Free press., 1907-02-09

Jack came home from school to his faith
ers funeral, and he never went back again
He and his mother had to make fight for
her, and she managed to get a little house
OF furniture together and to let lodgings to
and cheese. Jack. thanks to the same peo-
ple-people who had known the Smedleys
in their better days"-was lucky enough
broker: He really only a superior err
rand boy at first, but he was paid ten
shillings a week, and that was a wonderful
help to the widow in her struggles with the
landlord and the rate collector, not to men
tion the baker and the butcher.
Jack was handsome boy and ana amiable
boy. He had been a favorite at school, and
he was soon a. favorite with his employers.
ways gentleman. After he had been in
the office two years he clerk and had
975 year, and when he was twenty-one
he was superior clerk and had e15O
1t was just when he came of age that
his mother died. and then Jack having
wound up her little estate, went into Iodg-
ings and started, in the elegant phrase of
the period, entirely on his own hook
Fortunately for young smedley. before his
face and his charming manners had led him
into the dangerous by-paths of London life,
pretty young lady who lodged with her
mamma in the house; Rose Leacroft was "a
lady Her papa had been lieutenant in
the navy. He had died of malariaI fever
IN some dreadful foreign seaport, and left
his wife and little daughter about e15O
year Mrs: Leacroft liked the handsome
young stockbroker they called Jack very
his family were known" and Mrs Lea
croft thought a great deal of family. Peo-
pie who come down in the world generally
do. 1t is a great consolation to them in
no short commons, no indignity the part
of landlords or tradespeople can rob them
fhey are We Tbey mdy sT ngt
be the worse for wear, they may ride in
omnibuses, and they may not always have
butchers meat for dinner, but still they are
ladies and gentlemen by birth.
When Mrs. Leacroft found that Jack
Smedley was a real gentleman, she smiled
covered that her people" had in some
years gone by known some of his people"
great aunts married and what relation he
was by marriage to several people who
occasionally figured in the list of presenta-
tions to Her Majesty and among the guests
at the balls and receptions of the season.
And when Jack and Rose discovered that
they were in love with each other, Mrs.
Leacroft was glad. Mr.. Smedley was a ris-
ing young man. He was sure to attain
good position in the city, and though a bust
ness man he was 1.-The scion of a county
family"
1t was not a very long courtship Six
months after they were engaged Jack and
Rose married, and they took a tiny
little house in the Camden-road and had
little maid-of-all-work and were very
economical. for they had determined to save
all they could and never, never to get into
debt or to launch out beyond their means.
1t was a happy little home, and it grew
happier as Jacks position improved and they
had big grown-up servant, and the little
drawing-room began to fill with elegant
nick-nacks, and Rose had prettier and
expensive dresses and they could give mod
est little dinner parties and take their holi-
day comfortably at the seaside, not in lodg-
ings, but at the best hotel.
Then they moved to a bigger house and
had stalls at the theaters and at the opera,
and a hired brOugham took them and
brought them home, and they soon began
to taste the pleasure of being "well-to-d do -
Everything prospered with Jack after his
marriage. The firm had been pleased with
him before They were delighted with him
now. He was married. and that removed
the last drawback to their complete conf
dence in him. handsome young fellow
of one-and-twenty is not desirable
confidential clerk a young married man
of the same age.
So perfect was the firms faith in Jack
that, when the head clerk started in busi-
ness for himself, Jack took his place, and
from that moment absolute. He
the principal clients, managed the biggest
jobs, signed checks in the firms name, and
took over the entire command of the ship;
and the partners. who were growing old and
had made their pile" gradually left the
business more and more to him. until at last
they did as he told them, instead of telling
him what he was to do for them. And