Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-09-04
AT F ailure's Climax
r.
BY S. B. HACKLEY
Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
BY s. B. HACKLEY


When NIaXon Eliot stepped out on
the platform 20 make his ringing com
mencement speech and Jessamine Far
ia felt the scrutiny Of many pa.rs Of
eyes, friendly curious, sympathetic, she
held her head high. Who wouldn't be
proud to be the sweetheart of bril-
liant promise"
He wasn't the valedictorian. That
conceited red.haired 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 lool, at?
That evening after young Eliot had
gone out with Judge Farras eldest
daughter his honor sat long time in
/ silent thought For nearly three years
| Maxon Eliot had been Jessamine's
humble worshlper, and Durrett the
self-conhdent valedictorlan, had been
her devoted admirer.
Durrett was one whom one would
naturally expect to do things. and Eliot
was young man Of brilliant promise.
| The Judges preference inclined to the
latter, but he or any other would
have to make good" before he'd give
his little girl to him.
The Judge sighed thankfully. Jessa-
mine would always listen to "Father."
| A little later when she shyly suggested
| that at the end of MaX's first school
year In Marion (he'd been given the
lprincipalshIp Of Marlon'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 a university president.
wen laugh about our caution, won't
| we?"
The Marion school board ut the end
Of the year, very quietly asked Pro-
fessor Eliot to resign. II was not that
ne was not liked-his thoughtful con
slderation, his gentle courteous man
ner, made friends. but somehow he
| had failed as the schools principal
! That summer, through the recon-
ImSldation Of relative. Eliot secured
the edltorship Of the local paper in the
large town of Hampden. For wear
/ he wrote brilliant editorials. and Strug-
eled valiantly to build M the circula
tion Of the paper, but at the end of the
year the owner asked another man to
take the editorship.
Then when Jessamine, with her SIS
ter and parents. sailed for three wears
NJ foreign travel Max understood that
he was free.
/ When the three years were az an end
and he heard the Farras were coming
home, he managed somehow to scrape
/ together enough for a ticket 10 New
/ York
His was the first face that JcSsamine
recognized on the pier. For an instant
her heart bounded and despite the old
world wisdom she had gained she had
II fight a foolish impulse to lay her
head on the shabby decency of his
serge coat ana tell him, among other
things. that failure in business didn't
matter.
But Fulton Newholdt who for six
months had followed 10 their wake,
was looking on and presently Eliot was
forced 10 step aside to- make way for
their other friends
"Strunge that Mayou Eliot should
have happened to be in New York the
very day that we landed" the Judge
remarked.
Jcssamine said nothing. She knew
it hadn't Gust happened" Max had
travelled those 500 miles just for a
sight of her, Vol he'd had it, and
,hr---. The day after they reached
- home Newboldt who was their
guest asked her to marry him
Instead of saying, Yes, please" as
She had contemplated and as She knew
would delight her father and mother,
She found herself saying very earnest
Ily "No, thank YOU"
Il was four years before she saw
Max again and il was at the county
fair,
1--WE been ont West" he told her
"sort OF knocking about but I'm doing
some bookkeeping work for my cousin
now, at the mills. His regular man
had 20 stop awhile because Of t,l
health"
lie spoke checrtully. but his mouth
wore subdued. conquered expression
that was pathetic.
"Roh Keeps me very busy. but
begged on today to run down here on
the chance OF seeing some of my old
college friends" he remarked; bur
IeSS0miuc looked into his wistful eyes
and translated his words ION the
chance Of seeing you dear on the
chance of seeing YOU"
Just then the rcd-halred yalcdic.
toriau, now successful lawyer and
politician stopped % speak 60 Jes>a-
mine
Pity about EllotS being disaf
polnment" he remarked when Maxon
had taken himself an. "All vision AMI
mo- prucucobilrv The wonder Is he
HASN'T married ana dragged some we
man down, too His kind generally