Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-04
The Daily Story
THE TOSSING OF FATE-By WILLARD MALTBIE.
Copyrighted 1918. by Literary Bureau
,ls. by Associated Literary Bureau.

Ing backed by fortune. In few
years the name of Mrs. Hartley was
one of the best known Of any woman
in the city where she lived, and her
fame extended to other localities.
But fortune-pecuniary fortune-did
not come Yet even this was easy of
achievement If she. chose TO put of
one husband and take another. This
she found hard to do. She wrote
Hartley TO know if he was in condi-
ton TO support her. If so she would
return to him. II not she would apply
for a divorce to marry one Of several
rich men who wanted her. Hartley
wrote back that he was still in the po-
sidon of one who was about to make
a large fortune. This decided her. She
applied for a divorce, secured it and
married wealthy banker, becoming
Mrs. Eldridge.
For ten years Mrs. EldridGe led the
social world of her city and was at the
head Of numerous women'S associa-
lions. No woman's enterprise was
launched without her approval; no new
family was admitted TO the CHIEF .ecisl
circle without her consent. She was
the most envied woman in her sphere.
though no one wished to depose her, for
there was no one who could hope to
take her place
But her contract with the world was
like Fausts agreement with Mephis-
topheles. At the end came the infer
nal pit. One morning the social and
h1c oh OF q q n.
nouncement that the great banking
house of Eldridge 6 Co. had failed.
The doors OF the office were closed,
and there was tanbark before the pa
latial residence of the head of the
firm. He was an old man, and his
physique was crushed under the ruin
of his fortunes.
During the decade of Mrs. Eldridge's
supremacy Fate, who is never content
to let affairs alone, but must needs be
tossing them up Just for the fun OF
seeing them come down again, having
left Hartley on the ground for twenty
years, instead Of catching the Eldridge
ball on its descent for another toss,
let it roll away in the dirt and. pick
ing up Hartley, threw him so far up in
the air that he must have got entirely
away from gravity, for he never came
down again as long as he lived.
Hartley, after years of experiment.
ing, evolved a process in metallurgy
that halved the cost of manufacture.
Experience had taught him how to
reap the benefit of an invention, and
he forced 4 large manufacturing con-
Germ to pay him half the saving for
term of years. One years royalty
made him rich, and every year after
that his fortune increased by arithmet-
zeal progression.
Mrs. Eldridge retired from the lime
light more rapidly than she had enter
ed it. After the failure of the banking
house she found herself with an In
valid husband and no income. She had
no talent for money making and could
| not compete in any Of the fields open
| to her sex with younger women. With
/ her husband she sank into oblivion.
| How they managed TO live no one
knew, and of all those who had angled
for an approving smile from the wife
during the period of her glory not one
cared.
One day Hartley. sitting in the rear
seat of his $4,000 auto car, coming
at a crossing upon hearse followed
by two or three carriages, directed his
chauffeur to stop till the funeral had
passed. In the chief mOurner's car
rage he saw a face so pale, so thin,
so sad, that at first he did not recog-
nize it, nor could he realize that 1t
was the same face that had looked up
lovingly 1T him on his wedding day
nearly thirty years before.
Her eyes met his and saw in them
the same affection, to which was add
ed a world of sympathy that she had
seen in them on that memorable day.
There was no other evidence OF rec.
ognition between them. In a moment
the little cortege had passed. Hart
ley's car crossed the street and sped
away, not person of those who whit
ed TO pass on recognizing the sad cul
mination of ambition they had wit
messed.
That same evening when the widow
was lighting the lamps in her tumble
down cottage there came knock a
the door, She opened 1t. and there
stood the husband of her youth. No
a word did she utter, but sank into hi
arms.
Later, when having dismissed tn
past they were looking to the future
the husband said:
81 dreaded. sweetheart. when W
were married lest l should fail to d
all for you that was expected OF me
/ knew the sphere for which you wer
fitted and felt that your not being abb
, TO enter 1t would be a crying injustice
: Thank heaven. / am now able to
far more for you than the wildes
: hopes might have suggested. You ar
still young enough
: For heavens sake. dontv'
'Do you mean that you are tired q
, leadership
'I hate leadership. hate the worlt
2 and I regret that you are rich and
/ am deprived OF an opportunity to atom
: for my past error"
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