The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-03

\ from Kentucky with long hair, violin and some vague idea of becoming a great virtuoso. He had a soft southern voice which he seldom used, but his eyes were the noisiest things imaginable. Jim my Beggs, the cartoonist, introduced me to Owen, and for his (Begg's s) sake l tried to like him. l tried and failed. 1 invited him to my club He refused. 1 asked him to dine with me. He de- clined. I tried to call on him, but l never could find where he lived. By chance, whenever I ran across him at the little Bohemian restaurants, he Immediately hoisted the signal 'cable crossing; don anchor" and I promptly headed for the open sea. And meanwhile his noisy eyes seemed to be asking me why wooden faced business man should mix in with Bohemias genius.
 When I gave Beggs my careful opinion of Owen he found occasion to call me d Representative ass. Simplicity ana ni- rectness of style are apparent even III Begg's famous cartoons. He said ne Hheu Owens I frowned. I have known Begss through 15 strenuous years, and my nklng has survived his many lapses from moral dignity l also knew Jimmys way Of ex- tending his hand in the dark. But when he said that he would always like Owen, l smiled. I remarked that he had dlscoV- cred the "only girl in the world some time ago; that she had all kinds or mortgage on his caring ability ana that he was going to ask her some day to De a famous artists wife. l know my friend ship for him survived my own marriage, but them-well, Briggs was different lie was a one-thing- at time man.
 I had listened many a night to his rav- ings over Helen Who the girl was l did not know, but of her quality l was assured, for Begg's heart and eye were always in harmony. Everything he dlu was for "Helen's" sake. He had won derful ideas about mans unworthiness and the altitude of woman. That alone kept his tongue silent. Many time prodded him with sarcasm, urging nm to propose, but he always said he wash worthy of her. That he would have to sweep his soul clean and generally square himself in his own sight. He talked ike a criminal instead of q successful, happy- go-lucky artist who has reaped his har- vest of wild oats long ago. Begg's love was his religion, so I comforted myself with the truth that his friendship for Owen could not last. When Helen came in at the door, Owen would exit via the transom. l was quite sure or the truth, and when business called me rom tine city I went. happy in the assurance that Begg's disinterested friendship would again revert to me
 
 over six months. The Beggs-Owen "en- tente cordale" had been pigeonholed in the interim but on my return the atmos- phere of the city recalled it to my mem- ory. Almost the first person l met on Broadway was Jimmy Beggs. l half ex- pected that he had married 'the only girl in the world" when my back had been turnel; it would have been characteristic of him I thought I was right and sadly I noted that marriage had not been all roses. He plainly showed that the double harness galled him. There were lines on his face I did not like to see, drawn across his forehead like taut wires. It was not the old Jimmy Beggs.
 As If by instinct we linked arms. fell into step and finally drifted into an old familiar corner of our dearest little cafe. We discussed dinner and commonplaces and when the wine came l could bear no longer the message those lines on Begg's forehead strove to convey.
 "You're in trouble. old man. I said, laying my hand on his. "Let me go halves on it as in the old days"
 Trouble? I don't know what that is." he said. But his voice was too strictly happy to deceive me. It hurt that Jimmy and I thought vengefully of the usurper owen. Owen filled my mind, and as of old slowly congealed it.
 'How is the David and Jonathan syn dicate?" I asked, cynically. 'T know Owen has won out. I saw few weeks ago the heading of press account of his success at the Cosmopolitan. l didn't read it. 1 don't like him enough for that even If he is a celebrity now"
 Beggs' fingers had been toying absently with his glass, but now his hand sud denly closed and an eager, boyish enthu- siasm came to his eyes. Tt was great" he said, excitedly Great Harrison, every bit of it."
 And now, I suppose, his laurels smell positively offensive? Before he reelled of pride and egotism, but now" Beggs cut in. eyeing me steadily: Harrison, the judgment of man is an unearned insult You think you know Owen Now I am going to tell you of the real owen and of his pitful struggle for recognition You needn't say word. Just listen." And In the subdued half-lght of the little cafe Beggs told me the story
 'I liked the boy from the very start Even you will admit his genius. At first I though him insufferably supercilious, as you did. but 1t was only pride, liar rison. Pride and a passion for hiding his miserable circumstances Good God haven't l gone through the poverty mill of New York too thoroughly not to know the signs? And because he kept himself clean you did not see that his linen was as frazzled as his hair at tile cuStS, anu tIhI HIS WiHter Sult, or summer material, sh ould have been pro- noted long since for old and faithful service. Harrison. Providence gave you the faculty for making money. No matter where you were thrown down you could make your way. You do not know what it is to have a horror of business, the fear and lonesomeness of a great city, an aversion for making friends, the long, ceaseless struggle be- hind and only ambition and necessity to goad you on. But know it, and as I watched Owen I saw myself rein carnated. Once l had just such a clean soul, such ideas. but in my hunt after fame no one put out a hand to help men. There was no one to counsel me. Yes. I won fame, but the price I paid was all that I might have been and am not. l envied Owen his wonderful beau tiful character and l determined to save him from the aftermath of in- evitable disappaintments. Perhaps you know what it is. No matter what you may become afterward, that after nath will show in ugly patches all through your life. It has in mine. You see, Harrison it was purely selfish motive. I looked on owen as myself gone back twenty years and given an other chance. And I determined that that chance would not be given in vain. And then. too I am a southerner and the south is all one family. So l grew to love the boy; no one who really knew him could help it. But he had the pride of poverty and genius, and could only help him indirectly.
 "OfferinH financial atringency as an