The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-06-14
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l5y r. M. GILMER
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Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Union. )

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Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Union }
Existence, as Philip Van Vlvler
planned 1t, was TO be n very pleasant
affair. though 1t 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 n gay kaleldo-
scopic mingllng of golf. and polo po-
niles, and grand opera, and little sup
pers after the play
Then, too, TO crown 1t all, there
was Madge. Madge, tall and slight,
and svelte, with the tawny gold in her
hair, and the eyes that changed with
eTC9y 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 time when he had not loved
her. They had grown up, boy and
| girl, together, with something singu-
iarly 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 ad-
Joined that of Madge's guardian, and
he had been wandering about the
ground forlorn and lonely childish
figure, when he first came upon the
little maid. She gave one long look
Mt his somber face, and mourning
clothes, and then with the swift and
lntultlve sympathy that God gives
to even the youngest child, she went
up to him.
Little boy" she lisped, for she was
scarcely more than baby, '1ittle boy,
is 90 lonesome, and doesn't nobody
love 'oo7'
mo-" he answered with a sob
from the depths Of his heart.
Don't c'y, little boy" she comfort
ed, slipping her hand in his. 81 Ill
love 90 and 90 won't never be lone
some any MORE" and, indeed, it seemed
to Philip he had never been lonesome
again. There was always Madge.
But who may count securely on the
future? Move the kaleidoscope ever
so gently, and its figures change. One
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 golden future, but with a hard |
and merciless present. Suddenly as
IN unexpected thunderbolt came the |
failure Of the trust company in which |
his fortune was invested, and he |
awoke one morning to find himself
that most pitiable Of all creatures on
earth-the man who needs money, and
knows no way Of earning it. He had
taken the blow standing, with smile
on his lips, like the thoroughbred he
was, and just how deep the hurt went
none knew.
pleasant prospects," was his sole
comment, with shrug of his shOul-
ders to those who would have con-
doled with him on his loss, "a beer
income, and a champagne taste. Do
you happen to know the best way to
adjust them?"
He might meet the situation with
laughter and scoffing so far as others
were concerned, but when it came to
Madge 1t was another thing "I can't
ask her to marry beggar," he said
to himself setting his teeth, and with
4 face as white as death. "and I'm not |
poltroOn enough to settle down and
live on her money" and there had
been a terrible scene in which he
had told her this, and released her
from her promise to marry him.
"Oh, Philip, Philip" she cried, l
,linging to him, "what good is all my |
money to me if I can't make things /
'asy for you? Surely there is more {
han enough for us both" |
Then he tried to explain to her, S
and haltingly, that some h
hing that is dearer to man than even h
owe of woman-that something which L
le must have, or die of self-loathing- t
lis own self-respect. h
81 couldn't live without it, darling" il
lie said at last, passlonately, "if gave U
n to fate without one struggle, and
vas content to let you support me, 1 b
hOuld imagine your contempt for such Il
weakling in every tone Of your dear r
oice. l should see 1t in every glance a
f your dear eyes. No, no, must make s
~ fight and win my place in the r,
'orld of men, or will die fighting on Il
he battlefield. If / succeed 1 will g
ONE back to claim my own. If G
Ill, better man wins. Don't you fl
ee how it must be that way?"
And in the end Madge "saw." The S;
that always understood 9TH
rs was part of her charm, and Philip rC
ent away. c,
At college he had rather distinguish a
! himself by some clever skits in n,
lie college journal, and so it seemed m
ltural to him to turn to Journalism d;
; the most available way of settling la
lie bread and butter problem. A
lend obtained place for him on the tn
aft Of the morning Asterisk. where al
} began at the bottom of the repor- We