davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-11-27

fronts them, they would soon he up
and doing, we'll and successful, instead
of i'll and dependent. In such cases
easiest way is not really the easiest
way; it only appears to be.
By a process which we call ration
alization," such people persuade
themselves that they are justified
in such a course. A certain young
woman, for instance, had been in a
train wreck and was badly shaken
up. She sued the company for an
an injury alleged to have been
sustained to her spine. In spite of
the fact that no one could find any
convincing evidence of physical harm,
obvious incapacity resulted in a sub
stantial verdict by the jury.
Upon the collection of the damages,
however, she did not at once get we'll,
as is presumed to be the result in
such cases. but kept consulting
physicians about her back. Finally
she found a surgeon who performed
d major operation of a most serious
nature upon her spine. After the
operation she recovered.
What is the explanation? All along,
in the back of her head, she knew
she had not really sustained an in.
jury and was not honestly entitled to
the damages awarded. In other words,
she mad a guilty conscience. She
really should have given the money
back. This she could not do, but she
could punish herself for wickedness.
and this she succeeded in doing by
submitting to major operation with
all it's attendant suffering.
conscience is a very real quality
with which we have to deal and we
cannot offend it without paving the
price. In this case the price was
physical suffering; in the other type
of cases cited the price was loss of
self-respect. When we offend our own
ideals a state of disequilibrium is es.
tablished and the only way to re.
establish equilibrium is by suffering
the consequences, which in a very
real sense is making the punishment
| mt the crime. In order to be we'll,
| to be happy and to be successful we
must at least be true to our own
standards and ideals.
PHYSICAL illness may therefore be
used not only as alibis for lying
down on the job. but even be created
for that purpose. When so used or
created they inevitably exact their toll
IN physical and mental suffering. All
of this shows the value of being vital
ly interested in your work. Many a
person who has been seriously handi-
capped by physical illness has never
theless succeeded in large way be.
cause his interest in what he desired
to accomplish so outweighed any OBJ
stacle that nothing was permitted to
stand in the way; and the amazing
thing in many such instances is that
as one of the results of such success
| the illness. whatever it was, has Inn
proved, often giving place to health
and happiness. There is no tonic
/ like SUCCESS.
Such considerations teach us how
important it is, in bringing up chill
dren, or in directing boys and girls to
their first jobs. that those jobs should
| be congenial, that the young people
should really want to do them, that
they should love them, and that the
jobs should not be Of a nature beyond
Evening star., 1927-11-27

these days would be represented by
between $25 900 and $4,000 in United
States money.
So impressive was his demeanor
that the insurance company smoothed
the way for him and, after a medical
examination. he paid the first pre-
MUM and returned to Bordeaux with
the policy in his pocket. With de-
votion that was only natural he con-
tided the document to his wife.
Very shortly after this II became
q matter of comment in certain cir
clcs in Bordeaux that all was not we'll
with the affairs of NJ. Douat. He car
ried his head az high as ever but there
were firms who felt that they had
been little incautious They had ex.
tended credit to the limit with the
plausible Douat and they thought that
ii was time he should show the color
OF his money. The wine merchant
airilv waved these things aside and
pushed in several more large orders,
These were not accepted and 1t was
made evident that something would
have to be done about the cash ques-
ton.
AT this crisis NJ. Douat took a
plurg that has been the resource
of lesser men. He went bankrupt
Odd to relate. his misfortunes did not
arouse the sympathy of his many ac-
quaintances. There were not wanting
slanderers who hinted that Douat had
not made a bad thing out of his bank
ruptcy. and that he still had a we'll
filled stocking slowed away some.
where. So persistent was this story
that the authorities began to pry into
it, NJ Douat resented the slur on his
good faith. He shook the dust of Bor-
deaux from his feet. embraced his dear
wife-they could not prove any fraud
gainst her-and departed unostenta.
tiously to London to make a fresh
start in the world.
Nine. Douat thus left alone bore UP
uncommonly we'll She had lost no
weight when. clad in the deepest black.
she appeared at the office of the in
surance company in Paris and. with
tears in her expressive eyes. an
nounced the death of her husband
Her grief had not affected the most
complete and business-like precau-
tions. She had all the documents of
proof of the death of Vital Douat in
order and ready for the strictest in
spection. Her story was complete in
every detail.
When he had gone to London he
had taken mean lodgings at a little
house in Ann street, Plaistow. There
on November % he had died of aneu-
rism of the heart. Here was certif-
Evening star., 1927-11-27

