Show STUDENT LIFE ing through the halo of a look he had ceased to hope to see Despair changed to a determined hope and he went to bed happy The realities of the morning brought back the old helpless feeling of impossibility but because of the change on the face in his vision the impossibility seemed less great As the porters helped Walden out of his coats a daintv blue envelope fell from the pocket of the fur ulster He put it into the inner pocket of his own coat intending to send it back to Jack when he sent the ulster Several stations farther on a porter expressed a package containing the coat but the letter remained forgotten in the old man’s pocket A week later he sat alone in his down town office The business he had rushed home to was sucThe year cessfully completed had been prosperous it was nearly Christmas and — the old passionate longing for companionship for the part of life he had missed came back to him Old memories rushed through his brain Then with a glow of appreciation he thought of Jack of the conversation in the sled and then of the letter still in his pocket He jumped to his feet “It may contain a clue” he exclaimed “If it does I’m going to try it It may be my story over again” He immediately sent his secretary for the letter When it came it contained a formal invi SI tation to a Christmas dinner three years before and the following note : “Dear Jack: You’ll come won’t you? I’ll be dreadfully lonely unless you do” signed “Bess” evidently the daughter of the people sending the invitation It was the clue the old man had hoped for He at once sat down and dictated three letters one to the girl telling of his ride of the coat and invitation of the greatness that had impressed him in the young man of his loneliness and of the fight he felt sure he was making to forget something Then he told in simple language the story of his own life and of another both lonely and unhappy because both had been proud too long Another went to the superintendent of his ranches telling him to give someone else charge of the “Spur” and to allow Travis leave of absence for the holidays if he asked for it The other informed Jack that the ulster had been expressed apologized for the reading of the letter and for certain other liberties which he did not name and expressed the old man’s hope to see him at Christmas An hour later Richard Walden was not so sure that he had acted wisely but ere long a visit from a very charming young lady who introduced herself as “Bess” and who was full of thanks for having been helped to do some- - |