Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-04-25

my iht cIONus Us intN Cdiiie anu went
thinking some very bitter things, i
may be. But at last went in, know.
ing that they would soon close up fol
the night, and asked to speak with Mr.
Laclede.
HE received me in his private office
where he was looking over the films
papers; and he left me standing neal
the door, and went on with his work
after looking up and saying, 'Goot
evening" There was something repul
sive about him, l thought, and / deter
mined TO try for the situation first
without saying anything about who
was. So j stated my business very con
cisely. He raised his spectacles on hi.
glistening forehead, referred from mt
to a paper he held in his hand. anC
from the paper back TO me, and ther
said:
Young man, there is no vacancy
and even if there were, for the past tive
weeks there have been on an averag,
twenty applications like this per diem
You had better apply somewhere else.
My hand was on the door-knob, but
i turned around and looked at him
Without knowing clearly how tn,
words came, said slowly:
Il am Kenneth Lane, sir. Nv father
helped you once, in the greatest ex.
tremity of your life
His face flushed little, and he in
terrupted testify:
''Ah, certainly! But you see. Mr..
Kenneth Lane, can't make situations.
Il do not know what he was going to
say. l shut the door and passed out
through the long rooms, past smiling
clerks, who no doubt read my errand
and its failure in my face, and out into
the street. | do not remember any
thing else very distinctly, except that |
seemed plunged suddenly into an alley
and from that into all kinds of no thor
oughfares - desperate places that
would have shrunk from at any other
time. | was conscious ofrushing along
at times and then blindly cropping my
way, dragging myself along slowly and
painfully, was in one of those latter
moods when | was seized and brought
to halt by two ill-fayored villains.
who proceeded to go through my pock-
cts in gallant style. Apparently dis
gusted with the general emptiness of
those receptacles they turned around to
the light.
Drunk" said one of them, '.or else
fool, don't know which,"
Come, my covey," said the other,
you air innocent, you air, and you'd
better skin out o this afore you get a
tap on the head
1T was gloomy enough, boys, | can
tell you. The sense of failure is hor-
rid thing, and it had full possession of
me then. | was young, and had fitted
myself for some of the higher, nobler
work of life, just to be thrust back and
told there were no vacancies. Right
then and there | felt that there were
powers in my brain which could win me
a name and place among men if they
were only given the opportunity.
.'Oh, boys. there was the bitterness
of il? Il might as well be a highway
robber.' | said aloud, desparingly.
THAT il is just what / think" said
voice close beside me, and when /
started and turned, there was Steve
Ranald. sitting there as coolly as if We
had walked to the place arm in arm. |
never had quite liked his cat-like way
of watching and coming on me una
wares. but il had never startled me be-
fore as it did then.
why Steve.' / exclaimed, how
came yOu here:"
''Oh, I've kept you in sight all the
evening, thought you did not seem
quite right, so | followed you. Devil
ish cool that on old Laclede, wasn't it:
The question brought me back to
my grievances. 1T was TERRIBLE /
said. My father started him in busi-
ness when he had not a friend or dol
lar in the world. When ] think of that
| could almost swear vengeance on all
mankind for that mans base ingrati-
tude.'
..Yes,' said Ranald, but remember
your American proverb. The world
owes you 4 living -.
III never be able to collect the debt
returned bitterly.
but you wouldn' I make good high
way robber, you know said Ranald
plowing up the earth with
A short stick. You haven't the right
kind of pluck
what kind does it take:' / asked
with short laugh
"Well. suppose a carriage comes
along. your first job is 10 wing the
driver. after which you can talk with
the inside passengers at your leisure.
In case its rider or foot passenger,
you can deal with him easily enough.
But then you've got to have quick
hand on the trigger, and you haven't
got the pluck you know
Haven't II / cried, with kind of
reckless daring. If was armed I'd
show YOU before tomorrow. / don't
,we the world much gratitude, and
lad as well do something desperate and
ret hanged, and done with il all
oh, as for arms, could let you have
nine.' said Ranald. not looking at me
It all, but back towards the city. But
don't like much TO do it. You'd
never use them
II need not go on TO tell you, boys,
low il all came about, but in less than
lalf an hour Ranald was on his way
,ack 10 the city. while |, with his pis-
OILS in my pocket, was striding along
he green lanes that led farther and far
her out into the country. L was des-
,erate. of course, and a burning fever
vas bounding in my pulses, confusing
Ill that did. Ii must certainly have
,een that. combined with Ranald's in
luence, that set me, Kenneth Lane, be-
lind hedge. with pistol in my hand
md a murderous intent in my heart;
While the moon shone whitley over the
,road fields and the long ribbons. of
.oad that Law between them.
.'The first that passed was a man
whose face could not see. | had my
niger on the trigger. l was just ready
o Spring out upon him, when suddenly
well. Graham, he began whistling
hat same little foolish love tune you
,sed TO be always whistling, singing
md playing at college. That made me
ROW yery weak, and / couldn't move.
il brought back all you fellows so dis
linctly. BY the way, l wonder if he 1
will ever know how near that little love
upe saved his life? Talk about the
ralue of little things, the stars might
All have fallen from their spheres, and
never have affected me as did the few
simple bars whistled by the traveller
,long the moonlit road.
Il recovered myself after little-or
rather lost myself again and began to
wonder at my weakness; and then, Just
IS had Strengthened myself up and
.aken a new hold on my resolution to
10 something desperate. ] heard the