The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-01-15

| lSldture ana having secured the Dig .teH
| of expense-transportatio free-Allthum!
had set out on the mission himself
/ He knew nothing of the boy except wha
his Sister Nell had written him, and Tn,
neighbors after Nelrs death. Nell had
written with some pride that he was red
| headed like herself and took after hel
m his eyes and mouth and nose.
| What AlIthulns did not know was, ths
| boy had his wother's willfuII, independent
nature. After his mothers funeral tht
| ooy came back to the rented home with
| a profound sense OF loneliness. He could
stand that He also awoke slowly to the
| fact that he had five mothers now where
| he had lost one. He did not ike the So
| lictude and over-reaching care which the
neghbor women bestowed on him, and the
same night, imparting his destination tc
single chIm, he ser out alone for Chi
cago, where, he had heard, there were
no neighbors.
He was a strong, self-willed. independ-
ent boy and he did not fear the city. II
soon taught MIN his place. A sinister fate
hustled him out of one job and into an
other with lightning rapidity. He had been
messenger boy, elevator boy, paper boy.
and boot-black. 1t was down, down, all
the time and never up.
But at last his fortune turned-he
thought He became supe in a theatre.
But he was bounced in week and went
down again-this time to hostler In pri-
Vate stable
AS he rubbed the horses and tied the
harness. lie felt the degradation of his
place. This vas not making his fortune.
1t was not even paving the way for it.
But it was Letter than some places, he
thought There was Joe, the coachman-
he got three times as much as himself,
it was true, but, oh, the livery-the degra-
dation of the clothes; the advertisement
of the rosetted hat and the top-boots. the
advertisement to all the world of servil-
ty. The boys nature revolted at this
thing. He dwelt upon all these garments
of his superior in the stable and it made
his work lighter and him happier. He was
a hostIer, but on the street he was an
American. Joe was rot.
But it so happened that Joe, as coach
men do, at the request of a neighbor.ng
saloon, came up missing one day. Mrs.
Towne, upon this discovery, was immedi-
ately in state of frothy emotion. She
ragged from room to room, and called ali
sorts of dire judgments down upon the
head OF the missing Joseph. She would
make the calls that day or never, no, If
she had to cut forever every acquaintance
that she had. Couldn't they find Joseph?
No, they could not. He was drunk-dead
drunk-and had encompassed that COM
plete disappearance which only drunken
man can. What would she do? She cried
and wiped out the traces of the tears with
powder by turns until she was in case
of hopeless detection ard collapse. When
collapse comes a remedy is always at
hand. One came 20 her. Could the host
ler drive? Could he drive? She repeated
tie question over and over again with
desperation.
Her maid carried the question to the
cook
Gould he driver"
The cook carried it to her assistant.
Gould he driver
The assistant-the h-washer-carried
the question to the hostler himself.
Can you driver"
"Ies," he said.
The message was borne back with speed
ard the order came back again with de-
cis;on
You're to take Mrs. Towne out-the
victoria
Walter put on his Sunday clothes and
tecochere. Mrs. Towne, resplendent in a
new gown. came down the steps. followed
by her little daughter of fourteen sum-
mers.
Mrs. Towne gave one glance at her new
coachman and staggered back against a
pillar OF the perch.
Take him away" she said, Take him
away"
The poor woman burst into tears and
her sobs with the explana-
ton:
He hasn't his livery on-oh, the horrid
brute:'
The maid intervened. "Tie the horses"
she said, land run quick and tog out. What
could you be thinking OFF,
Mrs. Towne still moaned
I'm do nothing CT the sort" said the
driver.
A half dozen obs now went up from Mrs.
Towue, the maid and from several open
windows above.
Take him away" said Mrs. Towne. "I'n
never make another call. Nothing ever
went TO suit me-
Then the thought came suddenly to her
that she was not acting in a way 10 exert
her authority. Subordination must be met
with firmness.
She walked up to the head of the victoria
and said:
Man. go to the stable Immediately and
put on the livery
I'D rather not, if you please, ma'am,"
he said
You'd rather not. you impudent man,
What do you mean7 Go at once
Il can't do ii, ma am he said; 81 Just
can't"
Mrs. Towne retreated to the house in a
flood Of tears
They had all gone now except the little
girl. She went up to the driver and said:
You don't want to do it, because il
makes you prominent? Isn't that it?''
Yes. Miss Towne. that's il"
We'll, please do il just this once Just
for me. Mamma is worried so. She must
go this afternoon You sban't do it any
more, and you shan't lose your place I'll
tell papa ali about II myself. Hell appre-
ciats il all. He was once very poor him
self and he knows. Oh. he was very. very
poor, and ne knows-and so was mamma,
too
But something contradictory and beyond
her comprehension forced itself on the little
mind at this point and she did
no: conclude the sentence. There was,
after all a vast difference between her
rich papa and her r,ch mamma. who both
ha1 been once very poor. She was too
young fos sG-h things and she did not
think about IT further.
Please do-just this once?' she plead.
The driver tied the horses and went back
TO the stable He presently appeared in the
resplendent Towne livery. and .'han6somer
than Joe. too" the servants in the house
v whisperei a. they saw him shuttle by.
Mrs. owne came out presently. Her nose
Vas elevated The little girl al her side
gave the directions and the degradation
0: the boy was complete. He drove or. his
h.nl .iozn his rafiartf r,rifnrnn veizhfr.x