Judge — July 1938 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ba at sarelc et There was once a man who Could have been anything; “WHAT'S THE MATTER, CHILDREN? WHY DON’T YOU GO TO SLEEP?’ “WE WANT A DRINK.” THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T By Richard Le Gallienne but he Wouldn't, just Wouldn't. His friends attributed his strange Unwillingness to various causes, Some said he really Couldn't; but nobody except people who couldn't themselves really thought so. Some said it was nothing short of wicked of him, with such gifts. Some said if only shey Could, how gladly they Would— with such gifts! Meanwhile the man smoked cigars and smiled. Now, he really could have done a great deal. He could have made money. He could have married the most beautiful woman in the world—that is, af- ter he had made all the money in the world. He could have emi- grated, and rented the countryseat of an English Duke—as a step to the English peerage. He could have become an English lord—think of it! with such gifts. Or he might have become an honored pillar of his own country, and something better than a peer—a Trust. = ~ RABBITS WILL BE RABBITS “It’s A GIRL,—TWENTY OF THEM.” The Judge Album—1905-1910 But instead, he merely smiled and smoked cigars. Infamous! There was nothing he might not have aspired to. He might have entered New York politics—with such “gifts”! He might have been the intimate friend of the President— even the President himself. He might have received the Cross of the Legion of Honor. He might have called on the Kaiser. But no! he preferred to smile and smoke cigars. Nor was this strange lethargy to be excused by lack of opportunity, -It was not that his gifts were unappreciated. Their value was well known, and indeed there was no little competition among the Brain-Trusts for his services, It was well known that he had been offered huge annual sums for an hour or two a day. The money value placed upon his head far ex- ceeded that placed upon the head of the most ex- P pensive criminal. — He had been offered $25,000 for five minutes of his advice—so high 45 comicbooks.com