Here the latent power of the story-teller, the poet and the dramatist was awakened; in any other pursuit the talent would have quietly died, as it has died in the breasts of thousands who, singularly enough, have not stood in the path of Chance.
Socially, Warrington was one of the many nobodies; and if he ever attended dinners and banquets and balls, it was in the capacity of reporter.

But his cynical humor, which was manifest even in his youth, saved him the rancor and envy which is the portion of the outsider.
At length the great city called him, and the lure was strong.

He answered, and the long battle was on.

Sometimes he dined, sometimes he slept; for there's an old Italian saying that he who sleeps dines.

He drifted from one paper to another, lived in prosperity one week and in poverty the next; haggled with pawnbrokers and landladies, and borrowed money and lent it.