Show I I THE TH By O. O HENRY I I Doubleday lago by Co published by special arrangement I I. I with th the Ih he Wheeler Syndicate Inc the Let the story wreck Itself on spreading rails 0 of the tho Non on Limited If li rais It will o first jou ou must ta take te your seat I in wJ the observation car I II Raison detre for one moment I It is IR for no lon longer cr than to consider a H briefs brief essay s a on the the subject subject lot let us 15 UI call cal it I it hats hat's Around the Co ler CO Coiner ner I Inne mundus in auas st c-st men eSt men who t wear ear and audi pay taxes poll and men who discover er new flew continents There There- are no more mOle conti- conti continents COlt COlt- to discover but l by lr y the th time tinie overshoes overshoEs arc are out of date and the poll pol has developed into an Income tiLt la the oilier r half hal wit wll wI be bl th the canals of Mars with radium railways l Fortune Chance and anti Adventure are given as InOUS in the diction diction- arles aries To the knowing each tach has a d different dif dlf- ferent meaning Fortune Fortuno is the road rOd to it It Chance i Is what may lurk lurl Inthe inthe in the shadows at the roadside 1 The he he race face of Fortune is radiant and Ind alluring ng that of Adventure flushed and heroic The face of Chance Is th the beautiful countenance perfect perfect b because vague I and dream born that born that we WO sec see In our teacups at breakfast while we growl over our chops and toast a oV- oV The is do one who ho keeps his eye on the tue hedgerows and wayside groves and meadows meado's while he travels the road to Fortune That is the du- du ference between him and the Adventurer Adventurer Eating the forbidden fruit was the best record ever made by a Ven- Ven ven Trying to prove that it happened happened happened hap hap- is II the highest work of the te AO 1 Ad venturesome To be either is disturbing disturbing disturb disturb- ing to the cosmogony of creation creaton So SOl SOlas I 1 as sawed bracket-sawed and city citizens let us tight light our pipes chide I the children and the cat arrange ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves In the willow rocker under the the flickering gas jet at the coolest window win window win win- dow and scan this little tale of two two mo modern ern followers of Chanco Did you ever hear that story about the man from the West asked I I in the little oak dark-oak room room J to your left lef as you penetrate the in- in tenor of the Powhatan club In-I In I Doubtless said John Reginald Forster rising and leaving the room I Forster got his straw hat straws I 1 will wil be In and maybe mabe out again long before this is la printed from the checkroom checkroom checkroom check check- room boy and anci nd walked out of the air airas airas all II I as Hamlet says was used to having his stories stories insulted and would not mind Forster was in his I j favorite mood and wanted to go away I I I from anywhere A man in order to get on good terms with himself must I have opinions corroborated and his I moods matched by some one else I I had written t that somebody but u an A. A edD D. D T. T boy h who o's once took a telegram tele tele- el I I gram grain for tor me pointed out that I could I save money by using the compound I word This is a vice versa case Forster's favorite mood was that of i greatly t desiring lr to be a follower O of I h oV Chance Ii He lIe was a tu by nature ur but convention birth tradition and the I narrowing influences of the tribe of Manhattan had denied him full ful I liege lege He had trodden all al the main main- traveled thoroughfares and many of or the side roads that are supposed to re relieve relieve re- re lieve leve the tedium of life But But none had sufficed The reason was that he I knew what was to be found at the end lof of every street street He I knew new from ex exI experience experience ex- ex I and logic almost precisely to what end each digression from routine must lead He found a depressing the monotony n music rc in of all his Ns the sphere e variations r had grafted that upon the tune of life He lie had not learned that although the world was made round the circle has been squared and that Its Is true interest Isto is isto isto to be found in Around the Corner Forster walked abroad aimlessly from t the tho Powhatan t trying I n not to t tax either r his s Pj judgment t or his s desire s e eI as asI asto I to what streets he traveled He would I have been glad to lose his way If It I I I were possible but he had no hope of I that Adventure and Fortune move I at your beck and call can In the Greater City but Chance Is oriental oriental She Is Isa isa a veiled lady in a sedan chair protected protected protected pro- pro by a special traffic squad of dragomans Crosstown uptown and downtown you may move without seeIng seeIng seeing see- see Ing her At the end of an hours hour's stroll Fors- Fors ster stood on a corner of a broad smooth avenue looking disconsolately across it at a picturesque old hotel softly softy but brilliantly lit lt Disconsolately Disconsolate Disconsolate- ly because he knew that he must dine and dining in that hotel was no ven yen ture It I was one of his favorite caravansaries car car- and so silent ilet lent and swift would be the service and so delicately