Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-11-21
- Bad A
Beginnings.
b. BRIAN CAHILL.

I..-.s~.~s...Ns''.'-.-i'-f''-'
Eddowes scowled nj the clock as he
| LET himself into the dice. freight
train on the branch line over which he
committed TO town had blocked the
tracks and he had been forced to
tramp two miles across country to
| reach the trolley. Arriving after
series of transfers, he found Bentoh'S
card on the floor beneath the letter
drop with the penciled legend that he
was going out of town.
| The deal Eddowes had been working
on would not hold out until Benton's
return. and he gritted his teeth as he
thought of all the commission on the
transaction would have meant to him.
| II would have made up the sum
! needed to complete the purchase OF the
| little house he wanted to offer Edna
| Conant as n home, and it might mean
n year now before another such bril-
liant opportunity would offer.
| He glanced out of the window
through the light, driving rain, at tie
sodden vista of wet roof tops and
smoke stained buildings, and thought
how well the weather matched his own
| feelings. For months he had been
working TO close the real estate trans
action. Benton was To be at the office
at 10 to put the final details through,
and now he had sailed for Europe and
would not be back for several months.
Ii was the final happening of Il chain
of accidents that had begun with his
stubbing hts toe as he got out of bed,
! followed by the loss of his last collar
button under the bureau the burning
Of half his breakfast by green serv-
ant girl and then the wreck and it's
attendant discomforts.
| He turned from the window with
shudder
| "This is fine beginning for the
week" he said to hiiuself. IF it keeps
up this way until Saturday | shall
lana IN the lunatic asylum
| He took his seat before the desk and
busted himself with the papers in the
| Benton matter Four signatures and
! the exchange of Il check would have
made the set complete and would have
brought hin n commission of $4,000
| Everything had been arranged TO ex-
pcdite matters tenton had waited
half an hoar in the hall until he had
| lust time 10 make the steamer upon
! which he was to sail.
| Eddowes carefully clipped the papers
to file board and caught up his UNI
| brella. There Was no chtnrc of any
other caller duriEG the lunch hour. and
the loss of his breakfast and the tramp
across country had put an edge on his
| appetite.
The streets We're filed with the usu-
al lurrying throng. aud. raising his
umbrella, he fell in with the process
sion of moist and steaming mortals
The wind had freShened. and the rain
was driving IN sheets now At the cor
ner by the trust company building the
air currents were unusually strong.
and just as he passed the curb Il girl
| ahead made clutch at her umbrella
as ii turned inside ont. while the torn
silk futtered from the bent ribs. Ed
doves covered the dainty hat with his
own umbrella and steered her to the
protection of the entrance
Let 1t drop in the gutter" he said.
| There IS no hope of saving any part
of it,
Harry" gasped the girl. where
did you come FROM
Prom the Office" he laughed. "What
brings you downtown. Edna?"
| Il was to meet father for lunch"
she explained. He was called to an
important conference and left word
! for me to go to lunch alone. was
going home. | am so perfectly miser-
able. Everything has gone wrong to-
day. e. 1t has been chapter of acct
! dents ever since rose
| Lets be miserable together" he
suggt led. Come and have some
lunch, and Wen tell each other our
troubles r
| lie led the way to little place
| where the service was excellent and
| the prices moderate Here. ut little
| table In the corner. she detailed her
| chapter of accidents. while he in turn
gave whimsical account of his own
! mishaps.
| we are companions in misery" he
said, with a laugh II really believe
mat 1t has done me good to pour my
'aie OF woe INTO sympathetic ears
i know that il has done me good to
share my burden" she said, with
TOOK that made Eddowes heart beat
the faster. I'm sorry about that deal
YOU lost"
III meant great deai 10 me-" he
Sald mournfully Il was going TO pur-
chase the Gordon place"
For Investments" she asked. though
she knew well enough she had said
once when she had visited his sister
now much she would enjoy place
llEe that for her home.
An Investment in happiness no
Siid meaningy. Il suppose that the
place will be sold long before am
able TO get another deal like this
through"
is your happiness entirely depend-
eIt upon that one place. she asked.
is happiness matter of real estategr
Real estate contributes materially
10 happiness" he said. with nm ,noosy