The landlord was very easy to find
and was quite willing to tell ali that
he knew.
There was a foreign gentleman
took the house." he said. Called him
self Bernardo. He couldn't speak Eng
lish very well. but as far as / could
understand him he was a waiter or
something like that, and he wanted a
place where he could stay and look
after sick friend. References? No.
he gave me no references. He did
better than that. He paid months
rent down, and that was good enough
for me-
Did you see anything of his
friend?" asked Druscovich. casually.
The landlord stroked his chin. NO.
can't say l did. Struck me as funny
at the time. He hadn't been there a
day or two when he told me that his
friend had died. There was something
wrong with his heart. Bernardo gave
him grand funeral--it took place on
Sunday-but he never came back to
Ann street again. | reckon he didn't
care to stay in a place where his pal
had died"
Some hours Druscovich spent in
chatting to other inhabitants of Ann
street 1t became plain that Bernardo
was the jovial Roberti of the boat.
But on Ann street he had kept himself
very close and had scarcely spoken
to any one. No one had seen his friend
nor had doctor been noticed calling
at the house. Druscovich began 20
consider the possibility that he had
stumbled on case of murder.
. He had already assured himself of
one thing. If the death certificate was
a forgery it had not been written by
either Douat or Nine. Douat The sig
nature was hard to decipher and there
was no address. After close examina.
ton he read the name as "Critti," and
the reference books showing that
there was a doctor of that name,
Druscovich called upon him. The doc
tor examined the sheet of paper that
Evening star., 1927-11-27

all too rigid way for the best interests
of the patient.
In these cases being sick seems
paying proposition to the sufferer.
though he may not admit this line OF
reasoning even to himself. What he
unfortunately does not realize is that
his "alibi' Is not only hurting his
chances of success in business, but Is
insidiously undermining his character.
In the end his sickness" is costly
procedure. Success in life does not
come by yielding to defeat, but by sur
mounting it. Strength of character
results from overcoming obstacles,
just as strength of muscles comes by
doing physical work.
When an individual is confronted by
task that seems overwhelming ana
has done everything he can to get out
Of it without succeeding, there are
only two available avenues left. He
must choose between failure and doing
the job. IL he is able to bring himself
to do the job and carries 1t through
to a successful issue, he not only fees
great relief. but is much stimulated by
proving to himself his ability. which
he had so seriously doubted. This is
the premium Of success. which enables
him to tackle his next difficult task
with additional confidence and so is
stepping stone TO further accomplish
ments.
Evening star., 1927-11-27

their powers of accomplishment. For
il people fail at the very beginning
they are damned at the very begin
ming, as it were. by spirit of help
lessness and discouragement; If they
succeed they are stimulated and en-
couraged to further endeavor.
All of us have to do many things
we do not like and do not want to
do. This is the drudgery of existence.
1t is important, however, that life
should not be all drudgery, but that
we should each have some task. some
hobby, that we love and that we can
cultivate at odd times. The drudgery
of life can often be negotiated sue
cessfully if the individual realizes that
a goal which he very much desires
can be reached only as a result of
the successful overcoming of the nu.
merous obstacles that drudgery rep
resents.
There is no royal road to success.
The capacity for continuity of ap-
plication is an exceedingly important
characteristic to develop, and among
thousands who fail a very consider
able number is found who cannot stay
at any one job for any length Of time,
Evening star., 1927-11-27

