The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-08-18
CHADD
rrrry M n,,o By William
llELWAN , Zachary
n6DYrroN Gladwin.
A Shiftless Boy Becomes an
Energetic Man.


1t was the middle. of May, and the
belated last lecture of the course was
to be given in Wilburg.
Here, Chadd," said old Esek Harm
haw, holding out a bit Of p~asteboard.
Heres a ticket for that there lecture.
All about ambition. that lecture is
the right kind of ambition and how to
get it and how to keep it."
The big ~l7-ycar-old boy looked in
differently at Mr.. Harnhaw, and did
not offer to take the ticket.
esquire Huvick, him they call old
Crusty,' you know, he give it to me
and told me to give it to the most
wuthlcss and ambitionless fellow in
town. told him I'd give it to you, but
| had my doubts about your takin it.
Even if you did take it, I said, 'twould
be only to tear it to pieces in them big,
lazy fingers of yours. Says l, Squire,
it isn't no sort Of use givin it to him.
But the squire he just bumped up his
shoulders and went off. Some saws
humpin up your shoulders means one
thing, and some says it means another.
l took it to mean he didn't think much
of you, nohow."
There was a flash Of temper in the
boys eyes. He reached out abruptly
and took the ticket. He did not teal it
in pieces, however. Instead, he SLOUGH
ed of down the street, holding it tight
ly In his hand. Meddlesome old Essex
looked after him. "Now, wouldn't it
be a great note if he went to that lee
ture?' he said to himself. "'Twould
mortify me considerable If he did, aft
err me a-prognosticating to the squire
SO positive"
The boy lounged on. Suddenly the
same idea that was agitating old Essex
struck him. Yonder was the church
where the lecture was to be given.
What if he should go? He paused a
momen and looked down at the tick
ct in his hand. 1t was almost time for
the lecture to begin. Then he raised
his head with decision. "'The most
wuthless and ambitionless fellow in
town will go to the lecture" he said
as he entered the church.
Cant never count on nobody in this
world" grumbled old Esek. "I'n feel
pretty foolish tomorrow, I guess"
1t was not to be wondered at that
Chadd had no ambition. From child
hood he and his twin sister, Fannie,
had lived at the edge of town with a
miserly old uncle and aunt who never
had made 1t of any advantage to the
children to work. However much they
toiled, they had no reward but scant
food aud patched and frayed clothing.
Fannie was still held down to toll by
the misery aunt, but Chadd had re-
belled. He did the most necessary Of
the heaviest work about the place and
the remainder of the time idled about
the town. Thine l had a resting spell,
l guess" he told himself. eff uncle
and aunt had hired anybody else to
work the way they made me work for
nothing 'twould have cost 'em some
thing, now, | warrant you"
Nobody knew of these thoughts that
filled the boys mind, for he was no
talker. And he was misjudged by
those who look only on appearances,
as many another person has been.
Chadd had never heard a lecture be-
fore, but he had enough instructive
sense Of the proprieties to sit up
straight in his seat and give the speak
er his attention. Soon he was lost to
his surroundings. When the lecture
was over, with a sigh Chadd arose
with the rest of the audience and
passed out Of the church. "Ill do it,"
he said, as he stumbled along the i'll
paved street thai led to his home. "Ill
get me an ambition tomorrow. Set
your mark the lecturer said. And TO
morrow I'm going to set it."
The next morning he rose and me-
chanically did the heavy work he had
taken for his share and then set off
for the town. All day he loafed and
loitered, to all appearances the same
boy that he had been the day before.
Lecture didn't do him no good, if he
did CO." commented old Essex Harm
haw. Reckon he just went out of
spite, anyhow. That was a kind OF a
dare give him. and it runs in the
Ettelman blood not to take a dare"
And all the time Chadd, with his
un%disciplined mind, was thinking hard.
He had no conceit. No glorious visions
of future advancement and splendor
for himself dazzled him. He was liter
ally Mt sea. He could find no ambition.
1t was late In the afternoon, and he
was passing along the street that was
lined with the better class of resi-
dences, when a door just opposite him
opened. and a pretty girl stood there
looking out upon him. A moment
Chadd gazed. almost open mouthed.
Not at the girl before him. Suddenly
his ambition had come to him. In the
place of the pretty girl he saw his
sister. Then the door closed, and
Chadd reused himself and walked on
with a brisk step. He had set his
mark.
Fannie's hands were rough and red
from hard work. Fannie's hair was
k,-nIJol vNn--s ~xA-