The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1903-07-16
! THE ACHIEVEMENT
/ OF ALEXANDER
BY BENNETT MUSSON
Copyright. 1902, by T. G. Mcclure

~ - - AAOoAAAO
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Success is said to come to any man
who takes one thing seriously. The
thing Wilfred DAILY took seriously was
burlesque. He wrote odd, fanciful lit
tie sketches for the newspapers and
magazines, and he was so convinced
Of the sincerity of the characters he
put in them that he felt rather hurt
when an editor or critic referred to his
stories as charming nonsense" or 'ie-
lightful foolishness."
After success another thing entered
his life which he found necessary to
take seriously. The last item had
blond hair, blue eyes and a bewitch-
ing manner, and Wilfred's meeting
with her was due to his spending the
summer in the Catskills He had de-
cided to stay at a farmhouse on ac-
count Of its privacy. When he found
that this exclusiveness did not include
Miss Dorothy Sibley, he had cause to
bless the general fitness of things.
He was sitting on fence one after
noon blessing the fitness and regarding
goat named Alexander which dis
ported itself in an orchard with all
the perky mannerisms of it's breed.
A pair Of lawn clad arms were pres
emily placed on the fence, and two
blue eyes looked laughingly into his.
''Are you seeking material for a sto-
ry in AlexanderY asked Dorothy.
mot at all. was criticising his
name" And Wilfred leaped to the
ground.
II suppose that it was given him by
some facetious summer boarder," said
Dorothy, regarding Alexander, who
pirOuetted toward them with a look
In his eye that was half vicious, half
humorous.
II think Rip Van Wrinkle would be
more in the way of a summer boarder's
name" dissented Wilfred. Anyway,
I'm glad the fence is between us and
that goat. for suspect him of being a
villain"
"How have you been spending the
afternoonY asked Miss Sibley.
Reading a story"
"a good oneY
"One of my own"
"Then the question is answered."
Dorothy said smilingly.
Wilfred drew a magazine from his
pocket. and they strolled down the road
to little glen. They seated them
selves in nook which often had con-
tanned them during the summer.
"You know, I don't usually. take real
people for my characters" said Will
fred, "but couldn't resist this one. He
Is a new member of our club. He is
small, fat and fussy. A row he had
with a waiter furnished the incident
for this sketch, and my only fear about
it is that when he reads the tale, as he
may, he will recognize himself in 1t and
ask the house committee to suspend me
from the club
A blond head and curly black head
were soon bending over the magazine,
but Wilfred's story was unread.
Don't ask me to go over it again."
he said. "Pve something to tell you
this afternoon"
The something" was told, and it
was story in which burlesque and the
fantastic had no part-a story which
often is called old, but which keeps
the world going for all that.
When it was ended, Dorothy leaned
back against the tree which supported
her-leaned as near the tree as an en-
circling arm would allow. Wilfred
gazed pensively at the green and brown
side of a nearby mountain.
'"The summer is almost over" he said
softly, land life is just begun
"Or will be when you have spoken to
Uncle Bryan" Dorothy said roguishly.
"And he is to come todayw Wilfred
exclaimed.
eyes. What time is it?''
"Half past s."
Dorothy jumped to her feet. 81 was
to meet him at 5y' she cried.
Wilfred laughed, and they started to-
ward the road. Around a bend in 1t
came a small, stout man clad in q
check suit. Dorothy ran to him and
greeted him affectionately.
at was good Of you to come to find
me, Uncle Bryan. l intended to meet
you" she said as Wilfred approached,
''but Wil-Mr. DAILY has been telling me
something She stopped and blushed.
"Of course you haven't met him. This
is Mr.. DAILY; my uncle, Mr.. Bryan
Ives" she continued formally.
'This is the Mr.. DAILY whom you have
mentioned in your lettersY' asked Mr..
Ives.
eyes," said Dorothy, and she looked
at her uncle wonderingly, for he did
not offer to shake hands with Wilfred
Then she glanced at DAILY and was sur
prised to see him regarding the older
man with look Of horror. Mr.. Ives
drew from one Of his pockets a maya
zine and turned over some of its pages.
II have had the pleasure of seeing
Mr.. DAILY at the club, though I have
not met him before" he said. His ac-
quaintance with me seems to be ex-
tensive, however" Then he read from
the magazine: "'He is a type easily
recognizable-red faced, rotund and
choleric. AS he sits at the club table
one is vaguely reminded of trufaes.'"
Dorothy turned with distress to VIII
fred. HE is the hero of your stOry?"
she gaSped.
"He is" Wilfred said weakly.
The return toward the farmhouse
was tempestuous. The points of Mr..
Ives personality on which Wilfred had
touched in his sketch were, Of course,
those about which he was particularly
sensitive. He was deaf to all appeals
for forgiveness; he was bent on taking
Dorothy back to New York the next
day; he was determined that she never
should see Wilfred again.
AS they neared the orchard in which
Alexander was peacefully browsing an
Idea occurred to Wilfred DAILY.
LET us cut through the orchard" he
said. opening gate.
Dorothy looked at him in surprise,
but before she could stop her uncle he
had walked into the Enclosure. and the
gate was closed behind him.