Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-08-04
CHAPTER wy

spent anu Ady arrived WHeu. was
penniless. The ring and the cord were
still in my possession / do not know
how IT was that / was tempted to keep
them about me; perhaps it was as a pun
ishment which | obstinately inflicted up
on mystlf. When l was penniless
could have twisted the diamond out of
the ring and sold the gold for few shil-
lings, which really would have enabled
me to live without labor for some consid-
cradle time. / did not, however, put it to
this use. 1t did not belong to me; il
belonged to the dead.
The labor | obtained was of the lowest
and most mental kind, and thus it was
that, being far away north, / found my
self working IN the hop gardens. The
pay was bad. but that mattered not il
suficed for bread The danger was that
herded with men and women of a de-
graded stamp, and that, like them, l was
fast becoming brutalized.
This enforced contact with degrade
ton caused In me a kind of revulsion.
Hitherto | had kept mostly to myself
and the gloomy thoughts in which l in
Obliged were created by my own lack
of moral strength: but now that | was
brought face to face with things l abb
horred, | saw, as it were, the reflection
of my own moral image, and the thoughts
1t engendered had salutary effect upon
me. 1t was this better phase of expert
ence which led me into the companion
ship of man of higher grade than the
other hOp-pickers. The name of this man
was Stanmore. He must have recognize
ed in me, as l recognized in him, a man
OF superior stamp, and he eonhded to
me that he was not hop-picking from ne
cessity.
THE fact is, Gaskell," he said to me
q had to bear some name, and l chose
that, am killing two birds with one
stone. One bird is with me; the other !
am waiting for"
This, of course, was enigmatical to me
but did not ask for an explanation. He
gave me one of his own prompting.
The bird that is here is in my port
folio; the bird l am waiting for is a
woman"
knew what he meant by his reference
to his portfolio, which contained a mum
Ger of sketches he had been making OF
the hop-pickers. selecting for choice the
most squalid and disreputable subjects
He had thrown out hints that l might
aVailed myself of the offer.
The hop-picking was now over, and we
were paid off. Upon Stanmore's invi-
tation | accompanied him to a respecta-
BILE hotel and agreed to remain with him
for two or three days. We engaged two
rooms--a sitting room and another with
two beds in it. Thus far he had persuad-
ed me, but he could not induce me to
i4frn
humble fare, of which / partook in Sc
cret.
On the first night OF our stopping at
the hotel we were in the sitting room
which was lit with gas. Stanmore was
busy with his sketches, with paints and
brushes before him, he was engaged il
perfecting them.
"Gaskell,' he said. you are strange
fellow, and that. / dare say, is the rea
son why have taken to you. like ev
erythinG that is strange. But you are
moreover. an enigma. Locked in your
breast is a story it would entertain me
to hear"
Startled, I gazed at him. and halt
arose.
"Pshaww he said. "Sit down again.
/ do not ask you 10 tell me your story
unless in moment of confidence you
choose TO unbend. Now, | ar IL the hu,
NOR to be more frank and open. Let me
give you a piece of advice. Don't take
life too seriously; it is not worth while
Those enjoy the most who accept it as
a comedy. Tragedy or comedy, it is be
fore you to take your choice The same
thing that will make you cry will make
you laugh. 1t all depends upon the view
you take. Some people are annoyed al
being ticlded; l enjoy it. If man give!
me a slap in the face | laugh and give
him one in return. The laugh is an en-
joyable condiment in the dish: the frowr
imparts an Objectionable flavor to the
meat"
1 could have argued with him that il
was matter of temperament, but it was
not my cue to say anything that might
enlarge the field of conversation; and ]
therefore hid my tongue.
All right" continued Stanmore. and
l understood him TO allude TO my silence
lit suits me / was ever a voluble fel
low, and my tongue bids fair to grow
rusty with the company l have kept
these last two or three weeks. Now you
GaSkell, are man of edueation-no dis
euising il, old man-and l must let of
steam, gratifed that / have the oppor
tunity of doing SO in good company
come back to what l was saying-yor
lean toward tragedy in your views, to
ward comedy. All. that's right look
through my portfolio; you'll find some
fairish sketches there-half of them tax
en- in foreign lands. Yes. as Beatrice
SAYS. when / was born. my mother cried
-, Il,
under that was | born | am grateful
il might have been otherwise. n blessed
heritage. l was logged at school;
laughed. l was expelled; l laughed
l made some money; ! laughed. l was
robbed of it, | laughed. l married; ]
laughed. My wife ran away from me: !
laughed. | shall. in all probability. in
this very town meet her; | shall laugh
Men pirate of different PHILOSOPHERS. but
l will stake mine against the lot. There
Is something in my portfolio that inter
ests you: what is it?'
He came and leaned over my shoulder
I was looking at two sketches which
seemed strangely familiar 10 me. One
was a duel scene, the other a cafe int
rior. Where had ! seen those pictures
or their like. before? l could not recall
and yet they haunted ME.
Not bad" said Stanmore. Il hav,
sold plenty Of copies of those and Of
other pictures in the portfolio. Cont
mental subjects most Of them; they ar,
the most popular. Tragedy again. !
mistake / give you my word, if l coult
serve you, | would. However, / don
suppose you will give me the opportu
nity. Now, If you had wife as | had
you would sit down in sacScloth anC
ashes and tear your hair. You wouldn'
be any the better of for it. nor woul,
Il the more incline her toward yen b.
the measure of a hairs breadth. TAX
my case. Ny wife runs away from me
make no attempt TO discover her;
give her 70 understand SHAT she is fire,
to so her way. What IS the consequence
After an interval Of three years sh'
finds out whore / am. and suspects tha
l have money in nay purse She write
70 me-Oh. in such tender strains. Ma,
a. coma nd coo ,s1ar M course -,