Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-09-13
THE SECRETARY'S REVENGE.
By LEE.

By FREDERICK LEE
"Mother, I don't propose to lay
around and be a burden to you any
longer, 1 am going to earn some
money myself. You work from Mon
day morning till Saturday night, and
then scarcely manage TO get a living ;
/ am not going to let you support
me any longer"
The speaker was Tom Holman, q
tall handsome boy Of fifteen who,
with his mother, lived in the village
of c. within fifteen miles OF
New York city. Mrs. Holman was
a woman with q history. Seventeen
years before our story opens she had
been the daughter of Rufus Rallston,
a wealthy New York merchant, and
had apparently a bright future before
her. But, contrary to her fathers
wishes, she married William Holman,
a handsome but penniless clerk; and
old Rufus Rallston disowned her and
forbade her " entering his house
again. From that day to this she
had not seen her father. Ten years
after their marriage William Holman
died leaving his wit with n child.
our hero. For sometime after hi.
death Mrs. Holman managed to liv,
on what little money he had left, bu'
this was presently exhausted, and fol
two or three years past her life hat
been one constant struggle for bread
What can you do, Tom?" SIN
asked there seems to be no EN-
ployment whatever for you in c.
II know there isn't; but III tel
you what / propose TO do. / think
can get a place in New York whic
will support me, anyhow, and mayb
leave something over which 1 ca
send YOU"
81 don't know" said the mother
doubtfully ''there are hundreds {
applicants for every position. BIZ
you might try" f..'aa.
"All right; I'll start to-morro
morning." a2-9e sa aH@ III
He did so; and for three da,
searched almost increasingly for
place. But everyone was ''fuil +;
there seemed to be- no opening f
him in the great city. On the ate
noon of the third day, as he W:
walking up Broadway, his eye fell {
a large sign. over q mammoth Who'll
sale dry goods store: 'Rufus Ral
ston & Co."
"By jingo, that's my grandfather
store" he said, beneath his breat
ssShall I try there? Twill anyhow
He entered the store and waikiki
up to the desk asked: .l
ssDo you want a boy, sir!"
An old gentleman whose pictu
Tom had often seen at home, OIL
whom he knew to be Rufus Rallst'
himself, replied by askipg,H
s'What can you do?'' Ia 1889 u
Anything" was the response.
s'We'll soon see about that,
piled the old man, smiling. lilo
ever, ] do happen to be in want o.
young man ; in fact, l was just VT
ing an advertisement for the morni
papers. 1 want q copyist, to who
can give employment for seyeai
months-perhaps permanently. =
you write well!" t
"Yes, sir" rr-r.4 le
'sLet me see q specimen OF yo
handwriting" aa
Tom seated himself at o desk q
wrote a few lines, which he hand
to Mr.. Rallston. ...r stH
"verv good said the old man,
he glanced over them, 81 guess y
will do. Who are your references
81 live in c., sir, and c
refer to anybody in that place
San right; bring ME q writ
reference tomorrow from Mr.. job
son of that place, with whom / q
acquainted. / like your looks, Ial
have no doubt it will be all coiret
You may come Tomorrow mornil
prepared to work. BY the way,
did not mention the pay.aoH Is +
dollars a week" l2nt ~.
This was more than Tom had e
pected, He was about leaving u
store when Mr.. RalIston said: I'd
81 forgot to ask your name" {
Thought Toms 97t 40
"IfI give him my real name he
know who ! am and won't engat
me-" So, acting on the impulse
the moment, Inc replied: ATam 3i,i
tsTom Smith, sir.,' 4 { e
When he had left the store q ne
difficulty presented itself In q
probability, Mfr Johnson In writin
the Recommendation would mentio
his real name. ThisIworrisd Tom
good deal but after all the gentle
man only referred to him as SIN
Young friend Tlsomas.s, lo5sod y
Tom secured q boarding place i