One Man in a Thousand.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8038, 27 January 1906, Page 4

One Man in a Thousand.

I. To this day, Theodore Dodd doesn't iuito understand how it was that his rorvlnco turned out as it did—or, to be more f.-.af did not turn out at all, but explode/! m'o nothingness, like a bubble in mid air. E-. tr > now, he will carelessly twist at the riser where a vivid imagination has endowed .iLr with a luxuriant moustache, and muueiil. alhrin that, but for some slight, uiii.iiov,fi circumstance, he would be helping to unjot a handsome income, instead of standing all day behind a shop counter. ' It happened in this way. One morning he boarded a car si his usual lime and plnce. Settling dmvn into the Inst unoccupied seat, he immediately buried himself in his paper, lest he s-ioi.ld bo expected to make room for a lady '.vho iiad just entered. After informing himsrll at ihu news of the world by a cursory glanoe at the largest headlines, he turned to a numlei trial and two prize-fights. Having mentally reversed the judge's decision in each ease, he next sought the "agony column,' as being the only other part of the paper worth perusal. The. following paragraph immediately caught his eye, and touched his sympathetic heart: Orphaned heiress wishes to correspond with a gentleman (object matrimony) who can manage her affairs for her, but' whoso affection must be disinterested.

He read it through again, with no thought but oi pity for a friendless girl. "After all," he moralised, what selfish brutes wo men are ! Instead of leading a useless life, striving after my .own creature comforts, what a ray of sunshine I might brinj; into that poor girl's heart by giving her some one to love and cling to ! " All day this sentimental spirit was upon him, enwrapping his senses so closely that he gave short change to no less than live customers, and forgot to be rude when it was noticed. On his way home, he made up his mind to put all thoughts of self aside, r.nd sacrifice himself to the friendless girl. With this noble resolve in his mind, he speir. the evening composing an answer to the advertisement. His iirstattempt began : Dearest, I should love you as much as if you sold flowers in the street. This seemed to express too much sentiment considering their lack of acquaintance, so ho tore it up and tried again. Madam, I can present excellent testimonials as to my business capacities. This seemed too formal and had to be rejected, but eventually, he turned out an cilorl which would, he liattered himself, convince a trust magnate of his business powers, or bring .sentimental tears to the eyes at a marble statue, lie had not long to wait for a reply ; next

evening he found u little scented note awaiting hiui on his return home. His fiu"ers trembling with eagerness, lie opened it, "nd scanned the contents with incieasing dciight. My l)ear Mr. Dodd: Of all the hundreds of letters which I liavo received in answer to my m;vcrtiselnent, yours is the only 011 c in wliSllj jor.lid greed does not show through a vcn.M of mock affection. It is hard that that should be so many eager to enrich themselves at the expense of a friendless girl of twentj, hut you, I feel, arc different. I have taken Box A at the Grand Theater for to-morrow night. Will you be in tile theater with a led carnation in yonr buttonhole? If you are, please come and see me between the acts. Yours gratefully, Auxi:s C P.S.—My father left me a hundred thousand dollars. I thought 1 might nienti in it, though I know that the fact will not inttuence you in any way. In Dodd's dream that night, a fair, sylph like creature answering to the name of Agnes figured largely, though not so conspicuously as a motor car and a small steam yacht. The next afternoon he left the "shop early ind purchased a seat at the theater with the air of one who usually tool; a box. On the boards outside he read the announcement that "The Prince of Freedom " would be played as a benefit performance for 11/. Mcßooth, the leading man. Then lie made his way home -purchasing a large carnalisn and a collar of extraordinay height ou the the way. Dressing proved such a lengthy operation that the curtain was Already up when Inmade his way into the theater and pushed along to his seat in the dim light. On the stage, Mr. Mcßooth ranted and tore his hair on a moonlit liver bank to slow music. This necessitated a lowering of lights, and in con sequence Dodd was unable to discern the oc cupant of Box A till the end of the first act. When the lighls were turned up, he dis covered several (nets simultaneously. The house was crowded with men, to the alino:; 1 . entire exclusion of the fairer sex. Each man wore a red carnation in his buttonhole ; an.l hundreds of opera «las-:es, eyes, speeli'iele:: and eye-glasses were directed at li.ix A wherein sat an'old gentleman who was spec,! ily growing purple with astonishment ami linger. IfBehind the scenes, Mr Mcßooth was niak ing calculations on the back of an old en ve lope. " Stamps, scented note paper, and adver tisements in newspapers, twelve dollars fifrr Box oflice takings, eight hundred dollars more than last night. Not so had," he I murmured moving into the wings for his next I entrance.—By F. .J. K. Amux, in "Munsey "