River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-12-15
HONEST GINGLY.
BY oPIE READ.


IT begun TO feel anxious. He had
come from the country and for a time
had been successful, that is, as an ac-
countant he had found work; but times
frightened. He accepted regular en-
ployment at a small salary and was
enabled to live, going back to the coun-
Try once in awhile to dazzle the eyes
of his former associates. He was some
times called Honest Gingly," not be-
cause he had ever done anything to
stamp him as honest, but because he
had failed to make a success of himself,
which went far toward proving that he
must be honest He remarked one day
to his employer in the city that in the
village he was known as Honest Cling
w." and after that he was viewed with
suspicion; and when the time came for
cutting down, he was told 10 go. He
argued that it would be better not to
return to the village. Our home folks
have great contempt for the failure of
one of their set. They have Il told
YOU So on the ends of their wise
tongues; and village wisdom rips like
a saw. So Gingly decided not to return
until he could go with the appearance
of success. He remembered that some
philosopher had said that to keep up
appearances was a part of success, so
he left his cheap boarding house and
went to a hotel, having money enough
to keep him there nearly three weeks.
He sat about the Office, talking about
big financial deals the prospect of
. l. 4
fallen upon the great flag of his coun-
try.
Are you on the board p man asked
one night.
We'll no, not at present" And then
remembered that he was once called
Honest Gingly," and rejecting that
it was well to be truthful along with
his honesty he added: 81 say not at
present, but the fact is, never was on
the board"
"Then let me give you piece of adj
vice, young fellow" said the man.
Don't talk SO big of great deals"
'Why not?'
'Well, it might stand in your way in
the event you wanted to get situation.
Men would take you for gambler"
Gingly thought over this and agreed
that the man had given him good adj
vice. And now, instead of talking
finance he talked labor. Money that
was not worked for had no value. The
great middle class was the backbone of
a nation. Spain had no backbone be-
cause she had no middle class.
by the way" said a man one even
ing, you are laborer, I take it."
NO, not exactly that" Gingly re
piled, but l work whenever have any
thing to do"
We'll, if I were you I'd stop talking
labor"
"Why SOP"
"Well, in case you were looking for
employment it would go against you.
Men don't want to employ labor agi-
tators."
Gingly believed that the man told
the truth, but he felt resentment, and
turning upon him demanded petulant-
Iy: But what the deuce can fellow
talk about?"
well, l don't know exactly
wouldn't like to lay down rules, but IT
strikes me that to do less talking would
be better for you"
This was another truth that could
not be denied. So GingIy sat about the
office, saying not word And one
night he overheard a man talking to the
clerk
"Who is that fellow that sits about
and never SAYS a word 2"
"Oh, that fellow? His name is Cling
ly."
Has he got any sense?"
Smart enough for his purpose,
guess"
But what is his purpose?"
well, you'll have TO ask him"
When the young fellow went up to
bed he thought over all his ups and
downs, of all that had been said to him
and about him, and was not long in
reaching the conclusion that he was a
fool, But he was still honest. That
was some consolation. The principal
merchant in his village had called him
honest, and that mans word was as
good as commercial paper. Still he
could not take il down to the clerk and
settle for board with it. He grew rest
less and could not sleep. He thought of
a girl in his native village, sweet crea-
ture who had an all-abiding faith in
him. And she had expressed her will
ingness to live in a fiat, and she was to
come to the city TO select the furniture.
He groaned as he thought of this. He
saw the light from the front door
cleaning in her hair as she leaned upon
the gate to catch his last sweet word
Now he must tell her that there was
to be no fiat yet awhile. And the village
paper had limited that he was soon to
come after her. 1t was n great joke,
this hint of the village paper. The boys
had come around and shaken hands
with him, winking at one another. The
joke had stamped the editor as great
humorist, and Giugly knew that he
would be stimulated 10 repeat the mis-
chief Indeed, it takes three hints in
a village paper to complete the joke. 1t
was all very funny, but the poor, trust
ing girl, what would she think? She
might think he was a scoundrel He
couldn't live under such an imputation
He thought of suicide, to save his name.
But he thought of it in a poetical way.
He had no intention of killing himself
He had received a letter from her that
morning, perfumed purple. sweet
quirks of a maiden's gaIloping pen
"She loved him better than life" How
strong and original. He was her kind"
How rapturously new. There had
never been such another love. She felt
il, she knew it. Other women had
thought they loved but"-a smile of
scorn crept between the lines-"how
could they have loved" And now he
must tell that love TO wait. It would
kill her; there was no doubt of it. Ii
another put off there was the bite of
viper. He did not know that the viper
NOT his yiper-had bitten her before.
He knew that Nick Patten had waited
on her. had taken her to parties; but
he did not know that Nick had elapped
a piece of ice to her heart when he mar
ried Liza Moore. He knew. also. that
Mark Bailey had trained" with her,
but he had heard her speak Of him
with contempt, but he did not know
that she had written to him in con-
tempt. for asking her to return his
presents and his ring. Ignorance
without it the fountain of love would
cease to play. 1t takes many a kiss To
wear the nap from the velvet lip.
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