This mechanism is very easily seen
in various forms of physical handi-
caps. / recall the instance of a ma
chinist who lost some of his fingers
and felt that he never would be able
to DO his work again. AS a result of
continuous effort, however, he not
only succeeded in carrying on, but de-
veloped "A pride in having succeeded
in the face of such a serious handicap,
that in itself became an asset. This
conversion of liabilities into assets is
one of the great possibilities that con-
front the handicapped individual.
r REMEMBER a very wonderful
man. the late +. B. Gilbreth of
Providence. r. l., who had had
number of serious physical injuries
himself and in consequence became
much interested in the physically
Handicapped and in developing ways
of overcoming their several physical
problems. In the course of his life he
collected the biographies of innumer-
able people who had suffered serious
physical injuries. such as the loss of
limbs. but who had nevertheless sue
ceeded And when an individual came
to him, for example, who had lost A
leg or an arm and for whom this
missing member seemed absolutely
Evening star., 1927-11-27

he was supposed to have signed with
a puzzled face. This is certainly a
forgery" he declared. 1T is not in
the least like my writing and there is
no attempt at imitation. / have never
known a man named Vital Douat, and
I have certainly never attended pa
tient at Plaistow. l know nothing at
all about it,"
Druscov;ch spent days in exploring
hotels and lodging houses where a
newly arrived provincial Frenchman
anxious not to be too conspicuous
might have put up in London. At
last he stumbled on little hotel.
handy to the Strand, where the staff
remembered a jolly, fat Frenchman
who had registered himself as Ro-
berti. A comparison of dates was con-
vincing evidence. if any more was
needed that here was the place
which Douat had made his first re-
treat.
There was one French waiter in the
establishment and Druscovich calcu-
lated that this was the man most
likely to know any details concerning
the stranger. He ordered a bottle of
wine and engaged the waiter in ami
cable converse ton. Among his other
accomplishments Druscovich spoke
French like native. The waiter
stimulated by glass of Burgundy
was easily led to discuss Bernardo.
"A complaisant gentleman" was
his verdict. HE made me little
trouble and he frequently did me the
honor, like m sieu, of inviting me to
share glass of wine. We talked
much together-for he rarely left the
hotel--and as we were compatriots
it was but natural"
Druscovich looked over the edge of
his glass. do you happen to know
what he came to London for?"
But surely. He was a traveller in
wines. He had business here"
"Ah. of course. l suppose he would
write a great deal to his clients. Did
he speak English well?"
Evening star., 1927-11-27
ness Ab Creates Lazes and Is Big Handicap in Life

essential he could reach up to his
library of biogra phies and pull out the
story of person who had been SINH
larly handicapped while following the
same occupation, but who had, never.
theless, succeeded. The method by
which he had been able to effect this
result was recounted in detail. The
effect of such an example can easily be
appreciated.
Another example may not be amiss
In the great movie industry at Holly
wood tens of thousands of people are
employed, and for screening purposes
all sorts and conditions of men are
desirable. There are always places for
the very tall or the very short, the
very fat or the very lean, the very
homelv as well as the very beautiful,
so that many people who have consid-
cred themselves seriously handicapped
because of their physical makeup are
now finding that very handicap itself
has become the particular asset that
enables them to succeed.
OF course most of us who use real
or fancied sickness as an excuse for
shrking life's responsibilities do rot
realize that we are doing so The
habit creeps upon us insidiously, and
often gains a foothold before it is
recognized. a person who has
disagreeahle task to perform discovers
that he has a headache. The head
ache serves as good excuse for avoid
ing the task. Thereafter it becomes
increasingly easy to develop a head
ache whenever there is something
unpleasant to be done
This kind of illness appears in many
guises. The individual who is ap-
preaching distasteful piece of work.
for instance, is often under strong
emotion, which shows itself in palpita-
ton of the heart, sweating, gastric
acidity, diarrhea. headache, pain in
some part of the body, feelings of
weakness and lassitude and loss of
pep All such symptoms serve to
make him feel ill., and this feeling Of
Illness is a good excuse to get out of
the task. Later~ the illness has to be
kept up in order to go on avoiding
the issue.
Such a state of affairs often looks
to the outside observer as if it We're
consciously assumed, and so people
who suffer in this way are not in
frequentlywritten down as malingerers
and treated accordingly. AS matter
of fact however, these difficulties
arise in the field Of the emotions and
not in the field of the consciously
and intellectually clearly perceived.
They are the instructive reactions OF
states of feeling and are not clearly
visualized schemes for attaining
definitely conceived goals.
The host of people who have minor
illnesses that are constructed in the
same way are often, almost IT moi
quite, as unconscious Of the roots ol
| these illnesses and how they have
come to pass. but if they are not con
| fronted by some absolutely fatefu
situation which is interchangeable. as
they usually are not, the solution
of their difficulty can be brought
about and their return to health re
suit.
| X X
| IF the people who unconsciously try
to shirk work in the same way
could realize that they are really using
up as much energy in staying sick as
would be needed for the successful
accomplishment l0f the task that con
Evening star., 1927-11-27
BY GEORGE DHNOT.
foremost Authority on Scotland Yardl

