Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-13
Van Vivier's
Scoop
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SCopyrisht. isis. wssteru Nevspsess usios. !
By = ". onAG11


Copyright. ls1s. Western Newspspss Unioa.l |
Existence. as Philip Van vlvier
planned it. was to be a very pleasant |
affair. though It had little enough |
about 1t Of that strenuous life so ar. |
IDENTIFY advocated by Mr.. Roosevelt. He
had youth, and health. and wealth, and
he pictured the future a gay kaleldo.
scopic mingling of golf, and polo po-
MES. and grand opera, and little sup
pers after the play.
Then, too, to crow It all, there
was Madge. Madga tall and slight,
and svelte. with the tawny gold in her
hair, and the eyes that changed with
every changing thought-that were
as blue as summer skies when
she smiled. and grew black as
midnight when she thrilled to any
deep emotion. Philip could hardly re-
member u time when he had not loved
her. They had grown up, boy and
girl, together. with something singu-
larry similar in their fate. Both were
orphaned children, left to the unten-
der care of unwilling relatives, and
Philip never forgot the moment of
their meeting. His uncle's place nd.
Joined that Of Madge's guardian, and
he had been wandering ABOUT the
ground a forlorn and lonely childish
figure. when he first came upon the
little maid. She gave one long look
ut his somber face, and mourning
clothes, and then with the swift and
tntuitive sympathy that God gives
to eyen the youngest child. she went
up to him.
little boy" she lisped. for she was
scarcely more than a baby, "little boy,
is 100 lonesome, and doesn't nobody
love 'oo?"
"No." he answered With a sob
from the depths Of his hungry little
heart.
Don't c'y, little boy" she comfort
cd, slipping her hand in his. IL Ill
love 90 and 90 won't never be lone
some any more" and, indeed, it seemed
, to Philip he had eve been lonesome
again. There was always Madge.
But who may count securely on the
, future? Move the Kaleidoscope ever
i, 50 gently, and its figures change. One
I turn of the hand of fate and the bright
, picture ones dreams painted are shat
/. tered forever. There came a day when
Philip had to do, not with visions
! Of a golden future, but with a hare
and merciless present. Suddenly as
, an unexpected thunderbolt came the
failure of the trust company in which
r his fortune was invested, and HI
! nwoke one morning to find himsel
I that most pitiable Of all creatures OF
!, earth-the man who needs money, ant
!, knows no way Of earning it. He hat
= taken the blow standing, with a smil
' on his lips, like the thoroughbred h
; was, and just how deep the hurt Wen
none knew.
"Pleasant prospects," was his sol,
' comment, with a shrug Of his shout
!, ders to those who would have con
doled with him on his loss, "a bee
. income, and a champagne taste. d.
= you happen to know the best way t.
adjust them?"
!, He might meet the situation will
laughter and SOOTHING SO far a" other
were concerned, but when it came t,
y Madge 1t was another thing. II can
ask her to marry a beggar," he sal
to himself, setting his teeth, and witt
a face as white as death, "and Tin no
poltroon enough to settle down an
live on her money" and there ha
y been a terrible scene in which h
!. had told her this, and released he
. from her promise to marry him.
"Oh, Philip, Philip" she cried
clinging to him, "what good is all m
money to me If I can't make thing
easy for you? Surely there is NOR
than enough for us both"
Then he tried to explain to he
blunderingly and haltingly. that SOM
thing that is dearer to man than eve
love of woman-that something whic
i. he must have, or die Of self.loathing-
|. his own self-respect.
II couldn't live without It, darling
he said ut last, passionately, IF l 60,
n In to fate without nj struggle, an
a was content to let you support me,
" should imagine your contempt for sue
r. a weakling in every tone Of your del
4 voice. l should see 1t in every glan'
of your dear eyes. No, no, l must NAL
G. my fight and win my place in IL
Of world Of men, or / will die fighting
the battlefield. If I succeed I WI
come back to claim my own. If
:. fail, a better mar wins. Don't "
II see how 1t must be that way"
And In the end Madge "saw." tt
sympathy that always understood OF
re- ers was part Of her charm, and Phil
a went away.
g, At college he had rather distinguis
q cd himself by some clever sklts
en- tho college journal, and so It SEEM
IN natural to him to turn to journals
.r, MS the most available way OF scttli'
ar the bread and butter problem.
he friend obtained a place for him on Il
lr- staff Of the morning Asterisk, whe
e, he began at the bottom Of the rept