemed to be
looking for anything beyond the boundaries
OF his own dreams, but he approached Hark-
less tuggng nervously at papers In
his pocket. Il have completed my notes for
our Saturday edition. 1t quite easy;
there is much DOING .,
Thank you, Mr.. Fisbee," said Harkless,
as he took the manuscript Have you fin
ished YOUR paper on the earlier Christian
symbolism? hope the Herald may have the
honor of printing it., This was the form
they used.
81 shall be the recipient of honor, sir
returned Fisbee. "Your kind offer will speed
my work; but I fear, Mr.. Harkless, very
much fear, that your kindness alone prompts
vt, for, deeply as desire it, I cannot truth
fully say that my essays appear to increase
our circulation" He made an odd, troubled
gesture as he went on: They do not seem
to read them here Mr.. Harkless although
Mr.. Martin assures me that he carefully pc
ruses my article on Chaldean decoration
whenever he rearranges his exhibition win
dows, and bear in mind the clipping from
Rouen paper yeu showed me, commenting
generously upon the scholarship of the Her
aid but for fifteen years I have tried to
improve the art feeling in Plattville, and !
may say that l have worked in the face OF
no small Encouragement In fact. {there
was slight quaver in Fisbee's voice., 81
cannot remember that i ever received the
slightest word or token of encouragement un-
til you came, Mr. Harkless. Since then
have labored with refreshed energy; still,
cannot claim that our architecture shows
change for the hetter and 7 fear he euprav.
1ngs upon the walls of our people exhibit ne
great progress in selection. And-I-I wish
also to say, Mr. Harkless, If you find il
necessary to make some alterations in the
form of my reportorial items for Saturdays
issue, / shall perfectly understand, remem
bering your explanation that journalism de
mands 1t. Good evening. Mr. Harkless. Coco
evening, Mr. Todd He plodded on a few
PAGES, then turned, irresolutely. -:
N"Wbat is it, Fisbee?" asked Harkless
Fisbee stood for moment. though abou
TO speak, then he smiled family, shook hi!
head, and went his way. Harkless ~starec
after him, surprised 1t suddenly struck him
with feeling of irritation, that If Fisbe
had spoken it would have been to advise hin
to call at Judge Briscoe's. He laughed i'm
patiently at the notion, and, drawing hi
pencil and pad from his pocket proceeded
to injure his eyes III the waning twilight b,
the editorial perusal of the items his stat
had just left in his hands. When published
the manuscript came under a haring head
ing, bequeathed by Harkless' predecessor il
the chair OF the Herald, and the alteration
OF which he felt Plattville would refuse t.
sanction: Happenings of Our City Below
was printed in smaller type: Improvement
in the World of Business. and, beneath that
came the rubic: :'Also, the Cradle, the Altar
and the Tomb"
The first of Fisbee's items was thus re
corded: 1T may, be noted that the new sign
III 10 AT, hoo 1o~r ,,sx,
We cannot but regret that Mr.. Miller did no
instruct the painter to confne himself to
simpler method Of lettering
"Ah, Fisbee," murmured the editor, re
proachfully, that new sign board is almos
the only Improvement in the world of bust
ness Plattville has seen this year. I wonde
how many times we have used it from tn
first, 1T is rlmored in business circles tha
Herve Miller contemplates-to the exciting
Under Way and Finishing Touches M
y poor White Knight, are five years. Of train
ing wasted on you? Sometimes you make m
fear it. Here is ~Plattyille painting for ou
story of the hanging of the sign, and yoi
throw away the climax like that'' He begal
TO write rapidly, bending low over the pad il
the darkness. His narrative was en- am
plihcation OF the, interesting informatio,
(already possessed by every inhabtanD tha
Herve Miller had put up new sign. Afte
O paragraph of handsome description, 'sHery
''This is move in the right direction. Herve
keep it up =. f. ...s...-, ,-..- T.
9 He glanced over the other items medita
lively, making alterations here and there
The last two Fisbee had written as follows:
There is noticeable in the new (and some
what incongruous) portico erected by Solo
mon Tibbs at the residence of Mr.. Henr.
Tibbs Willetts,s an attempt at rococo decora
tion which cannot fail to sadden the passer
by e. r..5... .,.'s '.-.s>. :, 2 ~
Miss Sherwood OF Rouen, whom Miss Bris
coe knew sat the Misses Jennings finishing
school in New York, is a guest of Judge Bris
GOES household. = rr ill.,. . - -.
Fisbee's items were written in ink an
there was "a blank space beneath the last A
the bottom of the page something had bee
scrubbed In pencil: Harkless tried vainl
to descipher It, but the twilight had fale
too Deep and the writing was too faint, SO h
struck a match and held 1t close to the paper
The action betokened only languid inter
est, but when he caught sight of the first o
the four subscribed lines he sat up straigh
in his chair with an ejaculation. At tn
bottom of Fisbees page was written in
e-----------