The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-01-01
MAKING NAME
FOR HIMSELF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
By J. H. cHOMEI
(Copyright, by Ford Pub. Coz

"N'~ NiSSuoSiiS Nhc YIN VI tlN
latest Napoleon of finance a meth
cd which seemed very simple after
some person had made use of it;
and each man in the group Won
dered that he himself had not thought
OF il. Travers waited until the others
had spoken their word of admiration
of the new Napoleon before he joined
in the conversation.
But after all, gentlemen. you must
admit, l think, that money-making is
very common nowadays. Why. this
'piling up of wealth for wealth's sake
is positively vulgar. Why are we
in h game? Is it TO earn our daily
bread? There's not a man here who
hasn't ten times enough to keep him
in comfort the rest of his days. Then
what is Il object? It's this: Each
man wants to make a name for him
sell. But, as l said,. so many people
have learned the trick Of making
money that it nc longer sets a man
apart from the common crowd--it dis.
covers in him no unique talent. There.
fore, the game is no longer worth the
candle, and if we expect to make a
name for ourselves, we must find some
surer means
1T is very sad" said another man,
this business Of being only wealthy,
and nothing more. But what can one
do?"
Each man must find out for him
self said Travers. But as a sug-
gestion, l know a man-poor devil is
half Starya5 thig ,,in,t, I l,ro
who is going to make a name for him.
:self--a man who will be remembered
when you and l and our wealth shall
be forgotten. Clever writer he is. and
some day he'll do something that will
sstartle the world"
The only man in the group who had
given more than amused attention to
what Travers had been saying was
Van Bibber. who felt himself ag-
grieved by society in general and his
wife in particular, because neither
would let him forget that he married
his fortune at the same time that he
married his wife.
Van Bibber had long ago found thai
no one is SO pitiable as the poor man
OF no particular ability who marries an
able woman of large fortune. Who
doubts the correctness of his opinion
on that point may make the expert
ment-if he have the opportunity and
the courage. But at last Van Bibber
mad nit upon the means whereby he
might at n stroke prove to the world
and his wife that he was, after all, a
IMAM of account.
IS "Travers, l should like to have the
name of your seedy literary friend;
will you give it to me?" asked Van
Bibber when the two met at the club
the following day.
Certainly" answered Travers, as
he wrote the name. In his own mind
he was asking: wonder if Van is
going to become a patron of litera-
fure? Well, it won't be a bad thing
for poor Johnson if Van takes him
mp"
One morning the wise world - and
Van Bibber's wife-awoke to find Van
Bibber famous.
Van Bibber had become a great au-
ahor; he had written the best selling
novel of the season, or of several sea-
sons, for that matter. His friends
were prodigal with their congratula-
lions, and Mrs. Van Bibber was beside
herself with joy.
You old dear, why didn't you tell
me that you were writing a novel;"
she asked, as she kissed her happy
husband. "Of course, l knew you'd
do something great some day, but I
had no idea that you were preparing
such a delightful surprise as this for |
me-"
old man, how did you manage to
conceal your real self for so long a
time?" asked Travers. "Of course, it is
really no surprise to your friends that
you have made you mark-we have all
expected it, you know-but not just
in this way"
Il don't mind telling you," said Van
Bibber, that l was unconscious OF
my w power-some have called II
genius, but l don't use such strons
terms-until that foolish speech OF
yours at the club set me to thinking
There could be no difference OF opin. |
ion as to the place which Van Bibber
ASu WOh " hiAloCll III luS literary |
world. He stepped at once into the
'front.' rank, and none refused to do
him homage. Edition after edition OF
the Buried Talent came from the
press, and no man dared admit that i
he had not read that masterpiece OF
Van Bibber's." Van Bibber was elect |
I'D a member of the Authorsg club. he
was invited to houses Where ono heard
talk of books and art; young people
with dreams of fame to come sent
their manuscripts to him, praying for
his opinion, and hisf mornings were
given over entirely to satisfying the
demands of people who wanted the au-
tograph of the great Van Bibber..
And then a most distressing thing
happened. One day an excited for
eigner called at the Van Bibber home
H.