The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-10

Deep in the maze of the offices,
old John ST. Clair sat and painted
old. withered, bloodless John st.
Clair. Outside the offices of st. CLAIR
and Company hummed busily Tele-
phones shrilled, office boys raced
madly, typewriters leaped and rattleo'
citizens ef the United States, dis
playing large white waistcoats and
diamonds, conversed earnestly with
other such citizens, behind brass rail-
ines. and became bulls or bears on
the spot; vast sums of money We're
being handled-on paper, railroads
and small investors were being
bought and sold; stocks were being
watered, bricks gilded. And cap
tains of commerce were coming with
cringeing knees to borrow ola 81.
Glars gold, though WIDOWS ana
orphans never got past the first or
flee boy.
But here, in this inner office,
where old St Clair sat like money
spider in its web, it was still-very
still and suddenly very lonely.
minute ago, old ST. Clair had been
little king, despL tically ruling his
kingdom by might of geld. Now
he was only a frightened old man.
For his busy brain, spinning endless
webs OF financial intrigue and piracy,
had limped, all at once, whirled, all
but stopped. Faster than the flood
of wealth. rolled in. the sands of life
seemed running out.
Tottering, staggering. almost
whimpering, old John st. Clair got
up suddenly and walked back and
forth. Every day 1t was more eff
fort to get up and dress, every night
there was less strength In his weary
body to face ACCOMPLISHMENTS
whore yesterdays door he had shut
so long ago and locked, would open.
And now this! This loneliness. this
fright | And the doctor telling him
today that he couldn't do thing for
him with all his money. Saying he'd
played the game too hard and he'd
have to pay nature a heavy interest
now. Abruptly, old John st. Clair
cackled and feebly doubled bony
fist. Fools-doctors. And what had
he answered?
IT need a tonic to give me some
backbone" he'd shouted. That's
what he'd said. And the fool doctor
Drop business. Get outdoors
live. eat, sleep outdoors and be-hap-
py. That's your tonic"
Happy Suddenly old John St.
Clair was painting again. He glimpsed
the fuulity of all he had. His hard
eyes filled with fear once more-fear
and pain. Happy. Fat chance. if hav-
ing money wasn't being happy. If he
| dropped business and remembered and
thought and yearned and fought it
] all over again. now that he was old
"Oh, bosh" painted old John st.
Clair stubbornly. sitting down at
his desk again. dizzily taking up his
pen, wildly trying to marshal his
thoughts. 1t was the third time he
had said ooh. bosh" lately. And it
was once too often
The next day the prime minister
of John st. Glars little kingdt m
penetrating respectfully into the
spiders quiet parlor, found the king
crumpled, insensible little body in
the chair of state. Terrible minutes
| followed before the frail, yellow
she'll that held the flicke ring spirit
of the great financier was finally
carried secretly up to the great art
museum where he lived-alone. and
where he fought his bitter battle
alone. True. his money bought
plenty of hired hands and science
and skill to keep the vital spark
Pickering in tile worn old body but
they, alone also. smoothed his pillows
and bathed his face. No living soul
of kin was there to care.
And outside, the papers screamed
with headlines detailing the money
kings involuntary abdication, the
market plunged like a loco ed mus
tang and there was much noise and
confusion, but in that bedroom it was
still and very lonely as the office had
been while days slid by in magnifi-
cent. solitary defeat.
| One evening, out of oblivion, in the
midst of his wealth, old John st.
Clair suddenly asked for a "piece."
"Piece of what, sir?" The nurse
in charge was matter of-fact Cung
animal without imagination.
Bred n butter" said old John st.
Clair like little child.
So promptly he had neat obiongs
of bread. just the right size, just the
right age, with just the proper
amount of butter from which he
turned away peevishly, muttering
querultusly, keenly disappointed.
Presently he wept strange, slow. hard
tears. He said he wanted to go home
! Then. after long, long time. he