The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-23

to say something, but the other con-
tinued:
II believe you told men you'd rather
see your daughter go to her grave than
to the altar with such a scrawny-look-
ing worthless, dissipated, incompe-
tent, little noodle as l was
"But-but," the old man stammered,
II was excited; l didn't"
mo you weren't" Wharton inter-
rupted; you didn't lose your head
over trines in those days. You meant
every word of it. You told me l wasn't
capable of supporting "a pet kitten, to
say nothing of a wife and family, and
you gave men to understand that 1t
wouldn't do me any good to ever ex-
pcCt any help from you if your daugh-
ter was fool enough to marry me in
spite of your protests, didn't you?"
well, perhaps l did say something
of the kind, but really l didn't mean
to-"
"Oh, yes you did. You meas< every
word of it. And today you come
around here to have me give you a
job, so that you can keep body and
soul together! Do you think. now
that I've got up in the world ! would
be justified in discharging my janitor
or one OF my window washers in order
to make place for a man who treated
me as you did when I was down.
The old man passed a hand wearily
across his brow. shook his head sadly
| and turned to go.
Wait" his son-in-law said. I'm
not through, Perhaps you recall the
| fact that after your daughter and I
| got marred-without your consent-I
/ swerved around a sharp corner. If you
| paid any attention to what | was doing
| in those days you must have noticed
| that l began to get ahead in the world
| along about the time you were being
| made a grandfather. 1t was at that time
| / gave up my old habits and began
| cultivating the business instinct.
| ceased permitting people to stand me
! up in corners and take my little SIS q
week away from me while telling me
what a good fellow / was. l began
| grabbing things that were not legally
| nailed down. In a little while | could
| go in among a crowd of business mer
and stay all day without emerging as
an object of pity. Before long | got tc
be a member OF a board of directors
| and reporters would interview me or
| the business outlook,
when l had become what the pub
lie was pleased to call a man of i'm
portance in the community l took 9
silent partner into the business will
me. This silent partner never drew
any dividends never was seen arounC
the office; never even demanded lool
at the books to see that he was be
ing fairly treated.
| To-day one-half of the vast fortun,
which the world supposes to be min,
belongs in reality to my silent part
ner,"
The old man looked as If he didn
more than half understand what ha,
been said; He nodded in a perfunctor,
way when his son-in-law paused, ant
then after short silence, said:
We'll, ! must go. ="
mo. | am just coming to the par
that should interest you. You see tn
things you told me about myself tn
day ! stood there asking you for you
daughter were mostly new to me.
hadn't known myself very well befor
that. | had thought l was a prett
important sort of a chap, but when
, got to thinking il over carefully ! wa
forced TO admit to myself that you ha
formed pretty fair estimate of me
Now, ! hold that nearly all fools woul
be better If they didn't have mis- take
ideas about themselves. AS a rule