The Ordway new era., 1919-05-16
At Failures Climax
n.
BY s.B. HAcKLEY
By s. B. HACkLEY
Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)

ra felt the scrutiny of many pasrs OF
eyes, friendly, curious, sympathetic, she
held her head high. Who wouldn't be
proud to be the sweetheart of brill
liant promise"
He wasn't the valedictorian. That
conceited. redhaired Walton Durrett
was that. but Maxon's rank was high.
and with his brown mop of curly hair.
his goodly height and his clear, friend
ly eyes. was he not good to look at?
That evening after young Eliot had
gone out with Judge Farrn's eldest
daughter. his honor sat long time in
silent thought. For nearly three years
Maxon Eliot had been Jessamine's
self-confldent vnledictorian, had been
her devoted admirer.
Durrett was one whom one would
naturally expect to do things, and Eliot
was a young man of brilliant promise.
The judges preference inclined to the
latter, but ne or any other would
have to make good" before he'd give
his little girl to him.
| The Judge sighed thankfully. Jessn-
mine would always listen to "Father."
A little later when she shyly suggested
that ut the end of Max's first school
year in Marion (he'd been given the
principalship of Marion's academy.
there would be wedding, the Judge
shook his head.
A year is all too short, little girl.
Let him prove himself"
Jessamine smiled certainly. 1.-Two
years II you think best, papa-but
when. Max is n university president.
wen laugh about our caution, won't
we?"
The Marion school board, Mt the end
of the year, very quietly asked Pro-
fessor Eliot to resign. 1t was not that
he was not Iilled-his thoughtful con-
Eideration. his gentle courteous man.
npr. made friends. but somehow he
had failed as the schools principal.
That summer, through the recon-
mendati0n of relative, Eliot secured
the edltorship of the local paper in the
large town of Hampden. For year
he wrote brilliant editorials. and strug-
glsd vallantly to build up the circula-
ton of the paper, but at the end of the
|
take the editorship.
Then when Jessamine. with her Sis
ter and parents, sailed for three years
of foreign travel, Max understood that
he was free.
When the three years were at an end
and he heard the Farras were coming
home. he managed somehow to scrape
together enough for ticket to New
York.
His was the first face that Jessamine
recognized on the pier. For an instant
her heart bounded and despite the old
world wisdom she had gained, she had
20 fight a foolish impulse to lay her
head on the shabby decency of his
serge coat and tell him. among other
things. that failure in business didn't
matter.
But Fulton Newholdt, who for six
months had followed in their wake,
was looking on and presently Eliot was
forced to step aside to make way for
heir other friends.
strange that Maxon Eliot should
have happened to be in New York the
very day that we landed" the judge
remarked.
Jessamine said nothing. She knew
1t hadn't 'just happened" Max had
travelled those 500 miles just for a
sight of her! Well, he'd had it, and
She. The day after they reached
her home Newboldt. who was their
ge4st, asked her to marry him.
Instead of saying, Yes, please" us
she had contemplated. and as she knew
would delight her father and mother,
she found herself saying very earnest
ly, "No. thank you
1t was four years before she saw
Max again. and it was at the county
fair.
I've been out West" he told her,
sort of knocking about, but Pm doing
some bookkeeping work for my cousin
now, at the mills. His regular man
had to stop awhile because of tll
health"
He spoke cheerfully. but his mouth
wore n subdued. conquered expression
that was pathetic.
Rob keeps me very busy, but
begged OFF today to run down here on
the chance of seeing some Of my old
college friends" he remarked; bui
Jessamine looked into his wtstfuI eyes
and translated his words: ION the
chance of seeing you. dear, on the
chance of seeing you'll"
Just then the red-haired valedic
torian. now successful lawyer and
politician. stopped to speak to Jessa
mine.
"Pity about Eliot's being disap
pointment," he remarked when Maxor
had taken himself off. "Ail vision ant
no practicability. The wonder is hi
hasn't married and dragged some wo
man down. too! His. kind generally
do"