Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-24
CHAPTER Xxx
fronkenaein: Being a Letter From John
Smith to Edmard d. Norton,
4nOrney-at.Lou

sNI DEAR NED-Nasnt there "a story
AN1 written once about a fellow who
created some sort Of machine man without
any soul that raised the very dickens and
All for him: Frank-Frankensteiu Il guess
that was ii. Well. I've created a Franken-
s;ein creaiure-and I'm dead up against it to
know what to do with him
Ned, what in Heavens name am I going
TO do with Mr. John Smith? Mr.. John Smith
lei me tell you, is a very healthy, persistent.
inslstent important person, with many kind
friends. definite position in the world. and
no small degree OF influence. Worse yet Cnow
prepare for a stunning blow. Ned =, Mr..
Smith has been so inconsderate as to fall in
love. Yes. he has. And he has fallen in
love, as absolutely and idiotically If he
were twenty instead of ffty-two. Now.
will you kindly tell me how Mr.. John Smith
is going TO fade away into nothingness' And,
even II he finds the way TO do that shall he,
before fading, pop the question for Mr.
Stanley q. Fulton. or shall he trust to Mr..
STANLEY q. Fultons being able to win for
himself the love Mr. John Smith fondly hopes
Is his?
Seriously. Joking aside, I'm afraid I've
made mess Of things. not only for myself,
but for everybody else
First my own future. I'll spare YOU
rhapsodies, Ned They say anyway. that
there's no fool like old fool. But | will
admit that that future looks very dark TO me
II Z am not to have the companionshtp of The
littlc woman. Maggie Duff. Oh, yes. II s
Poor Maggie You've probably guessed as
much. AS for Miss Maggie herself perhaps
us conCeted but ! believe she s not ehtlreiN
Indifferent to Mr. ,lonn Smith. How she II
like Mr. Stanley O. Fulton | have my doubts
bui alas, have no doubts whatever as to
what her opinion will be OF MI. StahIeE -
Fulton's maSquerading as Mr. Johh SmitH q
And ] don't envy Mr.. Stanley q. Ful.oh 'e
lob he's got on his hands to put himself
right with her. either. But there's one thing
he can he sure of, at least: If she does care
for Mr.. John Smith, it wasn't Mr.. StahleN IL
FuIton's money that was The bait.
Poor Maggie, ,There! YOU see alreauE
| have adopted the Hillerton vernacularl
But | fear Miss Maggie is indeed poor
| now She has had several letters tha'
| don't like the looks of. and a cal from
| yillainous- looking man from Boston-one OF
| your craft | believe tbegginE your paruohl.
| think she's lost some money, and dof
| believe she had any extra to lose she as
proud as Lucifor. however ana sue "e
termined no one shall find out she's lost any
| money so her laugh is gayer than ever sn'
| I know Just the same. can hear something
| I'm her voice that ism laughter
| love, Now. what mess nave mahe
| of it, | feel more than ever now like the
| how win his ear 10 the keyhole. These
| people are my friends-or, rather theS are
| Mr. John Smiths friends. AS for being mime
| who am L. Smith or Fulton? VIII theN
| he Fulton's friends after they hnd he Is John
| Sn,itho win they be Smiths friends, even
| after they find he is Fulton" Pleasant posi-
| ton | am in, What:
| "Oh YES ! can hear you say that it serves
| me right and that you warned me and that
| ! was deaf to all remonstrances. IL does
| Won did | was. Now. we'll waste no more
| time on that. I've admitted all you coulo
| saw I've acknowledged my error ana my
| transgression is ever before me; puiie Lhe
| box. | walked into 1t and deliberately smut
| the cover down. But now | want to get out
| I've got to get out--some way. can
| spend the rest of my natural existence a.
| Jnhn smith hunting Blaisdell data-though
| 4, ha s
| onIv way 10 stay with Miss Maggie. ! tell
| YOU that little woman can make nome
| out Of 49, .
John Smith wouldn't have money enough
| -, nsy his hoard to say nothing of inviting
Mss Maggie to board with him. would he ?
| rbr opening of Mr.. STANLEY q. fultoHS last
| will and testament on the hrst naE OF neN'
| November will effectuallN cut OH s'' jon"
| smiths source Of income. There Is no pro-
| ,ision in the Will for Mr. John Smith. Smith
| wound have TO go to work. dent think
| he'd like that BY the way, wonder
| do Won suppose John Smith could carn-hls
| sar IL he was hard put 10 it? Very plainly,
| ,bar something has GOT to, be done about
| ce,,ing John Smith TO fade away, and Stan
lev G. Fulton to appear before next Novem-
Der.
Early this summer John Smith was 10 pack
| IN his BIaisdell data. bid a pleasant adeu
70 EIillerton. and betake himself to South
| America In due course. after a short trip
| 10 some obscure Inca city. or down some
rittle-known river, Mr.. Stanley c. Fulton would
arrive at some South American hotel from
the interior and would take immediate pas
sage for the States reaching Chicago long
before November first.
"There would be slight furry, of course
and a few annoying interviews and writeups
hui Mr. Stanley c. Fulton always was known
10 keen his affairs to himself pretty well
end the matter would soon be put down as
merely another Of the ulti-mlionaire' s
sccentricities. The whole thing would then
he all over, and well over. But-nowhert
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