The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-07-10


that his dad might come to harm with
out him.
Somehow life was no more the same
to Amund after his loss of the Little
Chaps companionship. There was no
Joy any more in his work. and it seemed,
too, that his luck had deserted him.
Once he ran file, the handle of which
broke, into his hand, and another time
he nearly split his kneepan with an
adj. Then he was laid up for three
weeks. Provisions ran very low in the
house. Kari, his wife, began to talk
about applying for help to the guardians
of the poor. 1t was then the plan ma
tured in Amund's mind to cross the
ocean and begin life over again In the
new world where a man of his skill
certainly could accomplish something
more than to keep out of the poorhouse.
Accordingly, though it nearly broke
his heart to part from the Little Chap,
he crossed the Atlantic, promising to
send for the family as soon as he had
founded home for them in the great
west He begged hard to be allowed to
take the Little Chap with him, but
Kari would not listen to that, because
to her the Little Chap was kind Of
pawn, a guarantee that her husband
meant to keep his word and send for
her and the undesirable girls as soon as
his circumstances warranted. Her con-
science was not quite easy in regard to
her treatment of him, and she could af-
ford to take no chances.
Amund arrived in Chicago at time
when skilled carpenters were scarce and
wages high. There was great deal Of
building going ON, and he had no diff
Guilty in obtaining work. He was mas
ter in his trade, thoroughly honorable,
frugal and industrious 1t is not to be
denied, however, that life is dreary
affair to one who tolls and tolls from
morning till night, and whose starved
heart cries out every hour and minute
of the day for one who is far away.
Where is the Little Chap now? What is
the Little Chap doing now? How does
he look? Does he care so much for his
dad as he did, and is he eager as ever to
help his dad?
These were Amund's constant reflec-
lions whenever a little respite from la
Dor afforded him a chance to think. Sit
ting with his dinner pail, leaning
against his workbench, he would shut
his eyes and fancy he saw the Little
Chap standing before him, with his
grimy little fists in his patched trousers,
and his tousled yellow head little on
one side as he looked up into his dads
face and said, "How would you ever
get on without me, dad?" Or he would
lose himself in the thought of the oftre-
peated scene at the dinner table, when
the little chap stood up for his dad man
fully, and the little hand, with its
sweetly comforting touch, stole into his
under the table. And then the tears
would gather in his eyes and roll slowly
down his cheeks, leaving grimy track
like that of rain drop on dusty win
dow pane.
'My Little Chap, my dear Little
Chap, " he would murmur as he arose
and returned to his toll, when shall
ever see you again?"
1t was this burning heart hunger for
his boy which made him turn every
penny many times before he could per-
suade himself to spendit. He grew posi-
lively stingy, denying himself the neces-
sary food and clothes, always trying to
do with little less, in the hope of has
tening the day when he should be able
to send for the Little Chap. He worked
surreptitiously after time in order to
earn some extra pennies, and he got the
reputation among his fellow workmen
of being a mean, penurious skinflint,
who boarded his wages with view to
becoming boss some day and lording
it over them. He was accordingly excess
lively unpopular and only succeeded in
escaping injury by keeping scrupulously
out Of every ones way and ignoring in
suits which made his blood boil.
At the end of one year Amund had
saved $3.50 from his wages, but having
no confidence in the banks he carried
the entire amount in gold eagles in a
leather belt about his waist. The con
seriousness of carrying so much money
made him, however, very uneasy and
disturbed his sleep. -Four or five times
every night he started up in terror, hav-
| ing dreamed that his money was stolen.
1t then occurred to him that the only
safe way to dispose of it would be to in
vest it in a cottage and lot on the West
Side, where land was yet cheap. Land
could not run away, and house not
even the most daring thief could steal.
Distrusting every one in this bew@der-
ingly strange land, he was in no
haste to solicit advice. But one
day an advertisement i'll Scandinavian
paper caught his eyes and set him think
ing. 1t read as follows:
THE POOR MANS FRIEND.
The Pension Real Estate Investment com
pany sell choice city lots, improved and unim-
proved, on the installment plan. West SIDE
property speciality.
| Amund cut this out, read it at least
30 times a day and carried it in his
pocket for weeks before he summoned
courage to call at the address designat-
ed. But his hoard kept increasing week
by week, and his anxiety grew apace.
Why should he not call upon the Fen
ston Real Estate Investment companyf
It was the poor mans friend, the adver-
tisement said, and might offer him some
good advice as to the best way of 40
lnuiring home in the shortest possible
time. for he was growing eagerer every
day for the sight of the Little Chap.
Finally, one day in the early spring,
he called upon the Tension Real Estate
Investment company He had fancled
from the advertisement something very
complicated and magnificent and was
somewhat disappointed at being con
fronted with sandy haired and very
pimpled young man, who sat in his
shirt sleeves in a scantily furnished back
office, chewing a toothpick
lis Observation-Disclosures OF the Fen
ston Real Estate Investment company
uueried Amund respectfully.
Eyes, " the young man replied, tax
ing his feet down from the table
"What can do for your"
'I-I-should like to see the-the--
president of the company, if-if-you
would be so very kind as to call him, "
Amund remarked apologetically.
II regret to say the president is out OF
town at present, said the plausible
youth, '.but won't you sit down, pleasei
i think perhaps l can give you all the
information you require, and | need not
say shall be very happy if can be OF
service to you "
There was something so insinuating
in the young fellows manner that
Amund, though he had resolved to be
very cautious, soon found himself talk
ing freely.
The next day the young man-Farley
was his handicapped IN upon him,
lby pure chance, it seemed. while he was