The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-04-23
...FELIX...

N1N aAss ~
nounced the fact the whir and clang
of machinery died away and was sue
ceeded by the shouts of small boys who
came trooping from the doors of the
great factory. Soon q wide stream of
humanity was surging toward the en-.
trance gates. Following the boys
and after them the women and girls
n great macs of operatives, and,
lastly, hobbling along with the aid OF
canes, the veterans of the mill-men
and women who had almost outlived
their usefulness, but who were still
kept on the payroll of the company.
"A few minutes and the smoke how
ering over the red chimney lost itself
in the clouds, the night Waterman
came out with his lantern, the gates
were closed, and another days work
was finished.
For all but the bookeeper. In his
office he still bent over long columns
of figures. UP and down, up and down
his fingers moved until at last he raised
his head YEARLY. 1t was toe dark to
see. Taking his hat from it's nail in
the corner he made a movement to-
ward the door, but instead Of going out
he suddenly raised his hand to his
chest with a low ~asp of pain. For a
moment he CROPPED blindly for a chair,
then sank upon the. floor. Half an
hopr~iater he rose slowly and went out,
carefully locking the door behind him.
AS he went down the steps he looked
like an old man, his figure was so bent.
But gradually his walk grew finer,
and by the time he had reached the
little house at the end of the village he
he'd rcgained his customary upright
on are late, Felix" said a COM
ming voice as he entered the small
SITTING room; (" tea has been waiting
nearly an hour"
Yes, mother, L know" he answer
ed, as he stopped and kissed her
wrinkled forehead; Z" but L could not
possibly get away sooner. There is a
press of work at the office, and"
But the thin hands were raised APP
peallngly.
"Spare me-, Felix Your father
never used to speak about business.
That was left to the agent. If he had
lived we would never nave come TO
this" and she glanced about the bare
room p,teously.
4 "Poor little mother!" his voice was
very tender as he rested his hand for
a moment on her gray hair. 1t Is
hard, but perhaps il will be all right
sometime"
Something in his voice caused her
lips to tremble a little.
81 do not mean to be cross, Felix"
Qhn oai1 yutoffnnu &C Int nunrpthir, 40
so different. Your father should have
left a man in charge of the property.
You are not to blame. You were only
a boy and did what you thought was
best"
He had heard the complaint many
times before, but he answered simply:
eyes, mother. / have done what |
thought was best"
AT this moment, a tall, fair girl en-
tered the room.
Come, Felix" abe said, brightly.
81 shall not wait any longer. You
must eat supper so L can wash the
dishes. After that you and 1 will take
walk down by the canal. 1 want to
talk"
GA reasonable want" he laughed,
as he followed her into the dining
room.
Except in age they were very much
alike, this brother and sister; tall and
fair, with warm eyes and quick, sunny
smiles. Only about the temples of the
young mamie was net yet forty-the
brown hair was beginning to turn.
While he was eating the girl watched
him %anxiously. Suddenly she broke
out with:
"I spent the afternoon with DIR.
Breen's wife"
eyes"
"And-and she said that her hus-
band had been talking about you--that
you ought to leave the Office"
eyes, he told me something to that
effect nearly a year ago, and L believe
has mentioned it several times SINCE"
He spoke lightly and helped himself to
another biscuit.
"And you never told us2" reproach-
fully.
What was the use? 1 was not
ready to leave the Office" Then he
added, whimsically: 81 have arrang-
ed for a grand spree in August. Harry
and Bess will be home from school
and the four of us will go for a months
jollifcatiOn among the Maine lakes.
Annt Betty will come and stay with
.-tbe en-"
~ a moment she looked at him to
I ne were in earnest, then in spite
Of her twenty-five years, promptly
counted a chair and whirled a napkin
above her head. Then she INDUCED
ia an energetic pantomime of q war
whoop.
Felix watched her approximately.
"That's the way l feel" he said.
"The mere thought of a vacation after
fifteen years of Office work is like a
tonic. Now, suppose 1 help you with
the dishes, and then we will 60 out and
let you free yourself of the talk"
Felix" she said a little later, as
they were walking along the canal.
DIR. Breen's cousin arrived from
DeDner today. He said he would call
on you soon, and seemed very much
surprised to learn that you were only a
bo0kkeeper. He said that you had
been n of the brilliant men at col
lege and that great things had been
expected from YOU"
Felix laughed a little.
Bob was my classmate,'' he said ]
and naturally ~over-sanguine about
his'friend. 1t is the brilliant men who
uauallv make failureaD |