The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-03-24

H0S~ sweeping out the lines anG
looks that had been. The younger was
bright, buoyant self-satisfed, in love
with himself and the world.
The elder had newspaper in his
hand, and he carelessly rolled and I'M
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.
"It 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.
81 have missed you'll have needed the
old companionship-I- have
seemed to be rather-rather alone of
late years."
There was 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
II hope you haven't thrown it all
away" cried Howard, with a shocked
face.
Thrown it away! oh, no! Some
men would have done that But / had
a great deal of self-control. I remem-
bered, afterward, that 1 had been am
bilious, with certain objects in view,
and so put myself at the old tasks
and have gone plodding, plodding at
them with set teeth ever since l am
a plodder now, where I used to run
with my soul on fire."
"What in the world has happened to
you, old manY asked the younger,
with troubled eyes on the face the fire
had swept.
The elder rolled the paper into
tighter roll, and held it in both hands,
as though it were his self-control and
it might escape from him at any mo-
ment
II 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 L
and know that ought to warn you
against womenr'
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 a sensitiveness and delicacy of
spirit which l often noticed when we
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. 1 have thought of that
often. AS for me, / am not sensitive
nor delicate; and you see have lived.
Not only that, but have entirely re-
covered. You could scarcely believe
that l can even laugh now when /
think Of it,"
He laughed then to prove it, and at
the sound of that laugh the face of the
other man grew white.
ooh! yes, It is all over long ago." he
added. 81 thanked heaven many times
that l was made of coarse fiber and
could triumph over such experiences.
But as for you, my boy, don't ever try