Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-22
The Ressin1ist s
Lesson,

Mr.. Lctson. who had just ceased 10
represent Il large manufacturing firm.
had always considered himself a great
deal of Il philosopher. The years which
he had known we're sufficient in number,
so he thought, 10 have justified him in
expecting some more tangible memento
than the tinge of gray over his hair.
The letter in which the firm explained
the conditions which rendered i no lon
ger desirable to keep man in the terri
| tory he had been covering lay open on
| the table 1t was t,.c same firm in which
he had. ten years before. / ped to attain
a partnership It was not an unreasona-
] BILE hope At that time. but the careless,
! liberal temperament which made him 50
popular wit. his trade failed to commend
him as Il proprietary figure. And unless
his partnership had enabled him to exer-
| else influence which would have averted
the present condition of the firms affairs
such 4 partnership would have been OF
| little value.
"Everything seems on IFS last legs,
he n.used after an ugly spell Of coughing.
/ Its a great pity couldn't have got that
! position | applied for in Chicago last
month. suppose they thought I was
/ too old TO learn the business"
He picked up a magazine, which he
! had bought at the newsstand as he came
into the hotel, and glanced carelesSly Ove!
| its pages. \ portrait attracted his atten-
ton. 1t was picture of an actress.
''I'll bet that picture doesn't look much
| like its subject he said As he brushed
aside the clothes. which We're living on =,
chair, and sat down. 1T looks more like
Hannah | never realized what pretty
name Hannah is till knew her. That 5
the way she used 10 wear her hair. Lucky
girl, Hannah! She came very near mar
rying me. wonder il that fellow treats
| her right?"
! He picked up small roll of bills which
! had fallen ont OF Gis vest pocket and
| counted them over. together with some
coin which he took from his trousers
/ pocket \ $50 golGpiece shone among
the silver.
Enough to pay hotel bills for a week
or two yet" he remarked. But what ;
a week or two? This world isn't seat
| tering welcomes iniiscriminatcly. I've
shown my goods, and il doesn't care about
| them, and that's all there is 10 it. When
you've made the best showing you can
to a customer and you cannot transact
any more business. what's the thing to
do? Get out, of course"
He took a revolver from his travelling
bag and examined it carefully. Then he
thought of the excitement which a shot
would create and CONSIDERABLY laid it
aside. He dressed himself and started
for a drug store 1t was cheering to re-
fleet that it was not whisky he desired,
/ L,,& f,,,
doctors prescription.
A very small black boy stood in the
front of the hotel As Mr.. Letson passed
the youngster turned mp face upon
whose nose and cheek bones the electric
lamp made such striking high lights that
| his artistic sense was appealed to, and
he paused.
"Look here, son, why don't you go
home?" he exclaimed.
"I'ze dar," was the answer. 81 makes
merse'f to home right hyah. De city
pervides me wifi 'lectric lights, an when
l wants ter git wahm l goes to de depot
"Where do you sleep?'
"Oh, one place or 'nuthuh.' &
"Are you hungry?'
"Yassir A good deal o de time"
"What are you laughing at, you young
rascal!''
81 didn't know l wuz laughn.'
"Where are your parents?".
"Ain't got none. Dey moved out o
town las week an fohgot to AK me long
wifi 'em. Miss Maria Simpson lemme
sleep on de flo. She's bout 100 y'ahs ole,
an she's gwineter git put out fob de rent
Monday"
"What are you going to do then?"
81 doesn't know 'Taint then yit. no.
| how. / reckons sumpin's gwineter hap
pen Eff it amt gwineter. why den it
amt. But Is boun ter see it froo. |
didn't know whah | was gwineter keep
wahm till l thought bout de depot. nor
whah | wah gwine to sleep tell Miss
Simpson happen past. An | reckons dar's
mo- luck whah dat come f'um."
aren't you discouraged about your fu-
ture?"
Does you mean bout breakfast
| Case if you does, might as well let you
know l hasn't got done bein hungry foh
supper yit."
The hint was taken. 1t was a pleasure
to discover how palatable a supper in a
small, cheap restaurant could be. 1t
cheered Mr.. Letson to watch the waif as
he waited for another course. grinning
like some lucky god in exile from his
oriental fame. And Mr.. Letson thought.
Presently he wrote his home address on
the back of an envelope and gave it to
| the boy.
Get some one to write there for you
| in a couple of months from now," he said,
''and maybe | can arrange to get you an
education that will keep you out of all
this color line rubbish when you grow
up"
When he went to pay the cashier, he
drew from his pocket. with other coin.
the gold piece.
He handed it TO the hoy, who. as wo-
men and children do with gold, intuitive-
ly perceived its value.
"Da's a Chris'm mas gif. amt it, boss?'
he exclaimed in delight.
"No," answered Mr.. Letson. very
thoughtfully, 'it's life saving medal
New York Evening Post.
Son,afbJuy Ifl.a Hresery.finn