La Junta tribune., 1917-08-09

way Wall you stay Stranger 20
yourselff Why don't you begin b
know who you aref"
The speakers words arrested his at.
tention. II seemed as though she were
talking directly to him.
Know ye not ye are godsr A.
leog - you keep on. like the Prodi.
gal. eating husks. you will never know.
Arsss and 90 to your Father. he IL
willing to give you al that yoa can
possibly need OF want But you must
60 to him. You must claim your ~
lationship."
Much more abe said that seemed to
thrill and light mp dark corners in
the mans Consciousness. After Tie
others were nearly all gone hs went
up to her. Nay ILwhen you have
more time-spesk to Jour hs asked
"why. yes," she said pleasantly.
.Can you come" She was about to
name an hosr the next day when some
thing In the mans face arrested her.
-Right nowr' she added. "But walt
Have you had any breakfsstr"
II was q new sensation for him to
bs ashamed to admit he had not. Bet
with this woman II must be the truth.
50 he told her. At once she took him
to the dining room. and asked another
lady to zee that he had Q lunch, and
then to come to her. After his meal
he was taken to an upper room hand.
somely furnished like q combination Of
study and library.
"Does It seem sure to you." he
asked. ''that what you have said this
morning II truef"
n am sure" she said. n have proved
Il. II I had not wouldn't dare to
speak"
n think I am not the same man I
was when came in. It's strange.
you know-I don't want to be the
same man."
Then she drew from him something
of his early life. He had left the high
school with great hopes Of literary
success. His father had died when he
vas 4 small lad. and his mother could
not afford TO send him to college.
Routine work at q desk or counter
simply drove him mad. He was born
a dreamer. and he meant to put his
dreams on paper. and live by them.
But the stories and poems he wrote
came back TO him. He did not study
the popular taste with n practical eye.
He would not make concessions. he
was not plinbl~ TO the general. His
relatives one and all united In giving
him advice which was to stop fritter-
ing away his time. and 90 to work.
"In the sweat Of thy face shalt thou
Eat bread" But ns Ruskin ndds: II
was not written. "In the breaking OF
thy heart" His mother had encour-
aged him. but when she died. and to
bitter dlscouragement was added dire
poverty. one day he tried to end II
all. hut had been found before life
was quite gone. hurried under arrest
To y hospital. and brought bnck to
the struggling. unhappy living. He
was hauled up In court. properly pun
ished. and set adrift without kind
word. nm Offer Of help. or the slight.
est induccment TO not again try the
experiment with better chances OF
success. She. Mrs. Berlan, the speak
er. did not tell him he was weak and
good for nothing. because he had let
himself become n tramp and n dere-
iict. She told him to wipe the past
on the slate. and begin then and there
TO know himself. She asked him II
he was willing to work Mt nnythIag
I'LL he could get his start nj his own
work. Yes he was. The next day Mrs.
Berlan found him clothes. and Joh.
He also did some secretnrial wors
for her. One Sunday the pretty girl
who played the piano did not appear.
and Mrs. Bcrlnn WAS troubled that
they were 10 have no music.
'will you let me tryr Trask
asked.
Mrs. Berian sssentesi with some
trepidation. AExinst her own teach
ings. the lurking devilishness In his
eyes made her fearful. But when one
IT Mendelsrohn's "Songs without
Words" vibrated through the room.
played with hne feeling. she sat back.
closed her eyes. and enjoyed II.
This was the way the pretty Riri
and the man became acquainted. She
told him he must write something. md
Let her try 10 sell II. He insisted II
was no use. But something in her
made him do II. She took II 10 her
brother who was magazine editor.
and told him he must rcnd Il nj once.
When she walked into the ONCE on
schedule time she looked nt the ej.
itor and said: "wciif''
"Nhere did you md ~" he nsked.
'~rhnt isn't 20 the point. Are you
going 10 print It and pay for ~" she
demanded.
II nm. And am also going 10 fall
on your neck for bringing the story.
Why. the man II n genius"
II suppose" she remarked. shat II
why they wouldn't publish his work.