VA G~Nsa~h'A
T HERE is no doubt that Nathan.
iel Druscovich ultimately
made fool of himself. He
Il allowed himself to become the
tool of a gang Of crooks and
he paid the penalty. That is a mat
ter of police history with which l
have little to do here. The catas-
trophe of his career was his own
l1ult, but it should not be permitted
to obscure the merits of one who in
his own day showed many of the
qualities of a master detective.
At the time of which l am writing
Druscovich was the pet of Scotia nd
Yard. man of whom much was ex-
pected. He had a reputation for
ouck-witted intelligence and resource
that had been earned i'm some remark
able cases. lie stood out among his
colleagues for the reason that he was
man of culture and education. In
those days Scotland Yard men, how
ever effective they may have been,
were of a roucher, cruder type than
those of today.
A dapper man. something of fop
IN dress. was DruScovich. with an
extensive knowledge equally of for.
eign languages and foreign crimi-
nails. Practically every Continental
case that reached Scotland Yard was
passed on to Druscovich. and he
usually handled them with compe.
tence and ingenuity.
Properly / should have begun this
story not with Druscovich. but with
NJ. Vital Douat, portly and prosper.
Gus. and owner of apparently one of
the most fiourishing wine businesses
in R0rdealy He and Mime Doilat
as plump and shrewd as her hus-
band. lived in manner becoming the
dignity of great merchant in mag
nificent villa on the outskirts of the
town. They entertained on a Grandi-
oSe scale. and. as you will have per-
ceiVed, were not least among the
citizens of a great city. There may
have been malicious tongues but,
pouf, any successful man is open tn
the scandal OF the envious. Such
people were beneath the contempt of
a prince of commerce.
II was strange that prudent. far.
seeing man, such rs NJ. Douat was
held TO be, should have neglected one
obvious safeguard for the benefit of
his devoted wife until he reached mid
die age. The cares of business and of
social life were heavy. He was to be
forgiven if he had forgotten to insure
his life. He recognized the injustice
in time. The point was no sooner
brought to his mind than he opened
negotiations with one of the biggest
insurance companies in France. With
touch of pompositv he explained
who he was and presented introduc-
tions. He proposed. if arrangements
could he satisfactorily made, to take
out life policy for a sum that in
Evening star., 1927-11-27

