The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-21
PETER, THE PESSIMlST
BY MISS IDALINE WILLIAMS.

nate it! / hate all the world! l am
going to devote my time, my money,
my life to adding all the evil / can
to humanity
Thus Peter Martin, pacing up and
down his office in a wild frenzy.
His closest business friend, John
Jarvis, had induced him some time |
previous to invest nearly half his for
tune in an extensive mining PROPOSE |
ton. Suddenly the shares had gone |
down. 1t was predicted that they |
would go lower. Peter, not wishing |
to lose all of his investment, sold out |
at tremendous loss. Now he learned |
that the very man who had bought |
| his stock through a broker was John
Jarvis, who had left the city and the
stock had Immediately gone up twenty
points.
This seemed to be a consoling de-
cision for the old man in his present
| cynical and peSsimiStic mood. He
started in on his hideous program,
trying to imagine himself a fierce.
merciless wolf.
where shall 1 begin?" he gloated
"Ah have it! l have it! l have it!
|
the occasioni l have never ca
tered to the feminine sex, but now
Z will break a woman's heart! All,
the glorious satisfaction of the act!
And the victim-John Jarvis sister.
She has always seemed to be inter
ested in me. I will lead her on. !
will propose, will awaken all her am
bition and love-if any human being
lean really love. Then l will deride
her, crush her, humiliate her, desert
her! A fit act of vengeance against
her renegade brother! And the joy,
the glory of plunging woman into
distress and heartbreak!"
That evening the old schemer Sc
cured the expert services of barber,
haberdasher and tailor, and appeared
at the home of Miss Eva Jarvis in
. quite youthful trim.
She was a lovely woman at forty.
What Peter must have been at natural
and benevolent normal, her sweet,
| sympathetic face reflected. Her deep
: eyes sparkled at his apparent increase
Of interest in her.
With a glum, grim look Peter lis
: tened to her Thapsodies over Brother
: John" He made no comment as she
: told of his being away, making
quick fortune.
which l pay for!" muttered Peter,
but he soon drifted into a pleasanter
frame of mind. Somehow, never before
, had this gentle, earnest woman seemed
so superior to all her sex. His soul
Q was drifting, seeking solace, and in
4 ~ !
. found an indescribable peace from the
: wild turmoil of his riotous emotions.
. And because this lonely woman had
% always respected and admired him
a and something more-her ways had a
10 new futtering beauty about them, cap
10 tivating her visitor more than ever.
"a charming woman, truly" reflect
u ed Peter, as he left her. What life
y of peace | could live with her, but
70 No! to crush! to destroy! | have set
io out on a career of wild wickednessi"
y Again that evening what Peter was
- sure was in the pursuance of his heart
breaking scheme, influenced him tc
~ visit Miss Jarvis. He was greeted
is with surprise.
~ 81 have had a strange letter from
bIoIASI JOlLlb SUE tOiu 1SlSI III
40 says he is going abroad to enjoy his
% new fortune. If l wish to go, 1 am tC
III start at once for Denver to get new
4y wardrobe
~ Peters mind was on the boil. Tt
ne think of it: The arch-villain. hi:
es treacherous partner, was about tx
wrench from him his fond revenge
WI Jarvis idolized his sister With money
A. with her. he would escape the deadl!
ID vengeance!
er And-aha!-a new thought, a fierce
u devastating thought, the thought of al
thoughts! He would propose at once
Ut to Eva He would really marry her
" He would torture the base John JaI
NJ Wis by robbing him of the sisters com
pany on his tour!
Peter Martin proposed to Miss JaI
4 Wis. He was accepted. He left tn
- house jubilant. He would center hi
wicked malignity in thus disturbin
y the cherished plans of that scoundre
lat John Jarvis!
He caught himself humming happ
tune, and cherishing a fair woman
face, and planning for the home h
would build. With a great uproa
John Jarvis burst into his private o
4 fee.
81 Its done, old friend!" he roaret
slapping Peter jovialiy on the shou
n der.
III You mean you've done mel" oil
III served Peter
iii "Hey!" stared Jarvis. "Ah, unde
IIi stand. ! instructed my private seer
III tary to tell you everything, and h
Hi went on spree and forgot I've g,
III your stock put sacredly aside Pete
IIB we're rich! l got hint, hurried
iii the mines and found out that the ric
Hi est lode in Nevada had been disco
Ht cred. Then I bought in all the stoc