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Life, 1925-11-05 · page 47 of 50

Life — November 5, 1925 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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Life — November 5, 1925 — page 47: Life, 1925-11-05

What you’re looking at

This short story satirizes how **fame and success can arrive through pure accident rather than merit**. The protagonist, Gerald Byrne, is a struggling portrait painter living in poverty on Bank Street. After taking aspirin for a headache, he falls asleep. His landlady discovers an empty bottle labeled with a bichloride of mercury (a poison) and calls police, assuming he attempted suicide. This triggers newspaper headlines proclaiming him a "Brilliant Young Artist, Lacking Recognition, Tries to End All." The irony: the resulting publicity—built entirely on a false suicide attempt—generates three portrait commissions, transforming him into a wealthy, successful man living on Park Avenue surrounded by luxury and society. The story's title, "Fame, the Mercurial," puns on both Mercury (the Roman god of commerce and trickery) and the literal mercury poisoning misunderstanding. It mocks how **arbitrary and undeserved success can be**, and how **public perception matters more than actual talent or circumstance**. Modern readers would recognize this as an early satire of manufactured celebrity.

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

ATOUCH of the ORIENT scoplerion the fascinating, sae beauty of the Orient. An alluring seductive touch that comes URIN SEYES Sun Wind ‘Bust % Cinders andafier Golf, Metering rns Ontdooe Sport As eerona a” REW eter re (on shects and envelope ftape-—-print order carefully GTATIONERY refierts personality ted with 78 SHEETS AND wWakeneld”, 8 nipple hand The Louvain Library Fund Lire again appeals for the Louvain Fund. America promised the Belgians she would help “restore the years that the locust hath eaten,” by rebuilding the Louvain Library, destroyed during the War, so it should again be a Mecca for the world’s students and scholars. The new Library is to be a permanent me- morial to the American soldiers who died overseas, giving their lives for our country. We want that promise kept, that Memorial completed and paid for. Won't you help? Previously acknowledged. -$931. 00 Aron., Plainfield, N. J... 1,00 $932.00 MASONIC Books, Monitors, Bibles, Aprons, Jewelry and Lodge Supplies. Send for catalogue & of books and jewelry: catalogue 6 of Lodge Supplies. No obligations. REDDING & CO. (Established 1859) 9 West 23d Street New Yerk City —_—sSeeeeeee \ Safe and Diet For INFANTS, Children, Invalids, Narsing Mothers, etc. Avoid Imitations — ass torHorlick’s The ORIGINAL Malted Milk + LIFE Fame, the Mercurial Havine been three years abroad, I expected to find things changed when I returned. But I must admit that I did not anticipate finding anything new in the condition of Gerald Byrne, the young portrait painter. He was not in the garret on Bank Street when I called. A young lady gave me his Park Avenue address. I taxied thence, and on the street before the house encountered a string of automobiles that could be called to- gether only by one of three functions: a fashionable reception, a motion pic- ture divorce trial, or an Italian fun- eral. I doubted that my friend was a participant in ‘any. Still, I determined to inquire. The house, it developed, was his. A series of dignified flunkeys passed me through successive stages of lux- ury to the reception hall. There, amid more glorious ladies and exalted Pekes than I had ever seen, was Gerald, one- time Crown Prince of Poverty. He greeted me warmly, but it was late in the afternoon before he was rid of his guests and free to talk with me. “How on earth did you do it?” I asked, with that delicate tact for which 1 am noted. “As a matter of fact, I didn’t,” he answered. “I tried hard to dodge, but somehow I couldn't.” “Ah, yes!” said I, with comprehen- sive understanding. Gerald appreciated my discernment. “It was all accidental,” he explained. “I had a headache one afternoon, cause best not mentioned. I took some aspirin and finally dozed off. “My landlady—you remember that awful creature on Bank Street—came to call me. Then she called the police. They called an ambulance and the newspaper reporters. “The next morning I was on every front page in town as ‘Brilliant Young Artist, Lacking Recognition, Tries to End All.’ I tried to explain. No one would listen to me, and the next week I received three commissions for por- traits. I've been turning them away ever since,” he concluded with a grin. “But why——” I was about to ask, when Gerald anticipated my query. “Oh,” he resumed. “About the landlady. You see, I had broken the aspirin bottle, so I transferred the tablets to another that was empty. It happened to have a bichloride of mer- cury label on it, and so that kindly soul put two and two together to make a newspaper sensation.” “Then did you expect—.” But again my question was made needless. “I anticipated nothing, my dear boy.” Gerald advanced. “Although I will admit that I always regarded Fame as somewhat mercurial.” JILK.M. For Tough Beards . or J Tender Skins ‘OU will find relief and comfort in a jar of In- gram's Therapeutic Shaving Cream. It rapidly softens the toughest beard and pre- vents shaving irritation. Its exclusive properties soothe and cool the skin and heal troublesome little cuts. It leaves your skin soft, cool, invigorated and refreshed. Thousands of men have told us that it makes shavin; a pleasure—no longer a job to be dreaded. If your druggist cannot supply you, send $0c. for the blue jar that contains six months of shav- ing comfort. 2c. stamp for sample. Frederick F. Ingram Co. Extabliched 1885 1938 Tenth St., ctroit, Mich. Ba] Also Windsor, Canada Made particularly ngs Jor tender skins Moonlight Mrs. Juccs: The moon is so beauti- ful to-night. Won't you come out on the porch and watch it, dear? Mr. Juccs: Yes; just a minute till I find my magazine. “Bring my book along, too, will FOR DANDRUFF free on request. ie will tell yoo many oer rae 1s GOOD For repairing chi: er Cements, 200 per Dottie at dealers. comicbooks.com