Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-02-07
Vol. Is.
I'D KATE ELMORE, LEADING LADY 49,

Jack came home from school to his faith
er's funeral and he never went back again.
He and his mother had~to make fight for
life. The mothers friends did a little for
her, and she managed to get little house
of furniture together and to let lodgings to
city clerks and SO to make both ends bread
and cheese. Jack, thanks to the same peo
ple-people who had known the Smedleys
in their "better days"-was lucky enough
to obtain a situation in the office of stock
broker. He really only a superior
rand boy at first, but he was paid ten
shillings a week, and that a wonderful
help TO the widow in her struggles with the
landlord and the rate collector, not to men
ton the baker and the butcher
Jack handsome boy and an amable
boy He had been favorite at school, and
He was quick, bright and Industrious, and al
ways a gentleman. After he had been in
the Office two years he was a clerk and had
SIS year, and when he was twenty -one
he was superior clerk and had $3.50.
1t just when he came of age that
his mother, died, and then Jack having
wound up her little estate, went into lodg-
ings and started, in the elegant phrase of
the period, entirely on his own hook"
Fortunately for young Smedley, before his
independence, his loneliness, his handsome
face and his charming manners had led him
into the dangerous by-paths of London life,
he fell over head and ears in love with
mamma in the house. Rose Leacroft was
lady. Her papa had been lieutenant in
the navy. He had died of malarial fever
in some dreadful foreign seaport, and left
his wife and little daughter about &15O
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
their poverty to know that no shabbiness.
no short commons, no indignity on the part
of landlords or tradespeople can rob them
ne al hirthripht They be Door. but
they are well born" Their clothes may
be the worse for wear, they may ride in
butchers meat for dinner, but still they are
ladies and gentlemen by birth.
When Mrs. Leacroft found that Jack
smedley was 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 MIS-
ing young man. He was sure TO attain a
good position in the city, and though bust
ness man he was 1.-The scion of county
family"
1t was not a very long courtship. Six
months after they were, engaged Jack and
Rose were married and they took tiny
one little maid allwork 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 1t 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 more
expensive dresses. and they could give moo moo
est little dinner parties and take their holt
day comfortably at the seaside, not III lodg-
ings, but at the best hotel.
Then they moved to bigger house and
had stalls at the theaters and at the opera
and a hired brougham took them anc
brought them home, and they soon begaI
to taste the pleasure of being "well-to-do.
Everything prospered with Jack after nj!
marriage The firm had been pleased VIII
him before. They were delighted with hin
now He was married, and that removed
the last drawback to their complete conn
dence in him. handsome young fellow
of one and-twenty is not so desirable as
confidential clerk as young married maj
of the same age. 90, -,
So perfect was the firms faith in Jaci
that when the head clerk started in bust
ness for himself, Jack took his place ant
from that moment was absolute. He saw
the principal clients, managed the plgges
Jobs signed checks in the firms name ant
took over the entire command OF the snip
and the partners who were growing old AM
had made their pile" gradually left tn
business more and more to him. until at las
they did as he told them, instead OF tellin
him what he was to do for them AM