Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 307, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1918 — Page 3

By Dictation

By S. Paquin

<Copyrlgiit,*i'9l7, Western Newspaper Union.)

There come moments in the life of ■every man when ‘he stops and thinks. This does not mean pierely that he gives careful attention to some problem of the hour, but that he takes a serious view of life as a whole; surveys it; analyzes It; tries to riddle Its meaning. Speh a moment had come to Harry Merton. Really there was cause for him to vjew life with satisfactlo|,lsut a' close study of his face would have told any keen observer that he was not altogether satisfied. The day marked an epoch in his life—one on which his friends were dropping in now and then to congratulate him —for he had just been promoted to the . position of general manager of the Western Star Fire and Insurance company, a concern in which he had climbed up from a start as office boy 15 years before. ■ ' But as he viewed his progress in retrospect, his mind ran on something 4|ke this: “Yes, I have done it. I have reaped the success I set out to win, but what does it amount to after all? It has been a long fight, and I have sacrl.fleed a great deal to win it. Perhaps I have' sacrificed toatmauch. When I began as'a messenger boy Jim Perkins had the start of me by a year. I have often smiled up my sleeves at Jim since I began to climb up past him. First special agent, then general agent, and now general manager, and poor old Jim is still at his desk as a clerk. But I reckon Jim is happier than lam for.all that. L thought so yesterday when his wife came in with that pretty boy of theirs, just to see papa’s new desk tn the new* office. Somehow, it made me feel as if I were missing something that a man needs to make his life complete.” Then Merton’s line of thought was Interrupted. He had beep standingbeside Ills desk with his hands crossed , under his coat-tails, watching the signwriter who was putting gold letters on the windows of the company’s handsome new offices. The sign-writer was marking the glass in letters bigger than those that spelled the company’s name —“Henry Merton, General Manager.” “Here, my good fellow, that won’t do,” said Merton, stepping forward to the man’s side.” “How will you have it, sir?” ' “Just put that name in small letters and a little off at one side,” said Merton quietly. “It will look better.”

That was just like Henry Merton. Few men tn the business had more reason to pride themselves on the attainment of marked success, for he had made his way in the world unaided. But there wasn’t a grain of vanity in him. He was a modest, subdued, unassuming sort of a man. One would guess it by looking at him. He was tall, shapely, handsome; but it was plainly to be seen that he was oblivious to his own comeliness as a man. Vanity can be seen more readily in a man than in a woman. ?; This over, Merton began thinking again, his thoughts taking a new tangent, and one that surprised him. “ n ’*l”wonder if ambition is a selfish thing?, I’ve done well enough business way, and have no one to thank for it but myself; but how many people are there who have anything to thank me for? There’s Miss Travers, who is the best stenographer I ever had in my office. She does more good in a month than I’ve done in fourteen years. She doesn't know that I know it, but the reason. I raised her salary last month was because I overheard one of the other stenographers say she was supporting her younger broths er in college. She’s a fine girl, too. It’s a wonder some man doesn’t marry that girl.” Then Henry Merton whistled as if lo himself —a long, low 'whistle. The very thought of some other man marrying Alice Travers had made him .clinch his fists, but till that minute he had never thought of marrying her jhiDqself, or of marrying any other woman, for that matter. . . ’ln the best room Alice Travers, who lhad just finished transcribing a lot of letters Mr. Merton had dictated to her in the morning, was writing a letter to her brother ta college. Strangely enough, it was full of Henry Merlon. IL said: “Dear Ted: You’ll excuse me, I know, for writing to you on a typewriter; I can do it so much quicker sand easier this Way. We have just moved into the new offices and I am finely fixed. Mr. Merton has given me a nice Mttle room to work in, all to myself, and I have nothing to do .now but attend to his correspondence, which is quite enough, since he came to be general manager.. Really, he doesn't seem to have the swelled head bit on account of IL and he’s quite ■a young man, too; not more, than Iwenty-nlne or thirty, I should say. He hardly looks happy, even. “He has been very kind to me, and raised my salary last month, though I didn’t ask him to. That’s why I send SBO this month instead of $25, and now J cajrdo it every month. I like to

work for him. He treats me more courteously than any man I ever worked for before. He has never called me >y my first name, but always Miss 'Travers, and instead of telling me to do this and to do that, he always acts as if he were asking a favor when he

