The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1905-12-23


discharged BY the long-suffering choir
master; and the third had won him
the name Of Leppy, which il the d.
minutive of Leopard" and was given
him by his friends because Of the spots
which he could not change-those en-
during freckles.
Al he opened the door Of Hartman
q Sons once, and sang. God Rest Te,
Merry Gentlemen" the sense Of humor
which Sometimes accompanies freckles
brought q whimsical look to his face,
for the idea Of calling Hartman & Son
merry gentlemen" was distinctly in
congruous.
Hartman was rubbing his eyes and
saying to himself: ITO be blind
blind! To be shut In darkness, and
ones life work not half done. / shall
never get the courage to see an oc-
ulist and hear that doom pronounced"
Son, at his desk, was looking nxedly
out Of the window, and saying to him.
self: ITO be dishonored! To have got
ten the firms affairs int such O mud
die that there's no clear way out I'M
less I throw myself on fathers mer-
cy, and I shalt never get the courage
to tell him"
Let nothing you dismay," sang
Leppy. stumbling on, boy fashion,
toward the rear ONCE.
Hardman suddenly looked up, and
with unusual interest In his voice,
said:
Come back here. Leppy. Can you
sing the whole Of that?"
Don know II can, Mr.. Hardman,
but I'm tryin' to get 1t, cause II
don't have it straight by tonight. I'll
be discharged from the choir. It's the
last rehearsal, you see. I don't want
to get bounced, because l get a quar-
ter a week, and that helps out"
We'll, I'll give you q quarter now,
II you'll sing it through for me. /
used to sing that thing myself when
was a kid, and"
Hartman had stopped speaking, and
seemed TO have forgotten all about |
Leppy. who hardly knew what to do, |
until Son nodded to him, and said, |
kindly:
Sing IT, Lep, If you can"
Then Leppy began, and-marvel Of
sang it perfectly from be-
ginning to end. What would the choir
have said IL he could have
heard it? Leppy was much impressed
with his achievement, and when he
stopped, his look of mingled pride and
would have been funny,
Z there had been anybody to see it.
Hartman partially reused himseIf
md handed the boy a silver dollar,
hen turned back to his desk without
! word
"shall-shall 1 get it changed, Mr..
II
There was no answer from Hartman,
md Son, coming once more to the
'escue, said:
mo, Leppy-it's all right. Run
long.
"Gee! exclaimed the boy. And then.
Without thinking to say thank you"
% appalled, was he by this sudden af-
luence-he went out Of the ONCE, and
DON his silvery tones could be heard
choing down the wide hall:
God rest ye. merry gentlemen.
Let nothing you dismay."
Son rose suddenly from his chair.
Nd laid his hand on Hardman's Shout
er. Father" he said, Il have some
hing to tell you"
Son" said Hartman, unsteadily but !
raVely, Il have something to tell
on"
1t doesn't matter who began first.
r how much each one hesitated and
'oked out Of the window to hide the
Of q mans confidence
q man. At last, both stories were
Did, somehow, and when Hardman
nd Son started out to lunch together.
hey looked several degrees more like
merry gentlemen" than they had two
ours before.
Hartman was saying: "Weu
traighten that out In a weeks time
on You did right to tell me now.
nd in the meantime"
I'm the meantime, dad, wen see that
sulist together, and I know your
ght can be saved"
And 90 It was-not only the physical
ght, but that finer sense which
axes Us see the struggles OF those +
e love, and understand and helm
EN- At that moment there vag
aly the hope Of this In Hardman's
re-, but that was enough to make
u world already brighter. and When
ley encountered Leppy near the
rect door, Hartman said: "Oh, by
y way, Leppy, forgot to give you
ut quArter-here II f." and to the
Us astonishnent, another silver coin
- slipped into his hand.
This time Leppy fairly ehoked with
n2sement; but a. he scampered
way, he found voice to trim out AGAIN.
. veritable paeon Of Joy:
''ood rest ye. merry gentIsmsn
Let nothing you dtsmay."
A.