Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-02-19
The Man Who Might
Have Been

speculation to the confraternity.
From his personal appearance,
which was OF that type which is SO
common place as to betray nothing,
ne might have been a st~ockbroker, a
respectable merchant. a money lender.
or even a bookmaker. From a close
acquaintance. / should gather he
Imagined himself to be a humorist. II
was on our third or fourth meeting-I
forget which-that formulated this
opinion.
Yes" he said to me over a glass
4of whisky and soda. u could call my
self. | think. the man who might have
been. / might have been anything.
and an He left the sentence un-
Finished and shrugged his shoulders.
I FASTENED to express my sympathy,
(which he ignored.
1T commenced with my birth. l
might have been born a girl. Now l
should like to have been born a girl.
out ! wasn't" He paused. and the
~wonfounded bad fortune has attended
me right through my life.
When | went to school 1t was the
wish Of my heart to excel at sport. I
Hgnged TO hear The clapping that
would announce ! had made a home
run at base ball. / might easily have
been a good player. Why couldn't I?
Some fellows are" He lit a cigar.
but wasn't"
when | left school and went into
business. the Ill luck logged my foot
steps. / might easily have been a
grocer. | should have loved to weigh
mp pounds of sugar and read the poets
during the operation, as Keats did in
mis- early days; but wasn't. might
nave been a dostor; my father wanted
me to; but / wasn't"
Z watched him closely through the
smoke Of our cigars. The reiteration
OF his remarks began to perturb me,
and fill my mind with grave doubts
and misgivfngs.
As 1t was, I became a lawyer. I
spert no end of time and money study
zng for my exams; and, when I had
passed them, set up for myself.
After all that | might have been
content to stay at it and make a name
for ~nJvself; but I wasn't. ! went and
Joined the theatrical profession. There
4 might have been a great actor; but
I wasn't; at least. | haven't made a
tsortaNe so far; and know | shan't.
Fate's gainst me-"
AT any rate" I said c%onsolingly,
Gr3N1. - Rattnp fhan N Unn1 manu-
ines
Il know l ought to have been
thankful" he responded; "but l
wasn't He poured out another glass
Mf whisky and water. you don't
Know what a failure | feel myself to
be, he said with candor.
~You certainly don't look one" /
j murmured hastily.
He brought his hand down upon the
table Never judge my looks, dear
boy. There, again, I might have been
an nandsDme man; but l wasn't"
You certainly are not the oppo-
s site, J said, with, am afraid, a very
S-oor attempt at politeness.
Quite So he returned, 81 might
mare been a regular Calban, but l
swasn7t."
vi coughed ~uneasily. I am by ma
GUre a somewhat nervous man, and
ate suspicious l had formed regard
ans my companion were beginning to
ake a very concrete form.
You don't know what it is to feel
might have been everything. any
thing, nothing and yet you weren't.
For a few minutes there was silence
which ] was extremely careful not to
t0reak.
when I was twenty" he said
7meditatively, Il fell in love. Not in
-3he stodgy, prosy way that some men
do, nut head over heels-madly, wild
", intoxicatingly, ~passionately in love
with a girl a year my Junior. She re
taurned my affection and we had our
parents consent to our engagement.
NcoLld easily have been her husband
mat only to make the home-but
rp7asn1.'
Perhaps it isn't too late" I urged
s~oothiugly.
"lC wasn't" he replied passively
Wow I hated that word. "But it Is
nOw, / married somebody else. From
ser appearance it might have beer
the girls sister-they were alike a;
could be-but it wasn't"
Funny thing, too" he resumed
she married a few days after a fello
old enough to be her father; exactly
like him. too, that's the remarkable
part but 1t wasn't"
4 suppose not" I replied acridly.
Beneath his gaze ! began to fdge'
W. my chair, and cast anxious glance!
coward the door. poor girl" I sale
wildly; perhaps she was broken
hearted and that is why she married
MN"
Vie shrugged his shoulders. "Sht
might have been then he looked a
zEe with a serpahic smile. 'but sht