The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-27

know that his case was so hopeless
perquisites of the ordinary grocery
clerk. Indeed, with so many good men
knocking at the door, it was a ques-
ton whether he would be held any
great time. And then it was that the
life that smothered Rainor's sensitive
! soul was no longer purgatory only
it was real hell.
In this manner of existence thought
comes toilsomely and principles of
morality are often seen as dulled
blotehes of laws printed out by canons
of hard work. Rainor thought less
! and less of the things that once inter
ested and amused him. AS the months
moved into years he grew away from
studious habits because he had no time
to read save on Sunday. when he was
so tired that he sat about his wretched
home with scarcely more animation
than a log. If he thought at all, it was
to wonder whether the morrow's trade
would be light or heavy. If it were
| light, he could save his back and legs;
if heavy. he couldn't. Gradually he
had come TO take much of the drudgery
about the store because there were
others who could wait on trade more
skillfu1ly than he; and somebody must
roll the sugar-barrels to place-alI
energy about the store must be con-
served and directed into such chan
nels as would subserve the uses of the
proprietor best. The weeks and
months were painfully similar. Final
ly they lost step in his weary brain
and he counted them no more. He no
longer observed the passage of time,
nor did he figure his calendar by years,
but rather by minor events, when
strange or Unusual things happened to
him. And he found that this served
very well.
One of his days of reckoning came
the time he was packing bag-salt up
stairs from the cellar. He fell. He
was not hurt, but lay there on the
cold stone comfortably. He had been
very tired and the steps were inter-
minable. Curiously enough as he lay
there strange thought fiickered
through his brain. Murray had never
been caught. Murray was living some
where on the continent-an exile, of
course, but still human being. Here,
Rainor, honest successor, was ground
by destiny to the labors of a serf, suf-
fering like a worn-out OK. What was
honesty after all? Had not Rainor
been honest to the last cent? For that
moment he forgot how ardently he had
desired to fight theN mans fight. There
was Senator Thornberg. Look at his
career. From state to national senate.
and the presidency of big eastern
railroad. Thornberg, the man he had
spurned because $4,000 had bought his
vote when he needed the money
sorely.
Rainor rolled to his feet, leaving the
salt-bags scattered. He sat down on
an overturned bushel basket and began
to count. With all their home sacri- |
fees and economy they had steadily |
fallen in debt-week by week, month |
by month. year by year, The cottage,
like the brown stone front, had been
mort gagged, and the mortgage would |
soon be foreclosed. Rainor was crowd |
ed to the wall. He knew that he |
needed Undertaking; he knew that |
his wife and daughters must have |
cloaks and shoes. Money must be rails
ed at once. He shivered as he thought
of the destitute circumstances of his
dear ones. The future of his girls was
dark as~the mouth Of the pit.
He dared daily no longer. He saw
quite clearly that integrity was bub
Bile. He seemed to feel the car whirl
with him through the dark and to
hear the voices of the men of long ago
who gave out the philosophy OF the
world.
They were right" cried Rainor to
his salt-bags, and he went up stairs
taggering under light load Il know
what to do-and how to do it..
Of he or hn
Tacko, now a young man of some i'm
about the store. He felt
oang as he looked into the clean,
capable face.
LET that stuff alone, Mr.. Rainor,"
advised JACKIE, respectfully. 81 can do
hat in a little while. You look tired,
md there's blood on your head"
Il fell" answered Rainor. Il guess
scratched my skull
You cut big hole in it," JACKIE
aid, after critical examination.
Never mind my head. JACKIE, I want
o know something. Did you ever I
ret" He paused and mentioned a
mere pittance. Did you ever get that
or wages?"
Yes"
How did you live on it?''
JACKIE smiled-a plying and yet a
hyperion smile.
You're all right, Mr.. Rainor. but \
-ou're too honest for this world. I'm
-oin' to tell you what I did if I lose J
ny job. 1 knew I'd be. worth the
money to old Graham some day an G
rhen he wouldn't pay me enough to
i've >on I showed down." Jacko laugh |
d heartily. Don't you remember you }
dvfSad mo RI do II Once?'
That moment seemed the one when z
sainor hung over the abyss. 1t was
rue, then, absolutely true, that all {
nen were dishonest. All the clerks
rom the Golden Gate to the Statue L
f Liberty stole from their employers
n imperceptible amounts. Jacko, the