/ the same coin; thus by that vital in
| terchange men help each other to
| help themselves.
SOME of the disorders such as
have described, which are called
functional, have their roots in very
early childhood experiences, and by
| the time the person reaches adult
hood they present very complex prob
lens that only the highly skillful spe.
cialists in this particular branch of
medicine are competent to deal with.
On the other hand. many of these
disorders, at least In their obvious
symptoms, are relatively specifically
grounded and are not difficult to cure.
When such bodily disorders arise In
you without any real physical basis.
| stop for a time and carefully examine
| in a straightforward way your own
inner being. and try to discover your
| real motives.
Ask yourself. for example:
"What is the task that / wish to
avoid?"
"Who may there be in my immedi-
ate surroundings for whom l enter
tain feelings of jealousy or hate?"
"Am l undertaking my own possi-
bilities of accomplishment, and being.
as it were. more willing to fail than
to make the necessary effort?"
If you cannot do this for yourself,
at least seek intelligent advice and
assistance. AS a result you may
very often find yourself easily re-
lieved of symptoms, which, IL they
were continued. might become seri-
ously damaging to your possibilities
of success.
One has to remember, too, in this
connection that functional maladies
such as I have described, If they per.
sist over long periods Of time, actually
result in conditions which are organic.
A long. persistent anxiety may so dis
turb the digestion that chronic in.
creased acidity of the stomach Is cre-
ated which. if it continues indefinitely.
may at least be a potent factor in
producing an ulcer of the stomach.
Other illustrations might be given,
hut the important thing to remember
is that we are dealing here with a
group of disorders that are essen.
! TALLY curable and that many of them
| might probably he materially better
| ed. il not entirely overcome. by an
honest and straightforward examina.
ton of ones personal desires and mo-
tives when faced by the situation out
of which such symptoms develop.
~ ~ tihS SiOup VI luHCtiOIldI us
orders that offers such a rich harvest
to the charlatan. the quack and the
purveyor of patent medicines. Some
times all that is needed at a critical
moment in life is little faith to en-.
able one to go on, and this the charla.
tan or patent medicine may. for the
| time being at least. supply. Thus ap-
parent miracles are produced in the
way Of cures which seem to the un.
initiated to have been the result of
the particular method employed.
In this group of diseases almost
any method will work sometimes with
, some people, but for the ultimate vel.
fare of any one. it Is of inestimable
Importance that he should not be de-
luded into pinninS his faith upon
some magic formula. but that he
| should make out of his experience an
opportunity for getting better &C.
! quainted with himself.
Evening star., 1927-11-27

lcate from the medical man who had
attended him. Here was another GER
tificate from the registrar of deaths,
Here was a receipt for the burial fees
at st. Patrick s Cemetery. The widow
ventured to presume that these things
were only formalities. No doubt the
money would be paid over at an early
date.
An urbane official spread his hands
in a bland gesture. We shall be
happy to expedite a settlement by
every means in our power. If you
leave these documents with me the
matter shall be put in hand at once"
SO at last he dismissed her and an
emissary was dispatched down to Bor-
deaux to learn something about the
Evening star., 1927-11-27

partly because the returns do not
come in fast enough to suit their I'M
patience. Many of these individuals
are essentially brilliant, but they lack
the capacity for continuity. Many a
business man, who has retired at an
advanced age in the expectation that
he would now find a much needed and
well earned rest. has promptly died.
simply because without his business
he found himself with no vital inter.
est in living. Had he but possessed
a hobby to turn to he could have gone
on and lived for years, not only hap
PLY. but usefully.
II you want to succeed, associate
with successful people.
Our interests and ideals are built
up largely as the result of our asso-
Citations. 1t is. therefore, important
to be with those who have vital and
compelling interests in life and who
are successful. We thereby widen
our horizon, enlarge our field of in
terests. and life in the tonic atmos-
phere of people who are succeeding
and who transmit some of their en-
thusiasm and their JOY in living to
US. In turn we car. pay them back in
Evening star., 1927-11-27

couple. On his report a great light
was borne upon the company. The
coincidence of life insurance, fraudu-
lent bankruptcy. flight and death was
far too extraordinary. When the lady
renewed her demands with threats of
legal intervention unless the claim
was Immediately settled, she was met
with refusal framed in terms not
quite so polite as before.
But however suspicious the circum-
stances might appear, the insurance
company knew that unless they could
prove swindle they would sooner or
later have to pay. SO they consulted
a high official of the Service de Surete
the French detective forCe-who in
formed them that Douat was already
wanted for the fraudulent bankruptcy
affair. 1t was believed that Douat
really had gone to London. He sug-
gested that he should ask Scotland
Yard to look into the matter.
So it was that the papers were ulti-
mately passed over to Druscovich.
Xxx
and the boat on which Douat was
believed to have sailed, but there was
no record of any one of that name
having arrived in England. Drusco-
vich studied passenger list and made
precise inquiries of the manner and
appearance of each person. He struck
the names out until only one was left.
That was a gentleman who called
himself SiGnor Roberti. BY all ac-
counts Roberti was a jovial. fat
Frenchman. No one knew who he
was or where he had gone to after
landing. The detective inclined to a
strong impression that Roberti could
be no other than the bankrupt fugi-
tive.
Druscovich went to have a look at
the house in Ann street. Plaistow.
which had been. given as the place of
death. 1t proved to be dngy work
mans dwelling. which weather-worn