Evening star., 1925-06-08
Continued from Yesterdays starr

Continued from Yesterdays Starr
Aristide was nearly dancing with
delight when he left the offices of La
Revue Illustree- Oh, what luck. what
luck, what splendid, unheard.of, spec
tacular luck! He would have been
happy with 10 francs, well satisfied
with 5, and now he had 100. The
whole world seemed to him suddenly
golden; the sky was diffused with a
mellow light; Paris was again the
most delectable city, and he felt the
mad desire to laugh idiotically into
the face Of every passerby. Wells he
assured himself after a few steps, this
stroke of fortune was not quite un-
deserved. Loutre was really not
half.bad invention. One could do
something effective with that plot: he
was almost tempted to write the story
down. But, then, who wants to work
with 100 francs in his pocket, who
wants to write when he can live?
And he would live now-he would en-.
Joy himself gorgeously and forget the
lean weeks. Aristide, who usually
slouched a bit, stretched himself to
his full height and looked the world
triumphantly In the face. And in this
somewhat ops alto attitude of con-
quering hero he met M. Fabian Felix,
the great illustrator, who was evil
IDENTIFY bound for La Revue Illustree.
Aristide had not much love for Fa-
bian Felix, who was small, slim. dark,
very Oriental and unbearably sue
cessful. There was not an editor who
would not congratulate himself when
he could display in his magazine one
of Felix's distinctive drawings, and to
be illustrated one day by F. F. was
something every inspiring young au-
thor dreamed of. All this irritated
Aristide, and whenever he met Felix
he showed clearly that he despised
some one who earned so outrageously
much money. But today he felt no
grudge against Felix. Today he him
self had 100 francs in his pocket. To-
day he was a fellow capitalist. He
waved a friendly greeting to the little
man and strode on into the flickering
lights of the darkening November
day.
Felix went really to La Revue Illus
tree and was at once respectfully ush-
cred into the Office of NJ. de Kersac.
And while the two looked over the
proofs of some illustrations, Felix said
casually:
II met young Tritou downstairs.
He seemed in very genial mood. He
was almost polite to me, and usually
he treats me with marked displeas
ure"
Kersac laughed. "Oh. WELL" he de-
clared. 'Tritou Is a fool. and yet I'll
tell you, Felix, that boy has some
talent. If he only were not so damn
ably lazy, l could make something
out of him. He's doing a fine story
for US now. Loutre's the name Of it.
Tells of some apache who becomes an
actor and plays the virtuous hero so
long that he is utterly spoiled for the
life of vice. The thing sounded great
when he told 1t to met has atmos-
phere, background. It's deep, pro-
found. He works in modern psychol-
ogy. Coue. and so on; and in addition
to 1t ancient beliefs, initiative magic,
childhood of mankind, and SO forth.
It's popular and scientific at the same
time. and usually that goes big. If
1t turns out all right, 1 might ask you
to illustrate it, and we'll feature 1t in
the New Years number. Perhaps we
can stretch 1t through two issues.
III see how the thing looks. No harm
in giving that fellow a show
Certainly, why certainly" agreed
Felix, who was a kindhearted little
man. "I'n be glad to help along. And
am really pleased that that young
| chap has found himself. We need
young talent, Kersac. The old mas
ters are all we'll and good for today,
but tomorrow belongs to youth" And
very delighted with this epigram,
| which he fondly believed to be first
rate, he trotted on.
1t was foggy but the threatening
| rain hung still in the skies, and as
Felix felt that he needed some exer-
else he sent away his car, which had
called for him, and walked to his
apartment near the Pare Monceau.
On his way he met Berthe Morissey,
| who once had been a sharpwitted,
| slim young girl, and was now a sharp
tongued, thin young wife of a most
| unsuccessful Neo-Catholic playwright
| She greeted Felix very effusively-she
| adored and envied successes-and at
| once began to tell him her woes. The
| managers were all unjust, the actors
all unreasonable and Charles deplor.
ably lacking in ambition. Always
writing mystical things that did not
go or were not accepted, always sitting
In the cafes instead of visiting the
right kind of people, always wasting
his time instead of working and
making connections. Felix listened
| bored and, after a while, just to get
! away. he petted her hand and said:
Never mind, Berthe, never mind.
Cha rles will find himself. They all do
IN the end. Now, there is that Aris.
tide Irltou: you know him, he is a
friend of your husband, isn't he?"
Yes" said Berthe acidly. "A lazy
good-for- r-nothing. He owes us s
trancs."
Well" said Felix. smiling, hes
| making his way now. He's doing a
fine thing for La Revue Illustree.
The name of 1t is Loutre, and Kersac
was most impressed by it. He tells
| me that 1t is a combination of a very
effective popular story and a very
profound treatise on modern and
| ancient psychology. Coue, you know,
and so on, and then initiative magic,
! primitive beliefs out of the childhood
of mankind. Utterly interesting
Something like the things Lafitte pub.
lishes. kersac wants me to illus
| trate 1t, and perhaps he'll run 1t
through several issues. So, you see,
Berthe, If Tritou made the grade,
Charles surely will. Don't worry"
Felix meant well, but he did not un.
heartened nor encouraged by Tritou' s
success; she was utterly enraged by
it. And while she hurried home her
infiamed imagination magnified this
success, and the more she magnified
| 1t the greater became her rage. She
was absolutely burning with indigna.
| ton when she opened the door of her
little apartment, and as soon as she
found Charles she emptied over his
head the walls of her wrath.
Here you're sitting and smoking
and doing nothing. and everybody else
makes a success she scolded. Even
that Aristide Tritou, that fool, that
| nobody, gets somewhere, becomes
something; only you are a failure"
Charles was so accustomed to her
reproaches that usually he hardly
| answered, but when she mentioned
Triton he hecame Interested