The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-01-26
BLOOMSBURY. PA, FRIDAY. JANUARY g. 1877.

lunuS. L DelleNe uOHe VI YOU eNeT saw nun,
did you? wish you had known him. He
was half French, and that accounts for some
peculiar traits in his character. A magnif-
cent looking fellow, with certain kind of
fascination about him that you.couldn't re-
sist couldn't, know. He led me into
all kinds of scrapes that never would have
thought of going into, and it was impossible
to blame him. He had such u merry, light
hearted way with him when he chose, that
took me quite by storm.
Well, as / said, our condition was about
the same, financially, so we joined together
and rented a room in very cheap but re-
spectacle neighborhood. We kept bachelors
hall there very comfortably for awhile, while
| hunted employment, and he compounded
wonderful French dishes out of nothing.
81 suppose in my search for employment,
had started out with some foreign power
or Postmaster General, OF something of that
kind. My aspirations, safter declining for
several weeks, like decreasing series in
Geometrical Progressions-the bete noir OF
my boyhood--at last pointed at an ordinary
clerkshp in some mercantile establishment
as happiness beyond comparison. Even
here was doomed to disappointment, and
then gave up the struggle. | had spent
my last dollar that morning. All day had
walked from street to street, from square to
square. My limbs were aching with the un.
accustomed exercise, my brain was in a
whrl. knew one man whom my father
had befriended years ago. in the days of his
prosperity, when the man was in great dis
tress. Since then, Fortunes wheel had
turned, and my father had died in poverty
while Mr.. Laclede was one of the money
| kings of the city. Can you understand why
| would not go to him until every other re-
source had failed Even then | went slow
| ly and reluctantly. I stood before the dool
in the caslight, W tching the crowds as they
came and went, and thinking some very bit
ter things, it may be. in, knowing tina
they would soon close up for the night, auc
asked to speak with Mr.. Laclede.
"He received me in his private Office
where he was looking over and filing papers
and he left me standing near the door, ant
went ON th his work, after once looking
up and saving, Good evening There wa
something repulsive about him. thought.
determined to try for the situation first, with
out saying anything who was. So state
my business very concisely. He raised hi
spcctacles upon his glistening forehead, re
ferred from me to paper he held, and fror
the paper back to me, and then said:
young man. there is no vacancy, an
even if there were, for the past two week
there have been, on an average. twenty al
plications like this per diem. You had be-
ter apply somewhere else
"My hand was on the door knob, but
turned around and looked at him. Will
out knowing clearly how the words came,
said slowly:
81 am Kenneth Lane, sir. My faith
helped you once, in the greatest extremity
your life "
'His face flushed little, and he inte
rupted testify :"
a "Ah, certainly But you see, Mr.. he
= reth Lane | can't make situations"
/ 81 don't know what else he was going
4 say. shut the door, ,and passed out, ,throul
Y the long rooms past smiling cerks-who
: doubt read my errand and its failure in II
t face, and out into the street. do not
member anything else, very distinctly, e
a cent that seemed plunged suddenly into
# alley, and from that into all kinds OF
Thorough htares-desperate places, that
l. would have shrunk from at any other tin
1t I was conscious of rushing along
times. and then of blindly cropping my W
)" dragging myself along slowly and painful
r. It was in one of these latter moods whei
is was seized and brought to a halt by two
Ig favored Williams who proceeded to go throu
nv pockets in gallant style. Apparen
Of disyusted with the general emptiness
,e those receptacles, they turned me around
p the light.
of "Dmnk" said one of them, 'or else 70
~ don't know which,
u ''tOmp, my Convey, shii ti''''''' ''
op innocent. YOU air, and you'd better 81
ID out Of this al0rc you get tap on
n, heal"
nd q skinned out Of thi', and soon tol
1N myso.e laaytng the city behind, ard com
! ont on tl.o road fields, lying white and :
y, beneath I y 'ght of the moon. Then
ol sense bngau rsturang, and ! sat down
1u the side Of the road barred my head,
IN tried to look calmly at my situation
rather my wan5 oione
- at was gloomy enough, ooys, can
-, Won. The sense NJ failure j. horrld tn
and If hal fan uos,r,sinu "f me then.
:, wa, 20 ms, aud had fitted m sell for on
The higher. nobler works of life, ju-i t.
~, thrown back and told that there were no
~ c,ncir~. Right then aud there ! felt
=, there were powers in my braia which co
v" win ne name and place among me
they were only given the opportunity.
," hovs. there was the bitterness Of it
i" might as well be a highway robberH
-. aloud, despairingly.
re- "That's Just what | think = said v
of close beside me, and when ] started
ot- turned there was Steve Ranald sitting t
;sh as coolly as if we had walked to the 7
ga arm in arm. never had quite liked
m. catlike way of watching and coming Of
nod urawares, but it had never startled m
,ial 70, as it did then.
"NNhy, Steve! | exclaimed, how
} to you here p
ing "()h, Pve keptyou in sight all the
of ming, thought you didn't seem quite
| to 30 70 flowed. Devilish cool, that,
our Laclede, wasn't it%
SIX "The question brought me back +
grievances. 1T was terrible ! said.
fter father sta rted him in business when h
not A frieLd or dollar in the world
lner I think of that, could almost swea
,ari. ,,.nEinI for .hat mo m