The Washington herald., 1908-05-16
CHAPTER v-OOntinusd.

tetltatueu 10 De passed. MS auSFtSA Att-A
er became bitten with mania for spec
uiation. His income did not seem to buy
as much as it used to, and he wanted TO
own real gentleman's country seat, He
knew one or two men who had made for
tunes speculating in mining shares, men
who did not know anything about min
ing, as he did.
Alas for poor old puokbarrowl He
studied mining reports and values, and
never heard the word manipulation. He
was lamb with long fleece. but they
got it all in the end. those manipulators.
Before Fabian Dare had finished with
Oxford, his adopted father died In debt,
and the young man found himself pen
niless; SO he came up to London to make
his fortune. Even If he could have held
on TIL he was ordained. the idea OF being
poor, half-sterYed clergyman had no
attraction for him. He determined 70
deliver his message through literature
OF his relatives he knew nothing; ne was
absolutely alone in the world.
II took the boy some time to discover
that the world owes no one a living, least
OF all to man whose profession is that
OF a gentleman; bat gradually he began
TO realize that there was no place for him
IN the scheme Of civilization He was
proud AT first and only tried to get work
oentting gentleman. After he had been
hungry for awhile he became less proud
and sought Jobs Of any kind; but he
found that however humble the job,
there was always some degree OF skill
required; that 70 do a full days work al
the toughest manual labor requires spe-
clal knowledge Of how to lift a spade,
or a pick-ax, or something. IN such a
manner that there shall be the minimum
OF effort, so that q mans energy may
last out the fun ten hours. And then
he observed that there were thousands
OF men, who had both skill and strength.
who could not get work. He began to
realize that nature makes more of every
thing than she wants. and the surplus
are the sacrifices made on the altars OF
civilization which has become too sen
sitlve 20 pain 10 allow the old barbaric
kind Of sacrifice.
He observed that modern civilization
had interfered with the law OF the fit
test. so that the useless surplus are no
longer killed. or made slaves of. as in
harbaric days, but are provided by the
WoFKhouse with the means Of existence;
and this seemed to Fabian rather pity.
II robbed him OF the best excuse for sui
eide, and IL gave society an excuse for
not blaming itself for his fate
It takes some little time and a great
many hard knocks to make young
man. who has been brought up TO regard
life as a playground, realize that il is a
battlefield. Fabian Dare. who was a
good-natured. easy-going idealist. thought
at first there must be some mistake about
II all. that the men who snariingiy re-
FUSED his applications for work were out
OF sorts. and would think better Of il next
day He did not realize that hts refined
good looks and pleasant. easy smile ad-
veFtised him as one who did not belong
70 the drudge class. and no manager
cares 10 manufacture drudges-there are
lots of them born every day When his
Clothes got shabby, and his face pinched.
ne couldn't even get interviews-the Office
boy did the refusing. Then he gave IN
tie idea Of working with his brain. and
offered the product of mis- muscles fOI
sale. Once he succeeded in getting tot
on a building. but was turned of be-
cause he didn't belong TO union. He
found he would have TO serve some years
as an apprentice before he could join thai
union,
He was rather glad to find that h,
couldn get manual labor. for the idea OF
suicide had begun 10 take hold OF him
but he didn't feel that he had any right
10 carry il out as long as there was Z
reasonable chance Of supporting himself
and the dirt and squalor Of the laboring
class, while no punishment to those borT
among il, was a horror to this sensitive
highly-stTung youth.
He wasn't bitter about il al all anC
he blamed no one he saw il was a gam,
at which only few could win, and liv,
OF the sweat Of the brows Of the losers
and that an equal division of everything
no prizes and no penaltles-would max,
life even less worth living.
OF course, the idea Of suicide had beer
very repuBnant to him at first Tis
cold plunge over the edge Of the known
without any guarantee of extinction II
the unknown waters below. Perhaps onl,
a change from the dream to the night
mare. DaFe's vivid Imagination coulC
hint at dreadful possibilities. He had al
ready experienced the horrors Of Twins
in an environment for which he was no
fitted, and that seemed the most prob
able form which future punishment
would take, If there was anything IOgica
or automatic in the universe. He feI
that it was all wonderfully logical won
derfully automatic and suicide migh
call for some automatic revenge. Th
fear OF death, not the love Of life. keeps
perhaps, as much as half the world alive
but the fear of life had at last come [,
overshadow the fear of death in the min,
OF Fabian Dare.
His left leg was curled under the seat
his right thrust forward to support hi
elbow for his chin rested on his half
n1a 10 re -F-F Ill
concealed his mouth. His gaze was nov
focused on the far-away. for he hac
been sitting a long time in the square
The fingers Of his left hand drummed al
irresOlute sonata on his other knee
During all the hour which Dare ha,
spent trying life at the bar OF his ex
perience Of 1t, the other man had watched
the progress of the trial with the lnten
sity Of a surgeon az an important vivi
section. He had taken IN the eXteTnal
his oxford cricket cap (he had raise,
twopence on his bowler). down the relic
Of a good tweed suit TO his fragmentar1
boots. He had watched the young man
gaze rise gradually from those boots I,
the level OF the life thronglng by, till I
passed beyond that. into regions wher
1t could not be followed. Then the maj
nodded his head with the satisfaction
u q SUI sSoA Stdtllsu by MS experience
And al that moment Dare had passed tn,
death sentence on life. In the end /
was the vision Of the gaudy. frowsy bar
maid which decided him; he realized tina
something Ike that was the most he eoul,
hope for in the way Of womanhOod. ans
even Ia his prosperous days he had beef
fastidious, demanding much of, givIn;
much TO, the sex lie remembered
commemoration day at Oxford only ,
year ago, one of those sweet, sad mem
oFies which early spring boards up I.
make bearable the winter-time of age
Two days Of laughter dancing, and boat
Ing. A girl with red-gold hair and blu
eyes responsive to every mood OF youth
A girl whose title and position put he
hevnnd his reach. and. therefore hv III