The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-06-01
Billy Was a Changed Boy
HcW HE LOST HIS CONTENT
MENT.
BY KENNETH HARRIS.

see nowadays. He appeared to nave
no ambitions, except to do his wori
well; he was a perfect glutton fol
work. That must have been because
ne was born that way, for what pos
sible incentive could there have beer
for him to do more than the bare
stunt" for which he was paid wher
he was perfectly satisfied with his
lot, perfectly satisfied with what he
was getting, perfectly satisfied with
what he had?
Billy lived in a pretty queer neigh
!; borhood, but to him it was about the
only desirable locality in town.
1t was poor enough little room
that of Billy's, furnished scantily and
cheaply-or so it seemed until he be
gan to point out the advantage and
convenience Of every article in it. The
bed springs were marvels of residence:
the bureau had the most smoothly
opening drawers that ever happened;
there was peculiarly beautiful grain
ing on the woodwork, when you no
ticed it; the wallpaper did look lit
tie startling at first, but these papers
with primitive colorings and floral de
signs were so Billy understood, be-
coming quite the rage now-and they
were scarce; he would venture to say
this one was unique. It certainly was.
When friend visited him one even.
ing, Billy pulled out some photo
graphs. "You were talking about
girls" he said. "You didn't know
had the queen of 'em, Ell? Well, what
do you think of that?"
1t was the portrait of a rather nice
looking girl, certainly. One could ex-
press admiration Of it without strain
of ones conscience to any particular
extent.
"Your girl, Billy?"
"My sister," answered Billy, swell.
Ing visibly with pride. "There's the
sweetest and prettiest girl ever hap
pened. You can't get more than just
an idea from the picture. You ought
to see her."
He switched off presently to the SUI
perlative merits of cheap restaurant
in the neighborhood and then Office
matters were discussed. He was more
than satisfied, it appeared, with the
salary he was getting, and laughed at
the other mans complaint of made.
quate compensation and limited pros.
pect of advancement. you'll get a
step or two more" said the grumbler,
"and there you'll stick. You see,
you'll never get much better off than
you are now"
Good Lord" calculated Billy, in all
sincerity. How much better off
would l want to be? I've got every.
thing on earth I need now"
After awhile he looked at a fat
silver watch, which he said he
wouldn't trade for any mans watch,
and the session broke up.
1t was rather remarkable thing
that within two months after that
Billy seemed to change completely.
He grew dissatisfied with everything
about him.
He asked Wedderburn, who was the
best-dressed man in the Office, where
he bought his clothes and in course
of time appeared in a tailormade suit
that he didn't like over and above
we'll. He had never been seen in any.
thing but hand-me-down. The stout
and shapeless shoes that he had
Dragged of and which were, as he had
said, good for another years wear,
were discarded for tightly-ftting
denominations with buttons and patent.
leather tips.
He got more wages, but even then
he was not content. The raise was
not big enough, he considered, al
though the other men in the office
thought his luck unexampled. Zone
thing" said Billy, speaking to the
friend who had made that visit, "I'm
going to get out of that shabby little
hole where I've been staying"
And so it went on. He worked
harder than ever, but he growled more
than any man in the office. Further.
more, in spite of his increase of sal
airy, he seemed to get hard up occa'
sionally.
One evening the friend who had
gone out with him to the rather pre-.
tentious boarding house to which he
had removed. They went on the ele.
waited, and Billy stopped at the book
stand and bought magazine. There
was an article in it, "How New York's
Society Women Live" copiously il
Illustrated with interiors and portraits
It seemed to interest Billy. The
friend looking over his shoulder, said:
Doesn't that make you tired?"
"Why, no." said Billy. eff man
can give woman that sort of thing
why shouldn't he? Is there anything
100 good for them?"
"Sure."
"Oh, for some of them, perhaps, but
here are women that nothing can be
900 good for, and man would want
% give a woman like that the best.
IN ten years"
Here's a fine-looking one," said the
friend, indicating a portrait.
ooh, not so bad" admitted Billy,
"but I know a girl who'd
make her look like thirty cents with