“He seems a lonesome sort of man. I often wonder how he lives and what he does to enjoy himself —if he ever does enjoy himself. He is a hard worker and men-admire him. I don’t known whether he’s married or not, but I don’t believe he is, for no woman ever comes to see him at the office. “But there; you’ll know him probably some day. At leagjr I want you to, when you get ready to go Into business, for there’s no man I would rather have you take for a pattern than Mr. Merton. “Let me know how you are getting along, save what you can, for you will need a little to go on when you get through college in- June. Write soon. ‘ “Lovingly, Alice.” Henry Merton was not a man to delay matters. With him, a problem no sooner presented Itself than he set about to solve it, and a decision to do a certain thing was always followed at once with the doing. While he listened to the click of Miss Travers’ typewriter, which to him was music for a reason he had not realized before, he had reached an important decision—’the most important of his life thus far—and he set about putting it into effect in a way that was thoroughly characteristic of the man.

He went into Miss Travers’ room and seated himself in a chair he always occupied when dictating letters, He did not as some business men would have done, call her to his desk to take notes on a sliding shelf with no place to rest her arm. “Miss Travers,” he said, and she no-, tlced a queer sound in his voice, “will* you please take a letter for me—-a letter to my mother.” “At last,” thought Miss Travers, “I am to know something about Mr. Merton. I never knew before whether he had. a mother.” “You need not mind to take notes,” said Mr. Merton. “Just take it on the machine, for I shall not dictate rapidly. Are you ready?” “Dear Mother: I have been so busy lately that I have had little time to write you, and now what I have to say will surprise you; perhaps pain you a little at first. Ever since I left home and came to this smoky, noisy town, you have been the only woman in the world who has really known me, or anything about me; and now going to get married—” “Pardon me,” said Miss Travers, with a slight blush. She had written the last word “marrdie” and had stopped to erase the last three letters and write them oyer. It was an unheardof thing for Alice Travers to make a mistake. With no sign of annoyance Merton went on: “Though no woman knows me, I know a woman, and one whom I am sure you will approve as a daughter. First of all, she is a lady. I do not know her people, but I am sure from her manner and character that they must be most admirable persons. I am not a judge of woman’s beauty, but I do not think you would call her a pretty girl. She is something better than that. There is a womanly dignity and sweetness about her that gives her a charm far greater than mere beauty. She is not a gtrl, really, but a woman —a gentle, true, sweet woman.

“One thing I know you will like about her. She has a younger brother in college, and every month she sends ’him a generous part of her earnings, 'so that he may educate himself. But you shall know her soon. As soon as we are married you must come and visit us. There will be no occasion for you to be jealous, mother. She will welcome you, I am sure. “Her name, I have forgotten to tell you. Her name is Alice Travers —■” There was another pause here; but this time Alice Travers did not blush, but trembled slightly and turned a little pale* Then Merton went on : “I, have just asked her to be my wife, and she has answered—’’ Here Merton rose quietly and stood beside the woman he had loved for weeks, but had not known it. She sat with fingers ,posed over the keys, 'as if waiting for him to finish the dictation. “When you have finished the letter, Miss Travers,” he said, “please bring it to me and I will sign it.” The minutes of silence seemed to Henry Merton like hours, a's he waited in the next room for an answer. Then it came —four sharp clicks on the typewriter —y —e—s and a period. There was a suspicion of moisture in his eyes and a warmth of something more than courtesy in his voice, when a moment later he looked up and said for the first time. “I thank you, Alice.*- Before it had always been: “I thank you, Miss Travers.” Three weeks later the men who had been accustomed to dine with Merton and play billiards with him at his dub, after trying in vain for days to account for his absence, found the solution in a line in the list of marriage licenses In an afternoon paper. It read: - Henry Merton-Alice Travers. .29-24.

Answering Her.

