The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-04-21
The Ambition of
Mark Truitt
By
Henry Russell Miller

wrought nerves, Danishing sound rest
ful slumber Why should a man who
made eighteen dollars a week and
hoped nay, proposed to go much
farther, live In shabby tenement on
an alley full OF strange sounds and
smells, where beef stew was a luxury
TO be enjoyed only on rare and cere-
mOnious occasions?
You're a soft hearted fool" he
addressed Mark Truitt angrily. What
are these grown.up children with
their baby plays to you?"
He strobe 10 the door and flung II
open
Marcel" he bmrted out, I'm go
ing TO leave you
Marcel dropped his pipe and stared
'Eh? You go back TO de- contree?'
No. I'm going to live with. Roman
Andzrejzski"
you goin' to- Ave / done some.
ting"
Mo- oh. no! Certainly not.
You've been fine 20 mo. IL appre-
ciate it." Very eagerly, but with a
painful sense OF inadequacy! Its
Just that I'm petering out--you can
see that for yourself I've got 10 90
where it's quieter at night and the
airs better and | can sleep and get
better-get things 10 eat you can't
sHord TO give me. OF course, can't
let you spend more than you can az
ford.
We spen all We ave m'sieu," said
SuZon quietly.
We ave not done something [
ees sure?" Marcel persisted.
-"Sure, Marcel! | don't want to go.
We Just got tolm not so strong as
thought. And, OF course, Wen still
be good friends and see a lot OF each
other and-and You understand,
don't you2-
Marcel sighed. He understood.
W'en~ oar bes' eet ees too lettle,
~ sieN go--dat ees righ But Get
ees YER sad-to me-. --..-..-...-.-..
And. may b. the klse Hope was
- well as 1sfar them-.,
when we're beth maksHg more
money, we can live together again.
You'd like that, wouldn't you2r
Yes, m'sieu But Marcel sighed
again
Il tink," said Saxon. still quietly
wen m'sieu 60 e forget dat
on, can never forget. Suzon .
He began an energertic resume OF
their hospitality and his deep endur.
ing appreciation. He proposed TO
watch closely for a chance to ad-
vance their interests-he insisted
hrmly upon that. They listened pas
sively Energy is not always con
vincing, least OF all TO the orator. The
flow OF words slackened, ceased EN-.
tirely
You understand, don't you. he
eA~--. lamely.
Yes, m'sieu," they said
He stood for a moment in an awk-
ward silence, then withdrew into his
room. The silence in the kitchen con.
tinued
He went to bed, but not to sleep
Nor were the mills and the hard
couch wholly to blame A sense OF
cruelty persisted the Ieener for thai
Marcel and Suzon had made no dem
cnstration. A sorrow. too. that was
all for himself persisted. They loved
him and IL was good TO be loved even
by homely simple grown-up children
who must pass through life yoked 10
tut lOl 1T NOulu ESCAPE. ne Thought
OF the sum lying TO his credit in the
bank-in no week had he failed 70
add to his capital-and OF the means
of escape II afforded both him and
them, II only he were minded 10
snare his savings, or even his weekly
wages. more generously with his
friends. Ii amounted almost TO a
temptation
All but dollars were bullets in the
campaign ahead
Why should ] share with them
I'd be fool TO try to carry them up?
I've got enough to do to get myself
there"
So he silenced beautiful impulse
and lay, open-eyed, feeling the bite
OF a cruelty
II was little thing. But he was
not the youth who had come, ignorant
of life to the city.
Victory, mastery, had intoxicated