Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-02-28
A TRIUMPH'S
EVIDENCE

N>ss-~sI1N-ss->~ts Nrss-~ ~



amazed at you"
Look over this great city, You see
al every hand. men whose prosperity
depends on the merest turn OF the
wheel No, I'm not claiming that
brains and moral force are no longer
Of account, but | insist that they rare
ly &c; the showing they demand"
Yet. there's everything In the point
Of view. jennings. and we have the
law OF compensation" was the reply.
with slow. whimsical smile. Thus,
II the lucky dogs are too busy In
wrestling still other bones from the
less fortunate. to settle down and
enjoy the sweets of conquest. OF what
advantage is their conquest? Now.
success In life means something far
deeper than that which is brought
about merely by luck. Luck may be
but chance shot with fortunate re-
suits: but behind success there is usu-
ally a good aim and steady hand"
Granted. but-suppose We take. as
example, a man who has TO all appear
anees. never known defeat, What OF
our old classmate. Wenwright? Wen.
wright, the lucky. as we used TO call
aim, even in college"
All. had Jennings never forgiven
Wenwrlght for winning Edith Sils-
bee? He glanced thoughtfully from the
window; then answered. with seem
ing irrelevance: How | wish you
had been in town when Wenwright
made his famous speech last month,
But. by jove. he doesn't pose as a
nance darling of Fortune. let me tell
7ou, His two terms in congress have
developed all his latent power as
speaker. and in vigorous, polished sen.
ences, he gave, that night, so vivid
picture OF his early days. that you
,ould fairly see the chrysalis of the
awkward Vermont lad, from which
emerged our present Napoleon of
nance. That's a hackneyed expires.
sion. but it's Jim Wenwright TO the
life"
Indeed" Jennings drew in his
breath sharply. And il he is Napo
leon, what, then, of Josephine?"
You mean Mrs. Wenwright?"
His companion hesitated. Unlike
her husband, she is not in the public
eye; or. at least, not more so than
is unavoidable She is no social devo-
tee, but her name is often connected
with nhilapthropio p,nyamaptc m
the rare occasion when | have seen
her, have thought her as unassum-
ing as in the days. when, the good old
professors daughter, she dispensed
her hospitality in the white house
behind the elms"
A vision rose before them, of that
fair young girl, and Jennings i'm
pulsively exclaimed: ITO think of the
inspiration she might have been, to
almost any man. Yet, such is the
irony of Fate, that she is doomed
to wholly merge her Identity
Who knows" was the sober cues.
ton. "'Tis ticklish thing to cir
cumscribe woman's influence, even
in fancy. You never saw Wenwright
in just the light | did, Jennings. There
is very defiance of daring in the
man, that appeals to me, and at the
same time he has a curious respon-
siveness. How can you tell what the
fine alchemy of his wifes nature may
do, even for the strong mind of a Ma.
poleon? But harkl the newsboys are
calling Extras on the street below.
Suppose we stroll along and discover
the cause of the excitement.
1t was but few hours later when,
not three miles away, Hon. James
Wenwright hurriedly fitted his latch
key in the door, and entered his home
on the avenue.
The cool spacious library with it's
soft light, had an air of peaceful Sc.
clusion. A faint breeze gently stirred
the curtains, and the heat and hustle
of the city seemed remote and forgot.
ten, yet the burden of the hour was
not one to be readily cast aside. and
as the mans gaze roved over the
quiet room, he shuddered at the mir.
rored reflection of his haggard face
Could that set, gray countenance
with dull and nervous lips, be indeed
his own?
AS II to ward off blow, he threw
out a hand, and recoiled instinctively
as his fingers touched an icy. pol
ished surface. What was that? All
the statue! the Winged Victory
poised on its pedestal, in all the white
arrogance of beauty and pride What
place had a Winged Victory here
within his walls?
The muscles around Wenwrights
mouth twitched in an ironical sem.
blance of humor, and with the sar.
donic smile that was, in truth, but an
inarticulate woan, he muttered: "Con.
fronted by Victory, and tonight! The
world has a grim fancy for contrast"
Had his dauntless ambition leading
him to risk more and more, in order
to quaff deeper draughts from the
golden cup, lured him to destruction
He had never, set sail to fear" had
believed in victory, never in defeat.
but growing holder, intoxicated with
success, he, too, had been at last
outwitted, and tonight he beheld him.
Self--a ruined man.