The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-03-12
Life's Puppets.
BY LOUIS ]. STELLMAN.

Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. e
1t was past midnight-long pasi
though not yet dawn. But the
men VINO sat in the wineroom CT
little all night cafe did not kno,
and did not care.
One drank necessarily and mech
ically from a brown bottle, but
eyes were bright and clear-and i
with the steely hardness of him
laughs and hides wound. The c;
wreathed himself in great wi
clouds of smoke, fitting his chin 10
and then to blow thin white stree
upwards through his teeth and la
closed lips, with an artistic precisiea
as though the process involved +.
entire and concentrated thought.
Il wonder how long it will take,
spoke the first, holding his glass alcfi
to let the light shine through II ley
say it kills-this stuff I'm drink,
Bah! 1t might-a fool. 1t docsn
even dull my senses. They say =
drunken man is happy. He sings; he
cries or laughs-and then he sleeps.
like some besotted beast. l cannot Go
these things. l can see nothing bu'
her dead face-and feel that she is
gone; that my heart is gone--,ny
soul--everything. And yet l live and
ache. l move about just as ! used
to do. Men speak to me as usual.
They do not see the change" lie
laughed-you would have sworn it
was some merry jibe. cts funny
Gregory, isn't it..
His companion paused to flick the
ash from his cigar before replying.
In way it's funny, yes" he an
swered. There is a comical side to
everything, even this. A grim humor
I'll grant, but humor nevertheless
Your wife is dead You wan, her
bacll-and God won't let you have
her You've always had your way
with your wealth and that magnifi'
cent brain of yours. which whisky
cannot dull; with your magnetism
your strength and that beauty a god
might envy. And now you're thwart
ed for the first time-that's what
hurts you, Edward. You have had all
things, always, and now one is taken
away You think your heart is dead
1t isn't. It's sound and well and
capable of many loves. But a new
experience has come into your life
defeat. You will never be quite the
same again, for ignation-surren
der-works a mighty change in sucf
as you. But the humor of it all lies
in your babbling of a broken heart
Yes, it is funny
The other man sat motionless will
the glass still raised. Not muscle
Quivered. but his eyes were fixed or
the speaker with a strange intensity
My God!" broke out the one ad
dressed as Edward. 81 wonder i
you are right. wonder why
sat here quietly and lie
you tell me this. 1t must b.
true-something within me mus
have told me that-or I'd have chok
ed the words down your throat" HI
hesitated a moment, bewildered.
What can you know of human
hearts; of love or grief-you, tt
whom all men and women are but 81
much flesh and blood? You analyz.
them as a chemist divides some sub
stance into elementary parts-or dis
sect them by a sort of mental sur
gerry We have always been comrade
after a fashion, Gregory, but l neve
understood you like other men,"
NO" said the other sadly, "tha
has been my curse-to mask my rea
self from all the world. I've been
sort of emotional detective. I've prize
into the hearts of men and women
to see them beat for others-neve
for myself. Since childhood l hav
craved for love and understanding
Never has it come. They said: H
is a strange boy; so different from
the rest | felt myself ar outcas
and began to shun my former play
ashamed, l knew not why.
tried to act like the others but wa
too young to play a part People sa,
the trick and | felt it ever-like
felon in disguise Some were indi1
ferent. | did not mind that. Som
disliked me, with the dstrust @
ignorance for aught that is strange