The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-12-25
HIS SEARCH In VAIN.
By BARRY PAIN.

lapis-lazuli, cloth Of gold, and diamonds,
| he placed a bank note of 1000. With
this in his pocket, he entered his carriage
an drove off to the club.
He was man of eccentric disposition,
/ generous, estimating highly certain merits
which do not usually receive recognition
and loving to reward them whenever he
found them That thousand-pound note
in his pocket awaited recipient who
would show enough self-respect and self
restraint to avoid making a certain re-
mark.
At the door of the club he met a we'll
known kings counsel.
Good .morning," said the millionaire.
Summers about over, I'm afraid"
"Overy Why, it never began" sard the
famous barrister. And in 80 saying he lost
the sum of f1,OOO A spasm of pain passed
over the mllionaire's face. This was the
kind of thing that hurt him.
The purely and unpretendingly obvious
never hurt him. Ii on the sultriest day
in July man said to him: Every hot,
isn't it." he would agree and feel no re-
sentiment whatever. But if on that same
hot day one said blthely We'll, can you
keep yourself warm" the spirit of murder
awoke in his heart. The purely obvious,
necessary and unpretentious did not hurt;
but the obvious attempt to escape the OBJ
vious lacerated and maddened him.
In the reading-r room of the club he en-
countered that eminent ecclesiastic, the
bishop Of Burragoola, who greeted him.
Summers about over" said the mil
lionaire.
80 some one was saying to me the other
day." said the bishop, mellifluously do
you know what my answer was?
NO." said the millionaire, fearing the
worst.
Il said And when did the summer
startY There's some point in that when
you come to think over it,"
The millionaire groaned in spirit, and
picked up the Times newspaper.
IL WONDER" the bishop said, "if | could
interest you in one of cur native industries,
the making of very finely plated"
NO" said the millionaire. "a minute
ago you might with ease have interested
me to the tune of $1,000. But the oppor-
tunity has gone. On the whole, think
| will be going, too. Sorry to be mys-
terious. | will explain it all to you one
of these days"
The bishop gazed after him in blank
amazement. The millionaire was reputed-
ly very eccentric, but this morning he
seemed TO be going beyond eccentricity.
The millionaire stood in the hall now,
and gazed blankly at the tape machine;
he observed that Aribonga Concessions had
risen one-eighth, which meant another
25,0O0 for him; it did not interest him in
the least. Near him stood two members
of parliament, engaged in audible converse.
One Of them said that the summer was
over.
Cant be-" said the second, 'it never be-
gan"
II say, that's awfully good" said the
first. when you happen to think of
thing like that, why don't you write it
down, and send it to one of the papefs?
The millionaire turned and fled. In the
club he would clearly have no chance; he
must descend the scale and try again. He
sought out an oyster bar, and made talk
with the businesslike young man who
opened the oysters for him. 1t seemed a
good chance. The young man seemed SO
serious, so plain, so sensible.
THE first oysters always make me think
that the summers over" said the million
ARE, as he slid one hand into the pocket
that held his note case.
1T is, SIR" said the man. There was
moments pause, and the millionaire was
full of hope. Though, for that matter,
you can't hardly say the summer ever be-
gun this year." said the young man.
The millionaire finished his oysters in
stony silence and went out. The fever of
the search was upon him. Somewhere in
II b.r ha
body who would not make that fatal OBJ
servation. Tie tried two policemen in quick
succession. They were both good well-fed
men, but they disqualified themselves for
the millionaire bounty. A newspaper
boy and q tobacconist failed to pass the
required test. A barmad hesitated lit
tie, but she made the customary response
in the end. And still the millionaire strug-
gled on.
Late in the afternoon he sat down on
A seat in the park. He was depressed.
terribly depressed The air seemed to him
to be laden with the nauseous eiiety of
the dull people. Was there, then, no one
in all London strong-minded enough to re-
sist cheap chance to show an almost
worthless aeutenessy
A man with the appearance of an ell
derby and unsuccessful clerk, sat down on
the seat beside him. The millionaire de-
termined 10 make one more attempt be-
fore relinquishing the attempt in despair
"Sha MT be able to sit out like this much
longer" said the millionaire. I'm afraid
the summers over
The elderly man smiled and shook his
head He said nothing. With feverish
hands the millionaire produced the thou
sand pound note and his own card Per
init me-" he said, ITO offer you this tribe,
and to assure you that you have fairly
earned it.
The elderly man bowed low, put the
note and card in his pocket, and drew out
pencil and slip of paper. lie wrote on it,
handed the slip to the millionaire, and
walked away. The millionaire read
"As you must have guessed, l am dumb.
| know your reputation for eccentric mu-
nifcencc, and thank you from my heart
| hope you did not misunderstood me when
| shook my head just now. did not mean
to contradict you rudely, but only to i'm
ply that this year the summer had not
really began You have done one of the
noblest and kindest-"
But the millionaire read no further. The
paper fell from his hands, and he dropped
| a.. nd IA,