The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-07
1903. by Daily Story Pub.


"Now too late-now too late" tick
ed the great. walnut clock high on the
wall of the bank
Jack Cavendish. head bookkeeper OF
the bank. gazed at the clock. absent
rnindedly, thinking that it seemed to
have spoken the words 'f'''iFi
Now too Iate-now too late"
Damn it ALL" muttered Cavendish.
runniW nis hand through his hair. and
turni !. to his ledger. The great room
was silent except for the ticking of the
clock.
The figures on the fat gray book
seemed to run together: the red lines
seemed to zig-zag up and down and
across in g. way no ledger lines should
rightly rim,
There was nothing at all wrong with
the figures. They were carefully made
accurate work Cayendish maryeled
that he had managed to keep them SO.
Now too late"
He buried his face in his shirt sleeves
and single tear ran down and plump
ed on the open book. streaking Its
white surface with faint blue.
Cavendish jerked himself up, took ur
the glistening drop mechanically with
the corner Of a blotter and closed the
book. He sighed and placed it in the
warm vault In which single electric
light gfowed, and mechanically closing
the ponderous door, he pushed open the
heavy portal and stepped out into the
night.
His face was hot and his eyes left
heavy and feverish.
"'Workin late. amt you, Mr.. Gavin
dish?" greeted the, night watchman.
The tookkeeper spoke to him me-
Chemically hesitated on the stone steps
and turned UP the street toward the
South side.
In his troubled brain there was a
species Of self-pity mixed with re-
sentiment, grim and savage conditions.
1t was that feeling he reflected haziiy
that creates in man desire TO drink
to get drunk4to' do s6mething-any-
thing to forget.
It was hideous The lights on the
corners shone coldly on him as he
passed. SGavendish scarcely noted
them, for he was thinking Of what
would be called tragedy in real life.
The end of the story was near he knew
he was walking straight toward the
ending of 1t.
The story had its beginning a year
before at public picnic where Caven-
dish had gone In mere idlenesS. He re-
membered that, ri a pftffn attempt
| at self-defense and partial iustffsea-
ton.
At this picnic he bad met Stella Ber-
ger The fates or the evil. Cayendish
did not know swhich.s had caused her to
| shine out from thes%naass of young
women there like a golden haired god
| desS. = - :. - = 80
Beneath the hfgh@piled mass of gold
| her eyes were soft. and gray and set in
| a. delicate oval face Her plain white
| dress was an agreeable contrast to the
| ffnery of the rest OF them.
| Cayendisht was with her all that day
and at its close had been invited to
call.
| Cavendish dinIy remembered the
| shock he had experienced on finding
4 that the parents of Stella were hope
! less from social standpoint, and that
/ old Berger. the father of that sweet
nuslin-clad girl. ehewed tobacco pub
| IicIy and ate with his knife
| Also he watered the, street with q
| hose in his soiled shirt sleeves.
/ They had Hospitality pressed him tc
4 stay to supper, and half ashamed OF
| the situation and wholly ashamed OF
| his acceptance of a hospitality he
mentally criticised, he had yielded.
There the trouble had it's beginning
He came into the habit of dropping il
1 sent little presents of candy and books
to Stella as species of self-justifica-
ton for never going out with her.
Whenever he would appear Stella
would be frankly glad to see him. ant
the old man would glance at her moth
err with elephantine hunor and indi
cate that they were not needed.
Sometimes he would jokingly pok'
Cavendish in the ribs with a fat elbow
4 and grin heavily at nothing.
! Then one night when they Rad all re
tired except himself and the girl tn,
devil had entered his soul and in TIT
4 dim passage he had taken her in hi
arms and kissed her until she chung Il
him dizzfly and happily and wept il
i very joy.
That night Cavendish drank heavil.
for the first time in his life and friends
found him and sent him home in a cal
4 wondering nightly at his break"
i And there in the dainty little Soutl
side fiat was Clariee-Cfarice who TO
two wears had patiently waited for hi
promotion that they might rent cot
tage< such as both had admired am
live their lives together.
Clarice, who even now was MAXIM