choice the food that he regretted the hunger that must be appeased by the dead perfection of the places place's cuisine Even Kven the music there seemed to be always playing da capo Fancy came to him that he would dine at some cheap even dubious restaurant restaurant restaurant res res- lower down In the city where the erratic chefs from all al countries of the world spread their national cookery cookery cook cool ery for th the omnivorous American Something might happen there out of or orthe the routine routine routine-he he he might come upon a subject without a predicate a road without an end a question queston without an answer a cause without an effect a gulf stream In lifes life's salt sal ocean He had not dressed for evening he ho wore a dark business suit that would not be questioned even where the waiters walters served the spaghetti in their shirt shirtslEeves shirtsleeves slEeves sleeves So John Reginald Forster began to search bearch sEarch his clothes for money because the more cheaply you dine the more surely must you pay All Al of the thirteen thirteen thirteen thir thir- teen pockets ets large and small smal of his business suit stilt he explored carefully and found fount not tot a penny His ban bank It book showed a balance of five figures to his credit credi in the Old Ironsides Trust rust company but but but- Forster became aware of a man nearby at hi his left lef hand who was really realy regarding him with some a amusement Ho He looked like any business man of thirty or so co neatly dressed and standIng standIng stand- stand Ing in iii the attitude of one waiting for fora a street car But there was no far line lne on that avenue So his proximity and unconcealed curiosity seemed to Forster to partake of the nature of a personal Intrusion But ut as at he was a consistent seeker after Around the Corner instead of manifesting re resentment resentment re- re he ho turned embar half only a hai-embar- hai smile smie upon the tLe others other's grin of amusement amusement All Al In asked the Intruder drawing drawing draw draw- Jn ing nearer Seems so said Forster Now I th thought g tl there was yass a dd d dollar l In inOh in- in Oh I know said d the other man lan with wih a laugh But But there Ive I've Ive just been through the same process procEss I m myself as I J was around the tho ther sel coring coming r C. C in 0 na ff vest f k r C. C in 0 na ff vest f k an nn upper i pocket pock pock- oc et I et-I I dont don't know how they got there there there- x i I 0 o 0 You know what kind of r a dinner exactly two pennies will wil bu buy You haven't dined then asked Forster I have not But I would to Now ow Ill I'll 1 make you OU a proposition You look 1001 like a man who would take up one Your clothes look 1001 neat and re respectable re- re Excuse personal personalities I think mine will wil pass the scrutiny of a I head waiter walter also Suppose we go over to that hotel and dine together We will choose from the menu like mil mil- I or or or If i you jou prefer like gentlemen gentlemen gen gen- mi- mi temen in moderate circumstances dining dining din din- ing extravagantly for once When we have finished we will wi match with wIt my two pennies to see which of us will wil stand the brunt of tho the houses house's displeasure ure and vengeance My ly name is Ives I think we ha have halved lived In the same station station sta sta- tion of life life before before our mosey took wings wings Youre on said Forster joyfully Here was a venture at least within I the borders of the mysterious mysterious' country of Chance Chance anyhow anyhow it promised someI something some some- thing better beter than the stale of a table hote I Tho two were soon seated seated at a corner I table in the hotel dining room Ives I chucked ed one of his pennies across the table tahle to Forster I Match for which of us gives the or order ori or- or der he said a i dei Forster o e lost st st. Ives laughed and began to name s and anti viands lands to the waiter walter with I the a absorbed but calm calm deliberation of I one who was to the menu born Forster Fors Fors- ter tel listening gave his admiring ap ap- ap- ap of or the order r I un am a a man saUl said fid Ives during the oysters who has made a lifetime s search earch after the to to in c next otI our 1 I am not like the thE ordinary ln 1 adventurer who strikes for a coveted prize Nor yet am I like a gambler who knows he is either to win or lose los losea a 1 certain set stake What I 1 want Is Isto Isto isto I t to encounter encounter-an an an adventure to I 1 Ican Ican can predict no conclusion Tt Ii Is th the tho t breath of existence to me to tr dare daie 1110 Fate I In Its Is blindest manifestations The rhe world I has conic come to lun iun bo so much C by r rote and ara gravitation llo t that r you ou I can enter j i upon hardly any alY footpath of chance chancO chance In I j i which you do not find signboards In- In i terming you of what you may expect a at Its end I J am l like e the clerk In the Circumlocution Office who always alwa's complained complained com corn T bitterly when al any one came I In to ask Information He wanted wante to 1 know you know was wap the kick klel he i made to his fellow clerks derks Vei Well Vell I 1 dont don't want to tel know 1 I dont don't want to i reason 1 