“Dear me, that teas terrible. Man fell overboard in midocean the other day, and never was seen again!” said Hicks. * “Drowned?” asked Mrs. Hicks hysterically. - - • “Oh; no, of course not!." said Hicks Irritably. “Sprained Ids ankle probably!"

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND,

FAMOUS TENNIS CHAMPION TRAINS IN OFFICERS’ RESERVE AT PLATTSBURG

R. Norris Williams, noted tennis champion, is one of the famous athletes in training in the Officers’ Reserve corps at Plattsburg. Many of the champion athletes of the country are training for officerships in this branch of the service. The ranks 5f the Officers’ Reserve are filled with the best possible material, the best young bl>od in America. The 5,000 men have arrived in camp and the training is under good headway. It is the largest officers training camp in the world. In- three months time these men are expected to be ready to drill the men produced by the selective draft.

PLANTZ, STAR HALFBACK.

Eddie Plants, left half of the Marquette football team, has been accepted in the aviation corps of the United States army. He passed the examination in fine style and is now ready for the call. Eddie was the boy who went through the Jackies’ line for the last and winning touchdown in the game against the Great Lakes Naval Training station eleven.

PRAISE FOR SWEDE RISBERG

Duffy Lewis Says Admirers Should Not Feel Discouraged Because He Played Bench. Duffy Lewis is one ball player who was surprised that Swede Risberg was not in the thick of the fight for the White Sox. “Swede certainly played wonderful ball all season against us,” says the Red Sox star outfielder. “In every series that we stacked up against him| he would turn in fielding plays that Were wonderful. He was hitting the ball hatd, but many times it was on a line into some one’s hands. “This boy Fred McMullin must not be overlooked, however. He gave a good account of himself in the series, and it is a matter of record that the

Swede Risberg.

fellows who get in the game at the last minute always pull off some sensational stuff. “Risberg’s admirers should not feel discouraged over the fact that he played the bench, for he made good this, year beyond a shadow of doubt, and there would not be a chance of getting him out of the American league.”

McGraw Has Reasons.

There are three reasons, why John McGraw is sorry that Edward Trowbridge Collins of Columbia didn’t go in for a Rhodes scholarship instead of baseball. They are 1911, 1913 and 1917.

Hannes Changes Clubs.

Hannes Kolehmainen, the Finn runner, is a member of the Finnest-Amer-ican Athletic club. The athlete was formerly under the colors of the IrishAmerican club.

Tom Halpin Through?

Tom Halpin, the Boston A. A. quar-ter-mile runner, is understood to have concluded his race activities.

GERMANS NOW KNOW BETTER

'Wouldn’t Believe Players Were Anything but Canadians or English Until Game Was Played. Germans held prisoners in France wouldn’t believe the American soldiers now behind the frpnt were anything else but Canadians or perhaps British until they saw them play ball. Now they know better. A writing from the front tells the story thus: The Sammies used to meet German prisoners on the road every day. Once in a while they would strike one who .could speak English—and the story was always the same. ■> “You can’t tell us you’re American,” said one German spokesman. “You’re Englishmen in American uniforms. The Americans can’t bring over troops because the U-boats are sinking their transports.” One day when the Sammies had an afternoon off two ball teams fought out the regimental championship on a typical old sand lot. Working in a distant field the German prisoners “stalled” on the job watching the game. One of the ball players met a German on his way back. “Who won?” asked the prisoner in English. “We did, 6 to 4.” The German gave in. “You must be Americans, all right,” he remarked sadly. “No Englishmen could play ball like you fellows did. I know because I used to be a fan when I was in America.”

TEBEAU RETURNS TO DENVER

Denver Paper Suggests Former Kansas City Club Owner May Take ' Over Bears Next Year. * The Denver News prints a story in which it suggests that George Tebeau, selling his Kansas City club, may return to Denver and take over the Bears, keeping them in a reorganized Western league. Tebeau back in the Western league would be odd, considering baseball history of 15 years ago, but then stranger things have happened in baseball and many an old sore has been healed by time. If memory is right Tebeau’ B former connection with Denver ended when the Western league took his franchise away from him, -on the ground that he was trying to wreck the league by assisting in organizing the then outlaw American association. I I

Indoor Tennis in New York.

