Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-11-23
TWO oPILLARs OF SOCIETY,

J. had made them temporarily Easy In
their finances just before that dinner
and they, being fatuous, incurable OPP
timists, were probably imagining they
would eve need me again. | did
not disturb them until Monsoon and
had got my education so well under
way that even I, always severe in self
; criticism and now merclless, was COM
PEELED TO admit to myself a distinct
change for the better. You know how
IL Is with a boy at the growing age
how he bursts out of clothes and
ideas Of life almost as fast as they are
supplied him, so swiftly is he trans
forming into a man. Well, l think it
Is much that way with us Americans
all our lives; we continue on and on
at the growing age. And If n of us
puts his or her mind hard upon growth
in some particular direction, you see
almost overnight a development fledged
TO the last ~tail-feathers and tip Of top
knot where there was nothing at all
What miracles can be wrought by an
open mind and a keen sense of the
cumulative power of the unwasted
minute! All this apropos Of a very
trivial matter, you may be thinking.
But, be careful how you judge what is
trivial and what important in a uni
verse built up of atoms.
However When my education
6tClIlGd ldi tilCABAl ddN dAlA&As 4 ia
Sam. He, after his f~ootless fashion,
didn't bother TO acknowledge my note.
His margin account with me was at
the moment straight; / turned to his.
father. / had my cashier e him a
formal, typewriter letter signed
Blackjack & Co, informing aim that
his account was oVerdraWn and that
we would be obliged if he would give
the matter his immediate attention"
The nnta porGt have rpDphp1 him the
following morning; but he did not
come until, after waiting three days,
we sent him a sharp demand for a
check for the balance due us.
A pleasing, MISUNDERSTANDING fig
ure he made as he entered my office,
with his air of the man whose hands
have never known the stains of toll,
with his Of having always re-
ceived d%eferential treatment. There
was no p%retense in my curt greeting,
my tone Of dispatch your business, sir,
and be gona''; for | was both busy
and much irritated against him. Il
guess you want to see our cashier"
said /. after giving him a hasty, alb
sent-mindel handshake. MY boy out
there will take you to him"
The old do-nOthing's face lost it's
confident, condescending expression.
His lip qukered, and think there were
tears in his bad, Ohm, g~ray-green eyes.
| suppose ne thought his a profoundly
pathetic Csc; no doubt he hadn't the
"emotest conception what he really
Was-and no doubt, also, there are
many wh' would honestly take his
view. AS f the fact that he was born
with all pssible advantages did not
make himand his plight ineEcusable. /
It passes my comprehension why peo-
pie of hi sort, when suffering from
The calauties they have deliberately
brought pon themselves by laziness
and self-Idulgence and extravaganza.
should geta sympathy that Is withheld
from thoS of the honest human rank
and file faing into far more real mis-
fortunes ne of their own making.
mo, mydear Blackjack" said ne,
bringing nw as easily as he had con-
descended-how to cringe and how to
condescend are taught at the same
school, thaone he had gone to all his
life. 1T you I want to talk with
And, f~irstsI W you my apologies.
[ know yoil make allowances for one
who was ever trained to business
methods. We always been like a child
III those rntters."
"You friaten me-" said I. THE last
'gentlemanwho came throwing me off
my guard fifth that plea was shrevd
enough to let ava with a very large
sum of mi hard-earned money. Be-
sides"-ani | was laughing, though
not too go1-naturedly-"rve noticed
that you gentlemen become vague
about busiess only when the balance
is against ou. When it's in your IA
vor, you image TO get your minds on
business log enough to collect to the
last fractio of a cent"
He hearty echoed my laugh. Il
only wish were clever said he.
However, we come to ask you in
diligence. q have been here before,
but those NO w me have been out
ting me off. And they're Of the sort of
people who it's impossible TO press"
I'D like to Accommodate you
further" sd L, shedding that last
little hint as a cliff sheds rain.
but your lccount has been in an
unsatisfactory state for nearly a month
now"
I'm sureFou'l give me a few days
longer" wa his easy reply, rs if we
were d~iscuSng q trifle. by the way.
you haven'been to see us yet. Only
this mornin my wife was wondering
when you'd pme. You quite captivated
her, BlacklU. Can't you dine with US
tomorrow nht-no, Sunday-at eight?
We're havir in a few people L think
you'd like taneet."
If any on imagines that this bald.
businesslikevay OF putting ii set my
| lGeLl Oh GUS let ufil QlSIlllSS the lQGa. I
my nerves HI been too long accustom-
ed TO the feecf the harsh facts of life.
II is e~videncof the shrewdness of the
old fellow atharacter reading that he
wasted nonof his silk and velvet pre-
lenses upon he, and so saved his time
and mine. fobably he wished me to-
see that / sed have no timidity or
false shamen dealing with him. that
when the tir came TO talk business /
was free to Tx 1t in my own straight
fashion.
"Glad TO cne." said /, wishing to be
rid of him,now hat my point was
gained. "Wll let the account stand
open for III PRESENT. rather think
your stocksre going up. Give my re-
CARDS toll ladies. please. especially
TO Miss Ami"
He wincedbut thanked me gracious
ly; gave meis soft, fine hand TO shake
and departs as eager TO be off as /
TO be rid him. Sunday next-at
eight" wereis last words. Don't fail
us''-that inhe tone OF a king address
ing some oeure person whom he had
c~ommandedo court. 1t may be that
old Ellerslwas wholly unconscious of
his supercbusness, fancied he was
treating mas IL l were almost an
equal; but suspect he rather accentu-
ated his nasral manner, with the idea
OF impressii upon me that in our deal
he was givg at least al much as L.
/ recall TIT i thought about him for
several mites after he was gone
phiiosophiz on the folly OF a mans