The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-16
an incomprehensible friendship at Miss jon

ning's
Oh. James, pray for grace to be = man once
IN your s e and send neg pseh to qs I Be
you killed. Remember all we have done for
you and what return you have made, and be
Yoar fur unhaepz aae rs and De man.
Martha Sherwood.
Mr. Fisbee read the letter with a great,
rising delight which no sense Of duty could
down; indeed, he perceived that his sense of
duty had ceased to conflict with the one
strong hope of his life, Just as he perceived
that to be a man, according to Martha Sher-
wood, was, In part. to assist Martha Sher-
wood TO hays her way III things; and, for the
rest, to be the sort Of man she persuaded
herself she would be, were she not woman.
This he had never been able to be-
|. By some whilnsy Of fate, or BY failure Of
Karma Tor, perhaps, by some triumph OF
Kismetic retrbution) James Fisbee was born
in one Of the most business-like and artless
cities OF a practical and modern country, OF
money getting, money saving parents, and
he was born dreamer Of the past. He grew
UP a student Of basiican lore, Of choir
screens, Of Persian frescoes, and an ardent
lounger In the somewhat fnusty precincts OF
Chaldea and Byzantium and Babylon. Early
Christian symbolism, dispute over the site
Of a Greek temple, the derivation of the lotus
column, the restoration Of Gothic buttress
these were the absorbing questions OF his
youth, with now and then lighter moment
spent In analytical consideration Of the extra
mural decorations Of st. Marks The world
buzzed along after It's own fashion, not dis
turbng him, and his absorptions permitted
only a faint consciousness Of the despair of
his relatives regarding his mind. Arrived
at middle-age, and q little more, he found
himself alone in the world Though, for that
matter, he had always been alone and never
of tho world), and there was plenty Of money
! for him with various bankers who appeared
to know about looking after 1t. Returning
to the town Of his nativity after sundry ex-
petitions In Syria-upon which he had been
accompanied by dusky gentlemen with pick
axes and curly, 1ong-barrelled muskets-he
met, and was married BY, lady who was
ambitious and who saw In him (probably as
fulflment Of another Kismetic punshment)
| power OF learning and a destined success.
Not long after the birth Of their only child,
daughter, he was "called to All the chair
Of archaeology in q newly founded university;
one Of the kind which state and mill
lionaire combine to purchase ready-made.
This one was handed down on the shelf In
| q more or less chaotic condition, and for
a period Of years betrayed considerable doubt
40 to its own intentions, undecided whether
they we're classical or technical, and in the
| settlement Of that doubt lay the secret Of
| the past Of the one man IN P1attville 50 TN
happy As 10 possess past. FROM that set
! tlemen: and his own preceding action re-
suited his downfall, his disgrace With hts
wife's relatives. the loss Of his wife, the
rage, surprise and anguish Of her sister,
Martha, and Marthas husband, Henry Sher-
wood. and the separation from his little
| daughter which was by far to him the hard
est to bear. For Fisbee, in his own way,
| and without consulting anybody-it never oe-
| Cured to him, and he was supposed ofts6 to
forget that he had wife and child-had
INF 1v f1rn nod 70 ,tS,Av. all
the money which the banks had kindly taken
care of, and had given It to equip an expedi-
| tton which never expedited A ncw president
| of the institution was installed; he talked
to the trustees; they met, and elected to be-
come modern and practical and technical;
they abolished the course in ane arts, which
abolished Fisbee's connection with them, and
they then employed his money TO erect
building for the mechanical engineering de-
partment. Fisbes was left with nothing
His wife and her kinsfolk exhibited no
brilliancy in holding q totally irrespon-
sible man down to responsibilities, and they
| made q tragedy Of a not surprising fiasco
| Mrs. Fisbee had lived in her ambitions, and
| she died Of heartbreak over the discovery OF
| what manner OF man she had married. But,
before she died. she wisely provided for
| her daughter.
Fisbee told Parker the story after his own
| queer fashion.
| "You see. Mr.. Parker" he said, as they
sat together in the dust and litter Of the
Herald office, on Sunday afternoon, ''you
see, admit that my sister-in-law has always
withheld her appreciation from me, and pos
sibly her disapprovel Is we'll founded-I shall
say probably. My wife had also q consider
able sum, and this she turned over to me- at
the time OF our marriage. though had no
wish regarding 1t one way or the other.
When I gave my money to the university
with which had the honor to be connected,
I added to 1t the fund had received from
her, as I was the recipient OF comfortable
salary as . lecturer in the institution and
had no fear Of not living we'll, and waA
greatly interested in providing that the ex-
pedition should be perfectly equipped. Ex-
petitions Of the magnitude Of that which ]
had planned are expensive, should, perhaps,
inform you, and this one was to carry on in
vestigations regarding several important
points. very elaboratey; and am still con-
vinced 1t would have settled conclusive1y
many vital questions concerning the dertva-
ton Of the Babylonian column, as: whether
the lotus column may be without prejudice
said to-hut at the present moment / will
not enter into that. I fear I had no great
experience In money matterss for the trans
action had been almost entirely verbal, and
there was nothing to bind tho trustees to
carry out my plans for the expedition. They
were very sympathetic, but what could they
do? they Begged leave to inquire. Such IN
Institution cannot give back money once
donated, ana 1t was clearly cut Of character
for a school Of technology and engineering tc
send savants to investigate the lotus column. u
II see," Mr.. Parker observed, genially. Hi
Listened with the most insratiating attention
knowing that he had rich sensation to Sci
before PlattvilIe as dish before king, rol
Fisbee's was no confidential communication
The old man might have told part Of his
history long ago, but It had never occurred
to him to talk about his affairs-things haf
. q habit OF not recurring to Fisbee-and the
, efforts Of the gossips to draw him out always
passed over his serene and absent head.
ut was a blow to my wife," the old mar
, continued, sadly, land i cannot deny that hea
. reproaches were a. vehement as her disap
: pointment was sincere" He hurried over thi
, portion Of his narrative with : vagusl,
J troubled look. but the intelligent Parker rea4
, poor Mrs. Fisbees state Of mind between tn,
: sentences, "She never seemed to regard M
! in the same light again." the archasologis
went on. "Shs did not conceal from me tina
. . she was surprised and that she could no
. look upon me ~ a practical man; indeed,
, may say, she appeared to regard me wit
> marked antipathy. She sent for her sister
! and begged her to take our daughter an
: keep her from me. as she did not con
+ slider me practical enough-I will substitut
4 for her more embittered expressions--to pro
8 vide for q child and instruct It in the world
r ware. My sister-in-law, who was childess
! consented to adopt the little one. on the con
I ditions that renounced all claim, and tina
I the child legally assumed her name an