The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-01

to his pose of gloomy meditation, lean
ing against the wall.
Mr.. Sutton caught the words Leroy
Gold Mine" in their talk. Doubtless
they had asked who he was. Now John
Sutton owned SO much of the stock in
that famous Aladdin's Cave that he was
the Leroy Gold Mine. People in New
York knew the man only through the
mine. Mr.. Sutton shrugged his should
ers and turned his back on the Western
men. 1t gave him no pleasure to be re-
garded with awe as a money-bag.
As he turned a lad of 10 came bustling
in, shook hands with an old man at a
table, and sat down facing Mr. Sutton.
What a brown, live, merry face, and
what musclesl A country boy, certainly;
but he had evidently been long enough in
town to wish to shake off the country
stamp. That suit of clothes had been
made in village, but the necktie and
gloves were new, and in quite good
taste.
Mr.. Sutton had reached the age when
the fatherly instinct is strongest in a
man; all boys keenly interested him, but
this one pleased him suddenly and great
ly. His eyes twinkled as he watched his
awe of the head waiter, his dismay when
the French menu was handed to him, and
his effort to appear at ease and careless
with both.
'Hete, here!" he said, tossing his curly
head, "what do we want with these
Partisan kickshaws, dad ? Bring us
some roast beef and vegetables and
coffee. Coffee with the beef, if you
please"
The old man, whose stopped back in
its faded coat was turned toward Mr..
Sutton, leaned forward and whispered
anxiously.
"Oh, that's all right" laughed the
boy, pulling tiny roll of bills from his
pocket and pushing it i'll again; 81 don't
have Christmas Eve and my dad every
night !"
"a shop-boy on six dollars a week
salary" guessed Mr.. Sutton to him
self. "Takes his own sandwich at
a lunch counter, but wants to impress
the old man with the splendor of his
town life."
From their talk he gathered that the
lad had been in town for year. He was
uOinU hacly nnyu with b;c fotba, to tLo
farm on his first holiday. The farmer
had been busy all day, laying in his sup
ply of fishing tackle for the boys and
pretty merinO for your mother-she'll
never buy anything for herself-and a
ring for Jenny-only five dollars, Bob;
but the man assured ME it was mag
nificent pearl"
Bob inspected the ring anxiously. at
looks very fine" he said. I'm glad you
got her that. Jenny has no ring"
81 was afeard you'd think me extra
CANT" said the old man with delighted
chuckle. "What time does our train
go?"
mot until midnight. l say, father,
you must tell mother and Jen about my
cafe. They nag me to death for fear 1 m
not comfortable. Dye see the satin cur
tains Grand, ell ? And the pictures ?
That one by the doors a work of art,
l tell you wonder what that cost,
now ?"
More than you'll be able to buy soon,
I'm afraid, Bobby. No talk'of raising
your wages, ell? l should think in
year the head of the firm would have
found you out and seen what stuff was
in you and given you promotion. That's
what your mothers always saying. "A
man who has succeeded in the world as
that man. she says, has done it by his
keen insight into men. Trust him for
finding out our Bob I'd not be sur
prised,' she says, to see him Junior part
ner soon, tho, of course, he must have
time to master the business That's
what she says. Oh, your mothers
reasonable, Bob. She don't expect too
much for you, tho she is ambitious"
Bob rose with nervous laugh. "Mr.
Sloan has not given any sign that he
knows am in the world. I'm only
and there are forty-one of
us. Here is your hat, Sir"
"Forty-one of you ~ gasped the old |
man. Never mind, Robert, Mr. Sloan's |
you, no doubt. He knows
man and the making of one. He'll pick
you out from the forty some day; for, as
your mother says
They were out of hearing now; but
Mr.. Sutton saw the boy laugh and
throw his arm over his fathers should.
ers as they made their way through the
crowd.
He rose hurriedly. ''If 1 had a son
ike that" he thought. 1t was half
lifetime since he had thought of marry
ng. But if he had a boy to care for him
Is that young fellow did for his old
ather. The boy was, no doubt, work.
ng hard and living poorly. The making
If man, indeed Trying to cheat the
Did man with his cafes and his rolls of
bills
Mr.. Sutton lighted his cigar and
'trolled out into the night, with warm
,hrobbing in his blood new to it.
"Wrapping-clerk | A lad like that
With a iudicioua hackar xuould soon