The Jersey City news., 1902-06-07
HE I.Arp TnE coINs. upoN THE TApLR.

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 elIiptical form, with
the quarter for a head and the dime for
a tail piece.
Looks like comet looks ike
snake, he soliloquized. breaking from
his reflections upon the latent possibili-
ties of 81 cents. He became suddenly
conscious of a double analogy between
the form OF the row of coins and the
package that still lay upon the floor.
4 comet was sort Of star, the return
ed manuscript from The Stellar Maga-
zine. and the story of the manuscript
was the story OF a woman and a snake.
He reflected with some pride that it
was the most grewsome thing he had
ever done. lie swept up the coins and
stood with puckered brows gazing at
the steadfast eyes of the photograph.
A knock at his door broke his reyerle-
A stout young woman, Of business
like countenance, promptly accepted
his rnonosyllabic invitation to enter.
"Fd like some money. please she
said, with equal promptness, regarding
with apparent disfayor the young man,
who still had his eyes upon the photo
graph.
80 would l." replied the INDECENT
Mr. Patterson. He wheeled and con-
fronted the blond collector Of his fat.
you're week behind" she said Sc
verely.
II can give you 81 cents on account,
responded young Mr.. Patterson. and
the coins reappeared. "That's every
cent have in the world" he added pa
thetically. The eyes of the young wo-
nan not being sympathetic. he turned
his upon those of the picture girl. This
action apparently still further nettled
the collector.
There were two gentlemen she
said, emphasizing the last word, "look-
ing for a room today. They are ready
to pay $4 for this. shall rent to them
from tomorrow. or course you under
stand if 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 it. I've hung up
everything except myself. Perhaps in
the morning. He glanced at large
hook in the ceiling, but when he turned
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. 1t seemed to him that he had
failed. IIis was a bright wholesome,
optimistic nature with an acute sense
of humor. yet his stories We're almost
invariably Of morbid and depressing
character and met with little if any
success.
After a time he sat up and stared at
the faded pattern OF the carpet, men
tally comparing it to the fiowery de-
sign of his ambitions and his hopes
when they, too. were new and upon
which. ii seemed 10 him, the world had
trampled until all the color was quite
gone Suddenly he tossed back bis
head. laughing oddly. and fixed q
strained gaze upon the large hook In
the plaster Just over his head.
After all,r he said harshly, "what
matters? Nothing inatterslp
He stood upon the bed and reached
a hand 10 the iron hook II seemed
firm. Heplaced a middle finger through
1t and put his whole weight upon the
hook. 1t held He stepped to the door
and with his glance measured the dis
tance from the surface OF the bed TO
the floor. AS he turned again his eyes
met those Of the girl In the picture up
on the wall. The blood flowed into bis
pale face, and he trembled as he leaned
with clinchcd hands upon the tables
edge. Suddenly he turned and flung
himself, face down, upon bis bed weep
ing with lie, bitterness of regret and
shame. @ sS
when 1T last Billy Patterson sprazf
-. lie licked over hls chair and paced