Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-09-11
HIS RIOS STRUM

Parrish brown put ufy EoOuS DON
outside of his store door at Wichita
fourteen years ago. Tad Hunt came
along and sat down.
"Nice box" said Hunt.
"Ycs," said Brown
There was silence for a few mo-
mcnts. Hunt sat still and looked pen
sivc. He had never been able to get n
Job. His wife kept boarding house
and it was said that Tad was her man
OF affairs that is to say, her steward.
But. as a matter of fact, Mrs. Hunt
could not trust Tad.
ITS queer world" he said, draw
ing a knife from his pocket and open
ing it: men and women everywhere
and nothing but men and women, and
nearly all of 'cm making one another
miserable and nothing to show for 1t
but the grave at last. The places that
knew them once know them no more
forever, and the sun rises each morn
and sets each night, and none of the
questions of man is answered. Talk
of the sphinx. Why, every blade of
grass Is a sphinx and holds a secret.
There is not a star in heaven that we
are not obliged to question. And what
answer have we? Silence. Silence"
He was tracing little border on the
box, made of an INTERVIEWING of figure
SIS, and the man who stood near
watched him and was much interested;
so much so that another man who
wasn't doing much either stopped, too,
and watched the making of the border.
Tad looked up and nodded to him.
1T is astonishing" went on Tad, ito
see how men toll and toll. This man
has one scheme, and the next man has
another. Yet talk with any man over
forty and YOU find him to be a grave
yard of blasted hopes. The struggle
has been in vain. Even success proves
to be failure, for no man makes sue
cess which satisfies him.
"And yet it is the destiny of man to
aspire. Some great power beyond him
self drives him on to hope. He must
rise. He is part of the scheme of ev-
olution and cannot help himself any
more than as if he were n mOllusk In
the sea. He is driven to settle Ameri-
ca, invent machines, to make laws
adapted to wider ideas of liberty. He
concratulates himself on his improve
ment. but he has really no call to con-
gratulate himself. He is driven by the
winds of destiny"
He did quite strip of the border in
silence, wiped his forehead on his shirt
sleeyC-for he wore no cOat-and re-
peatcd with pensive accent:
Driven by the winds of destiny"
These remarks were repeated about
town by those who listened to them.
Tad Hunt is quite Il philosopher in
his way" they said. Tad had stayed on
the box the first day till noon and re-
turned at ., after which he left the
spot at 5:4J. The next morning he was
on hand ut S. Brown thought it looked
rather buSincSSlikC to have crowd
about his doors and didn't object much.
Besides, he enjoyed Hunts reflections,
which came nearer being thought than
anything Brown had met with for
some time. He almost thought himself
as he listened to them and summoned
from that unused chamber politely
denominatcd his mind sentiments OF
approval or disapproval. AS time went
on Hunt improved in appearance. To
be sure he was no more particular
about buttOning his catfs, nor was he
more addicted to the wearing of coats,
but Il certain look of fire and enthuSi-
asm came to his eyes, such as may be
seen In the glance of a popular actor
or preacher. He walked down the
street to his box mornings with an
alert step. He became eager for his au-
dience. Sometimes he returned in the
evening and talked till time for shut
ting up shop.
As the years rolled by his audience
changed. Lut he seemed to always be
able to secure Il hearing from some
one. Thus it came about that he sat
pcrched on his place of preaching for
fourteen years and differed from the
East Indian mysticS who do similar
things principally in the facts that he
went home to his meals and that he
desired to disseminate his views.
One morning Hunt came from his
house to the store. There he stopped
as If parGlyzed. A cold perspiration
crept out on his forehead. He grew
red and then white. For the box was
gone The pulpit was destroyed. The
high place was overthrown. There was
crowd about him presently, chatting
him and roaring, but Hunt seemed to
hear nothing He looked about in utter
dismay.
Then something remarkable hap
pened. Tad brought suit for damages
against Brown. The court had to ac-
tually consider the case, and Tad Hunt
was his own counsel and put up an
eloquent argument. SO the court grant
ed him the suit and gave him q penny.
In a way Hunt felt himself indicated,
but that didn't restore his box, for he
had been unable to secure manda-
mus for its return. So he walked about
sadly for few days, looking detached
like a protOplasm cut off from its
own particular Shiny ooZe-and at last
stayed indoors ut home After that the
boarders began to leave, and one day
Mrs. Hunt broke up house and took
Tad away with her on the train. They
didn't say where they were going. The
ticket agent might have told, but he
didn't
Her Luck.
"A ftpr all " said Mrs Gailpiph "it