I dont don't want to tu gm guts gut's Ills Ill's I want i to lo l lCt het el my hand without seeing It I. I I understand said Forster delight delight- edly Ive Ive often ofen wanted santed th the way I feel put into words Youve You've done it j I want to take chances on what's com com- ir Suppose we have a a bottle botte of Moselle Mo Moselle o- o selle with the next course Agreed Hal said ves ives Im glad you catch my Idea It will Increase the I wi animosity of the house hOUM toward the loser If H it does docs not weary you wo will wil pursue the theme Only a few times have I met a true one one who does not ask a schedule and map from Fate a nhe begins a Journey U But a as the e world becomes more o Civilized Civilized Civil Civil- ir Ize and wiser the more difficult It I Is Isto Isto isto to come upon an adventure the end of which you cannot foresee In the gl Elizabethan days you could assault assaul the watch wring knockers from doors and have a jolly joly set to with wih the blades in e any 7 convenient c angle anIe 1 UL UI of a wall wal AU and J I I I I 1 II I I j I I I I I I I I I i I I e any 7 convenient c angle anIe 1 UL UI of a wal AU get away with It It Nowadays If I you I speak disrespectfully to a policeman I all al that Is left lef to the most moat romantic I Ifancy fancy is to conjecture In what particular particular I ular police station staton he will wil land you I know know know-I I know said Forster nO nodding I I ld returned approval to akew New York today continued con con- con I j Ives from a three years years' ramble ram ram- i I ble around the globe Things are not I much better beter abroad than they are at home The whole world seems to beI be I I overrun by conclusions conclusIons The only thing that Interests me greatly is a premise Ive I've Ive tried shooting greaty big game in Africa i iI I know what an express rifle rife wil will doat do doat I at so many yards yards' and when an elephant elephant ele elephant ele- ele I or a rhinoceros falls fals to the bullet bullet bul bul- let I enjoy it about as much as Idid I Ij I II did When I 1 was kept In after school to do a sum in long division on the blackboard I know I know I know said Forster There might be something In aeroplanes aeroplanes aero aero- planes went on Ives reflectively Ive tried ballooning but it seems to tobe tobe tobe Ive be merely a dried cut cut and affair of or wind and ballast t. t I I Women omen bala suggested Forster with Ith a sr smile I Iwas T I Iwas Three months ago said Ives I I I was pottering O around in one n of the bazars r in eB Constantinople r I noticed o a alady alady I lady veiled of course but with a pair pall 1 of especially fine eyes visible who was wasI I examining some amber and pearl or ornaments ornaments or- or at one of or the booths With Wih her was an attendant attendant-a a big Nubian as black as coal coal After a while the attendant drew nearer to me by degrees and slipped a scrap of paper into my hand I looked at it when I got a chance On it was crawled hastily in I pencil The arched gate of ot the Nightingale Nightingale Night Night- I le Garden at nine tonight tonight Does I Itha that tha appear to you to be an interesting interest Interest- I ing premise Mr Ir Forster I Go on said Forster eagerly I made inquiries and learned that I the Nightingale Garden was the property property property prop prop- erty of an old Turk Turl a a a grand vizier 1 or something of the sort Of course 1 I II I prospected for the arched gate and was there at nine The same Nubian at atI attendant attendant at- at I I opened the gate prompt promptly on onI I time and I went inside and sat on a bench by a perfumed fountain with the Jle veiled lady We Ve had quite an extended I chat She was Myrtle Thompson a ai i lady journalist who was writing up the Turl Turkish harems for a Chicago newspaper She said she noticed the i i New NEw York cut of my clothes in the I I bazar and wondered if i I coul couldn't nt work something into the metropolitan papers about it it i I see said Forster I see I Ive Ive canoe canoed through Canada said saidI I Ives down many rapids and over I m many n falls tais But I seem to get what I wanted out of it i because I I knew there were only two possible outI outcomes out out- I comes comes l I would either go to the bottom I I or arrive at se seal level level Ive I've Ive played all al I games at cards but the mathematicians I clans cans have spoiled that sport by computing com corn the percentages Ive I've Ive made ac acI acquaintances ac- ac on trains I Ive I've answered I advertisements n s r Ive I've rung n strange a doorbells door door- bels bells Ive I've Ive taken every chance that pre- pre i itself itsel but there has always been the conventional con ending the ending the logical i conclusion to the premise premise I 1 I know repeated Forster Ive Ive I felt l It all But Ive I've had few V chances to take a e my cl chance c at c chances f Is there I any life so devoid of Impossibilities as asI asI I life in this city There seems to be bea beI I a myriad of opportunities for testing I I the undeterminable but not one In a I thousand tails fails fais to land you where you I expected It to stop I wish the subI subways sub sub- I ways and street cars disappointed one oneas oneas as seldom seldom I The sun has |