The Stick-In-The-Muds
by Rupert HughesGenre: Drama
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Short Story
Recommended Adaptation Length:
Candidate for Adaptation? Not Likely
EXCERPT:
The world waited for them and needed them without knowing it; it would have rewarded them with thrilled attention and wealth and fame. But silence was their portion, silence and the dark and an ache that had no voice.
Joel listened to Luke’s elegy and groaned: “Gee!”
But he had an optimism like a powerful spring, and it struck back now with a whirr: “I’ll tell you what, Luke. Just you wait till I’m rich, then I’ll give you a job as vice president, and you can marry Kitty and live on Broadway, in Noo York.”
“I’ve got over believin’ in Sandy Claus,” said Luke.
Joel saw little of him during this vacation and less during the next. Being by nature a hater of despair, he avoided Luke. He had fits of remorse for this, and once he dared to make a personal appeal to old Mr. Mellows to send Luke away to school. He was received with scant courtesy, and only tolerated because he gave the father a chance to void some of his bile at the worthlessness of Luke.
“He’s no good; that’s what’s the matter of him. And willful too–he just mopes around because he wants to show me I’m wrong. But he’s only cuttin’ off his own nose to spite his face. I’ll learn him who’s got the most will power.”
Joel was bold enough to suggest: “Maybe Luke would be differ’nt if you’d let him go to college. You know, Mr. Mellows, if you’ll ‘scuse my saying it, there’s some natures that are differ’nt from others.
COMMENTS:
Covers a great number of years in the lives of two young boys/men. Is there a storyline and conflict?, or just things which happen TO them?
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