The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1903-03-05

men stay. That's all"
"Thank you, sir"
So tho new boys first trip was to
the clearinghouse known as 27s4.
Here he engaged board for So per
week, the landlady kindly waving
her rule of weeks board in advance
in his case.
Two dollars per week for all his
other expenses, he thought; but 50
does nos look SO small to some people
asrto others.
workers in the same store with him
self-Harry Littlefield, and another
whose parents seemed to. have be-.
slowed upon him only the initials J..
L., which, combined with Lee, were
very conveniently shortened into
Jelly, 1t was some time before
Randall learned the constituent parts
of this name.
These young men received seven
dollars per week and filled positions
next above Randall's at the big store.
The other occupant of the room
was student in school of stenog-
raphy, whose bills were paid by an
uncle, and who was allowed exactly
twenty-five cents a week for pocket
money, which sum he was not obliged
to account for. This student was
about Randalls own age, and CON
sidered his life one of great depriva-
ton. Having exhausted the sym
pathy of his other associates, he at
once poured all his woes into the
kindly ear of Randall Greer, who was
stupid enough to think that the lot
of the grumbling student was by no
means q hard one.
On the whole, poor Randall passed
rather lonely summer. He did not
find his associates at the boarding
house very congenial. Not their
work but the money they received
and just how much they could buy
with it were the principal topics of
conversation.
He was surprised to find how much
of their time not spent at the store
was passed within four walls. Ac-
customed as the country boy was to
fresh air, the hot, stiffling atmos-
phere of the store was almost unen-
durable during the long days of the
summer; but each evening saw him
off on long, solitary tramps over the
pavements in quest of cooler air and
fresh scenes.
| He never tired of watching the busy
life at the water front. The great
piles of brick and stone reaching up,
up, up, to where the ceaseless roar
of the city sank to a dull murmur
were a never-ceasing source of won
der to him.
But-he was ashamed to confess it
to himself-it was the people who
tired him. Crowds, crowds every
where. 1t seemed impossible to swim
clear of the restless, surging mass
of humanity.
Yet Randall was unconsciously get
ting rid of much that was uncouth
and blunt in his manners by contact
with these same people.
His work at the store was all the
most exacting master could require.
The first of October found him earn
ing 81 week. Randall's manage
ment of his financial affairs gave his
room-mates no little trouble. With
the exception of small sum paid to
his laundress each week, and the pur-
chase of a few collars and a tie that
conformed more nearly to the pre-
vailing mode than those worn on the
day of his arrival in the city, the boys
weekly wages remained unaccounted
for, of course leaving the So paid for
board out of consideration.
Littlefield and Jelly wondered and
put many teasing questions to the
boy, which he took good-naturedly
and answered not at all. But one day
the student enlightened them.
"Randall's cap" he told them.
ssHe's capitalist, fellows. He's got
bank account. Saw him PUNK down
a dollar to the receiving teller at the
bank to-day
"a dollar!" exclaimed Littlefield.
"a whole dollar? Did understand
you to say dollar?" aueried Jelly.
And then they had a good laugh at
what they considered the parsimo-
niousness of their fellow-lodger.
'sWhat do you suppose he saves
for?" asked the student.
'Don't know, I'm sure" answered
Jelly.
''He must be man with a purpose
in life," observed Littlefeld, with
mock solemnity. 'Tve heard tell of
them"
"But the fund is a kind of mystic
rious thing. Why doesn't he tell US
what he's about?" grumbled jelly
"He's Deep" said Littlefeld. "He's
saving for purpose; and what's
more. he's going to keep it to him
SELF"
And Littlefield was right. Whatever
purpose Randall Greer destined the
fund for was not revealed to-. the
curious-minded young men when they
rallied him on the subject Of his
boarded wealth.
''rhere's something on the capital
lists mind" announced the student
one night shortly before Christmas.
II saw him this morning in close con-
sultation with Miss Bve. the little