The Eight Indoor courts of the Seventh 1 Regiment Tennis club of New York will witness many prominent players in action during the next few months. Play will begin with the regimental single matches on December 22d. The national single contests will b<in on February 11th.

Augie Kieckhefer to Quit.

Augie Kieckhefer, star billiardlst, has decided to abandon competition in the Interstate?' Three-Cushion league after this season, and go into his father’s business. Augie has been a topnotcher in the circuit since its organization.

Barger to Lead Memphis.

Cy Barger, the former Brooklyn pitcher; was reappointed manager of the Memphis Southern League base-*" ball club for next season. Barger bossed the Chicks the latter part of the 1917 season.

Jack Lelivelt Quits Game-.

Jack Lelivelt, once with the Washington dub, has finally quit playing bait He has accepted his unconditional release from Kansas City and has gone to his home in Chicago.

Only Two Sports Pay.

Football and basketball were the only two paying sports at Columbia university last season. More than $40,• 000 was expended for athletics, with a deficit of more than SI,OOO.

LISTENING TO DRUM CORPS.

“It is just like listening to a drum corps when you come to bat with Ray Schalk catching,” writes Oscar Vitt “He is al-ways-whistling. He uses a trill note and occasionally bursts into song. A batter has to be on his guard all the time to keep his mind on the game, for this boy Schalk is always chatting or doing something behind the bat. I cannot figure how he manages to keep it up, for he works it on every batter throughout the game.”

MAKES LONG BALK LINE RUN

Ora Morningstar Performs Unusual Feat in Contest at Detroit—Beats - Hoppe’s Record. _ Ora C. Morningstar, the latest addition to Detroit’s select family of billiard stars, gave another demonstra 1 tion of worth as a balk-liner ejj traordinary when he showed a run of 348 against one of Michigan’s leading amateurs. The match was to have a 300-point affair and Morningstar, in his third inning, continued to play until he missed on a difficult one-cushion across the table. In his effort to drive the object ball down the table and. back again into position, which complicated - the shot,

a kiss from the object ball on its return robbed him of the count by a narrow margin. However, he ran 488 points in three innings, showing runs of 40 and 100 in his first two times at the table, and averaging 102 2-3. This run is better than the best ever recorded in any match in this state. Hoppe’s 257 being the previous record in Michigan.

MITCHELL MAY HAVE ERRED

Cdb Manager May Have Passed Up Star When He Let Reuther— He Is Hard Hitter. It may be that coming events will stamp Fred Mitchell as having passed up a trick. He cut Dutch Reuther away from the Cub payroll and the southpaw hitting pitcher became a member of Christy Mathewson’s marvelous Reds. Reuther was doing fair pitching for the Cubs and his ability to be stationed most anywhere as a utility player makes him doubly valuable. He is one of the best hittingpitchers in the big league. .

NICHOLLS RESIGNS AS ‘PRO”

Gives Up Professional Golf to Enter Business—Expects His Release December 1. Gil Nicholls announces that he has deeded to give up professional golf and enter business. He said he had sent his resignation as pro to the Great Neck Golf club and expected to be released from his duties there on December L

Sharpe in Service.

Chester J. Sharpe, former Western high school athlete and Virginia Polytechnic football player, is on his way to San Antonio, Tex., to join the flying school corps. Sharpe recently passed his examinations for the aviation service. . - .

Gharrity Has Confidence.

Manager Mike Gharrity of the Portland team of the Eastern league, believes baseball will pay next season. He is trying to buy the Portland club’s franchise.

Is Champion Woman Shot.

Mrs. L. G. Vogel of St Louis, who broke 88 out of 100 targets in the Grand American shoot in Chicago recently, is considered the champion woman trai> shot of the country. >

What Giants Discovered.

lit Cicotte has anl Illegal delivery, nfo have not discovered it” said Captain Herzog of the Giants. “What we have discovered is unusual control and < variety of pitches.”

Kansas City Has Hunch.

In Kansas City they have a hunch that the American league plans to em> brace that town next year.

A LOYAL LOVE.

By EDNA LEE WATSON.

(Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Uates.) “They are yours, I believe?” “They are mine.” . 7 The man spoke with steely cold precision. There was a sneer in his tones, a menace in his evil eyes. She njet his fierce glance with unwavering mien, with a diffidence and contempt that stung him to the quick—and she the bride of a month! “I congratulate you on your powers of deceit,” he almost hissed. Adrienne Mercer raised herself to her full height “If you have discovered what you might have known, what the world could have-told you long ago, that I loved .the man who gave me these trifles before I met you, it is no revelation of deceit I know not what baleful power you held over my poor'father, dead but a week, that he drove me to wed you, because you forced him to do so. I never feigned to even respect you.” “ A model wife, truly!” grated Judge Rolfe Mercer harshly. “I am not that to you; I never will be," she returned clearly. He could have struck that fair face in his mad rage. He could have killed Vance Orton, had he stood before him. “Have a care!” he uttered through his set teeth. “I shall remember this fond lover of yours!” “He never was that. No word save of friendship ever passed between us, yet I glory in saying that he had my whole heart, and never knew.” She replaced the pretty fan, a little cluster of shriveled roses, a photograph. some invitation notes, the dead record of the one bright passage in her girlhood life, in her writing desk, whence the probing hand of her hueband had unearthed them. He came home a day later, flushed with drink and triumph. “When you read the evening paper,” he pronounced in even, but malicefreighted tones, “and recognize the sudden downfall of your idol and sole pattern of perfect manhood, Vance Orton, you will perhaps comprehend that. I have not boasted vainly of my power.” Adrienne read the account of the descent on a gambling house while its inmates wer« engaged in a riotous fracas. There was the name of the matt she loved. The judge before whom he and others had been brought had,, sentenced three of them, Including, Orton, to six months in the city bridewell. . * 'X . Adrienne then comprehended the full, despicable meanness of the man she had wedded. Before the week was out she had summarily left him. She had means of Jher own and sought a distant seclusion. Then began the downward descent of Rolfe Mercer, mercenary judge and crooked politician. He was ousted from his judidal position for accepting a bribe. Lower and lower he sank, fortune.and influence gone, until he became a common drunkard and vagabond. Vance Orton, after his unjust sentence, left the city and began a new life in a border town in Utah. He was a natural leader among men, and became such in the community. He was mayor, judge, and friend of everybody, and idolized by the rough miners of the district for his fairness.” One day a ragged, bloated, terrified wretch was brought before him, protected from the vengeance of half a dozen halfbreeds who sought to get at him as he was brought into the courtroom. At once Orton recognised him. One of the Indians was shouting out the cause arrest. Rolfe Mercer had become a common thief and tramp, had visited the hut where his mother lived, had nearly choked her-to death, forcing from her the few coins she possessed. The prisoner cowered like the craven he wqp, as ,he recognized the man who had the power to retaliate in full for past injustice. Suddenly, however, the son of the Indian woman leaped»forward, a naked blade in his hand. Before the officers could prevent him he had plunged the knife into the side of Mercer, had leaped through an open windoy and was gone. “Care for the man in every way yon, can,” ordered Orton. “His wife was a friend of my friends in the long‘ago.” But Mercer was beyond the power at human aid. It was when he was .dead that an officer brought to Orton some papers found in his clothing. One of these was of peculiar interest to Orton. For the first time he knew that husband and wife had been parted for years. The document found was a letter addressed to a lawyer 4n a distant city. It told him that the writer, Mercer, was destitute and ill. The unseen mis- : sive pleaded with the lawyer to influence his client, his wife, to assist him In his extremity. “I am going East for a few weeks,” Orton told his secretary, the day after Mercer had beep decently buried- AR those years the remembrance of Adrienne had been vivid in his mindi He longed to see her once again. . His pretense for visiting the lawyer was that he wished to Inform Hrs. Mercer of her husband’s death. It was in the office of the lawyer that he learned of the separation of wife and husband, and knew that Adrienne had never swerved from her regard and esteem for himself. The next day she sent for him. Truth dwelt ln ; the hearts of both. Their paths joined once mqre, and the sunlight of an undying wve away all those dark shadows oftbe