The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-02-08

10S sweeping out the lines and
looks that had been. The younger was
bright, buoyant, self-satistied, in love
with himself and the world.
The elder had newspaper in his
hand, and he carelessly rolled and un-
rolled it with an intentness that might
have been given to the calculation OF
eclipses or to the evolving of new sys-
TENS of philosophy. The younger
leaned lazily back in his chair with his
hands clasped behind his head.
ut was good of you, Howard, to hunt
me up as soon as you came back to the
CITY," the elder said, for the third time.
Il have missed you'll have needed the
old ionship-I-somehOw. have
seemed to be rather-rather alone of
late years"
There was n hesitation in his speech
that the other found very curious.
you've been sticking to the office too
closely, Morrison" he said, kindly. "Of
course, ambition and building ones self
up, and hard work, and all that are all
right, but you've overdone the thing.
It's taking good deal out of you"
A wintry smile flickered around the
lips of the elder man as he unfOlded the
paper and looked at it critically and
then carefully rolled it again.
"Ambition" he said. "Yes-I used to
be ambitious, didn't I?-and rather tai
ented. too, people thought"
81 hope you haven't. thrown It all
away" cried Howard, with shocked
face
Thrown it away! Oh, no. Some
men would have done that. But l had
a great deal of self-contrOl. l remem-
bered, afterward,' that l had been am
bilious, with certain objects in view,
and so l put myself at the old tasks
and have gone plodding, plodding at
them with set teeth ever since. l am
a plodder now, where l used to run
with my soul on fire"
"What in the world has happened to
you, old MANI" asked the younger,
with troubled eyes on the face the fire
had swept.
The elder rolled the paper into a
tighter roll, and held it in both hands,
MS though it were his self-control and
it might escape from him at any mo-
ment.
Il am glad you came to me as soon
as you reached town." he said again,
always with that curious hesitation
in his manner. II have thought of you
many times and have wished to warn
you-you are so very young. Howard
fully three years younger than I
and know that ought to warn you
against women!' r
The younger, who had bent forward,
leaned back again, and from this time
on he did not take his eyes from his
companions face.
Against women" he repeated. me-
chanically,- still holding tight to his
self-control. ''For you are young
with sensitiveness and delicacy OF
spirit which l often noticed when VIC
were boys together. If such an-ex.
perience-came TO you-why-it might
wreck your life. You might never re.
cover, doubt if You would even live
through it. l have thought of that
often. AS for me, l am not sensitive
nor delicate; and you see have lived
Not only that, but l have entirely PC
covered. You could scarcely believe
that | can even laugh now when ]
think of it,
He laughed then TO prove it, and a
the sound Of that laugh the face of thu
other man grew white.
"Dhi yes, It is all over lorg ago" hi
added. Il thanked heaven many time!
that | was made of coarse fiber, ant
could triumph over such experiences
But as for you, my boy, don't ever tr,
1t. Keep away from them = from
women. They will not wait to see /
you are the kind that-that live
through it. They will break you hear
as child breaks a doll--to see wha
is inside-and though your heart beat
afterward, the quickness is gone fror
your spirit and the fire from you
brain. That is, it would be from yours
You can see for yourself that l hav
entirely covered-entirely."
/, He waited until he had unrolled tn
paper and looked at 1t on all sides, an