The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-08-08
N LAID THE COINS uPox Tau TAsLH.

EE LAID THE COINS UPON THn rABLR-
the photograph and drew from his
pocket the remnant Of his revenue.
There were eight coins-a- quarter, a
dime. four nickels and two cents. He
laid them upon the table. abstractedly
placing them In eIliptical form. with
the quarter for q head and the dime for
a tail piece.
Looks like q comet, looks like a
SNAKE" he soliloQuized. breaking from
his reflections upon the latent possibili-
ties of 50 cents. He became suddenly
conscious Of d double analogy between
the form Of the row Of coins and the
package that still lay upon the door.
A comet was q sort Of star. the return
ed manuscript from The Stellar Maya
zine, and the story Of the manuscript
was the story Of q woman and q snake.
He reflected with some pride that II
was the most grewsome thing he had
ever done. He swept up the coins and
stood with puckered brows casing at
the steadfast eyes Of the photograph.
A knock at his door broke his reverie.
A stout young woman, of 4 business
like countenance. promptly accepted
his monosyilabic invitation to enter.
I'D like some money. please" she
said. with equal promptness. regarding
with apparent disfavor the young man.
who still had his eyes upon the photo
graph.
$50 would l." replied the INDECENT
Mr.. Patterson He. wheeled and con-
~ .(h 10 Aof
you're a week behind" she said se-
verely.
81 can give you 81 cents on account"
responded young Mr.. Patterson. and
the coins reappeared- That's every
cent have In the world" be added pa
theticaliy The eyes of the young wo-
man not being sympathetic. he turned
his upon those Of the picture girl. This
action apparently still further nettied
| the collector.
There were two gentlemen" she
said. empha sizing the last word. 'look-
| ing for u room today. They are ready
| to pay 81 for this. shall rent to them
| from tomorrow. or course you under
| stand II you can't pay up She
| glanced significantly at Billy's shabby
| trunk.
You're right" said Billy. And that's
| It. There's nothing In IL. I've hung w
everything except myself. Perhaps in
| the morning He glanced at u large
hook In the ceiling. hut when ne tarred
his gaze to the door again the material
picture that had been framed there
had departed In wrath.
Billy closed the door and sat wearily
| upon his bed. He was only twenty
three. Ii seemed to him that he had
failed His was n bright wholesome
optimistic nature with an acute senss
Of humor. yet his stories were almos
Invariably of morbid and depressing
character and met with little II any
/ success.
After n time he sat up aud stared a
the faded pattern of the carpet. men
tally comparing II to the nowery de
sign of his ambitions and his hope
when they. too. were new and upor
which. II seemed to him. the worh ha'
trampled until all the color was quit
gone. Suddenly he tossed back hi
head. laughing oddly. and fixed |
strained gaze upon the large hook II
the plaster just over his head
after ALL" he said hsrshly. "wha
matters? Nothing matters"'
He stood upon the bed and reaches
hand to the iron hook. IL seemed
firm. He placed middle finger throug
II and put his whole weight upon tn
hook. II held He stepped to the Zoo
, and with his glance measured the dis
tance from the surface OF the bed