The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-10-30
| I.actlesis
~ -. {
1o1A. by the AcClu
per 9yndicate.)

tccrrrisnt. isiS by the Mcclure Newspa-
per syndicats.)
Things happen. just by accident.
sometimes. But does the accident hap |
pen by accident? Not while Lachesis |
is holding down that destiny Job on
Mount Olympus.
Lnchesis, you know, Is one Of the |
three Moerae who NEEDLE in the at |
fairs Of mortals from the time they |
are born until they pass into other
realms. Three Moerae. or Fates. have
a room all to themselves in the big Of
fee building Of the gods. and they run
things with high hand.
One would think that, in these days
Of progress. Clotho would get some
thing to take the place Of that old
spinning wheel on which she spins
the thread Of life, and that Atr0pOs
could find an instrument less unwieldy
than that long pair Of dull shears
she has been using to cut the thread
when she decides It's long enough.
However. they seem to have got along
SO far without modern improvements
and they ought to know their business
by this time.
Anyhow, this story concerns Lach-
esiA who works without instruments.
She simply stands near the spinning
wheel and dabs veal and woe on that
thread and twists 1t about her fingers
and ties knots in 1t, to suit her own
pleasure. It has been said that Clotho
and Lachesis and Atr0pos are old and
ugly. OF course, as mortals reckon,
these fates are old; but years don't
count on Olympus. And as to ugliness
well. I'm willing to allow that
AtrOpOs has q hideOus face, and It's
possible ClothO Is not beautiful, be-
cause her back must be lame and her
eyes faded and her forehead wrinkled
from bending over the spinning wheel |;
she! should be ugly. because her job
furnishes lots Of variety. Moreover.
she's one of the herOines in this story,
so she has just got to he beautiful.
The hero is Jack Watson, mere
mortal who defied Lachesis. She had
decided, soon after Clotho began 10
spin the thread, that he should be mar
ried before he became twenty-eight
years old, and she had picked for his
bride q girl named Esther Richards.
They were born in the same little town
In Ohio and had one of those ''schOol
Kid" romances; and then, when Jack
was only eleven and Esther eight. II
ended.
Jack moved with his parents to Co.
lumbuS where they resided three years
Jack and Esther wrote occasionally, al
children sometimes carry on CORE
spOndence, but they were too young t.
understand about afinities and such
things. and gradually they forgot about
each other.
When Jack was fifteen his mother
died and he moved with his father II
New York. The boy obtained job al
office boy with broker and held 1
two years. Then he was promoted
and about that time pneumonia claimet
Mr.. Watson.
When Esther was ten she went witt
her parents to Vancouver, British Co
lumbia. and there they remained unit
she was twenty-five.
Lachesis stood In the workroom 0
the M0erae one day, holding Jack Wat
sons thread Of life in one hand an
Esther Richards In the other. my
how far apart they have drifted," sh
murmured. "This will never do.
have decided differently"
Jack was leaning back In his swive
chair with his feet on his desk. in hi
own real estate Office In Melbourne
Australia. Was he thinking abou
Estherf Decidedly not. His mind wa
full Of business, Of how to travel sti
farther on the path Of prosperit,
which he already had found.
Esther was reclining on lounge l
her home In Vancouver, reading a Re
Cross magazine. Did Jack hold an
place in her thoughts? No, not even
small corner. They had forgotten abou
each other, as have said.
That evening Jack went to the Me
bourne Business club for dinner wit
three other prosperous young bushes
men. all Of them married. When tn
meal was finished the conversatio
turned to matrimony.
~How comes 1t you never got ma
ried, Jack3" asked George Clifford (
he passed cigars. "You're old enoug
and have enough coin to make SON
girl comfortable and happy"
Jack laughed as he lighted the wee
mot me-" he said as he pulled pla
idly. "I1l never get married. I'm 6
Ing to be n hermit. Do you know, II
lows, It's fact that I've never be-
interested q bit in the fair sex? +
all for business. I'm sincerely OppOs'
to marriage-for myself. at least"
Clifford. who was FIVE years old
looked over the rims Of his glass
with a slight grimace and inquired
"Don't you believe in love? Dol
you believe that every one was ma
for some One2'
Another laugh, this time louder a
longer. from Jack.
II should say mott" he retort
aavvvH .,.n,~, 80 c,~nh thine 1nva M