The Cairo bulletin., 1905-02-20
. Legal 7
Is Tender
Valentine
BY WILLIS B. HAWKINS
copunsI.,. 1904. By Wills B. Hawkins
~ nGAR WINsL0sY. n stranger
-zaw TO most of the clab diners. had
. been introduced by his friend,

!" nGAR WINSL0AY. n stranger
za~ to most of the clab diners. had
~ been introduced by his friend.
the POSTMASTER. as '.our COM
ing novelist and had responded bril-
liantly TO a trlte sentiment His was.
beyond comparison. the speech Of the
evening, aud nobody applauded Il more
enthusiastically than Mr. Barton, the
bunker. Later In the evening Mr.. Bar
ion sought an Introduction aud led
Edgar to the reading room whore he
might have him all TO himself
WiHsl0W, mellawed by moro Wine
Than it was his custom to drlak and
iemrtM by the great bankers tiatter-
INC ihst.est. told much or his personal
history anu llofe of his ambition. lie
lad really accomplished little as YET.
he said -sille short stories and d few
verses III lie magazines were tlle sum
cf Ills achievement bur lie had long
cherished Tie ceu,fal idea of novel
which Nhen Written would. he hoped
It Was profoundly impressive the way
he modesiy refrained from saying
what se hoHca
Mr., Barton vas more than ever under
Tie speil ~ tie sagug mans delight
fnl eathusasnl--gn Ike wine. Why
was the aieat u3Ye unwriiten7 The
banker had ls Wpirlons. lie asked
slreWi questiaaa adioltlv invited CON
lidtnees uha d last convinced himself.
Then. having fixed i date when Edgar
should dine Nith him and his family,
be- relneiantlg let Ne interesting guest
rpj@h ilse general company.
An hour or 70 later the banker hat In
hand, bade Winslow good night. hand
ing him a sealed envelope with the re-
quest that lie look over this manu-
script wlieli he reached home
III his little hall bedroom late that
night Edgar opened the envelope and
found $500 In currency. accompanied |
by friendly note which begged d thou
sand rardofs protested that the paltry |
loan was made In the interest OF lit /
erature expressed the hone that it /
would enable the author to write the
great novel at once and assured linn |
that Mr.. Barton was his ardent admir- |
ed to some extent the wine.
10 the credit Of lis good sense be 1t
said. EDGAR did not deem himself in /
suited. IL be felt a touch Of mortified
tion II was because he had invited this
aid by talking too freely OF his private
affairs. But lhe question was. coeld
he afford n The circumstances TO hc-
cept the liaa? He was shamefuiIy Ia
arrears 70 his kindly old landlady and
knew th she needed money. There
We're otls debts. tooa few small
n v.,meea by friends who
coH.d i'll al'ofd such generosity. Aid
then the chance to write the novel;
He ended the controversy IN his mind
~ resolving TO send a promssory note
10 Mr.. Barton. due on the 18th Of the
following February
rlhs seemed buslnessllke ana. as he
figned II, would give him time to
write and dispose Of the novel, for
'pe, you know, springs eternal IN the
literary breast. fact which. by the
way. Is great thing for literature.
Mr.. Barton was little ashamed Of
himself next morning 10 he sure. the
500 was mere vest pocket amount,
but the principle of the thing was the
same. He had let his emotions get the
better Of him In matter Of naney,
and that was not business. Moreover.