The San Francisco call., 1908-05-31


The morning after things looked
brighter and he said:
Well mother. I've learned one
thing, and that is that I'm going to
be railroader just as soon as / can
be anything
And into a railway office he went.
first as errand boy. later in the same
month as private Soy to a minor Off
cial. Whatever gift he brought to the
business it was something unusual, for
in less than three years he was an un-
der clerk, going to business college
nights and working like a dog days.
Up and out in the icy dark of carly
morning in winter, first at the office,
last at the office going on inspection
trips sometimes because his knowl-
edge was almost indispensable to his
chief, often understanding each mans
work better than the man himself did,
energetic, pushing, on, on-onward-
fQrward-upward.
And always with the goad at his
flank. The railroad king is the real
king" and that bitter prod, I'm not
her sort" keeping the other company.
Words like that may alter the course
of life-they have done so before
now.
He did not live in the cottage at the
foot of the hill any more In a. fiat
instead. His mother liked the conven-
fences, but missed her garden She
was perfectly happy in her worship
of her son and pride over his career.
At % they made him an assistant
something, and he wanted her to be-
gin to keep a servant. But she would
not have it at all. To do his cookin &
and washing and darning was her
great joy--no other human being
should share it. He kissed her and ac-
quiesced. and she hugged him and
patted his head, reaching up on tip
toe to do so. He was developing into
a fine looking fellow, and she
thought with a pang of the girl who
would soon be appearing now. But
the girl came not.
When he was a he returned 70 lea
one night looking white and weary
Did you see the ,evenin' paper" she
asked smiling.
He nodded. Yes, read it coming out
on the car. / hadn't thought of her 5
old enough--yet
Directly supper was over that night
he went to his room and closed the
door.
Hes takin' a good sleep" his nlother
thought with much satisfaction as she
locked up and put the lights out
But he was not asleep. He was sit
ting on the side of his bed, biting his
under lip and thinking. Ever since the
elected to congress she had lived in
Washington and spent her summers at
the seashore, never returning to her
old home at all. And so now she had
married there. He hadn't quite calcu-
lated on that. He was not sure that
he had ever calculated on anything, but
he had certainly never calculated upon
that. He bit his lip so deeply that the
blood came. OF what had he been
i,,1r In oil
of her great wedding had loosed upon
him this intolerable pain. oh, little
bobbing curls under the hockey cap of
long ago! oh, smile of sunshine, to be
shed sunshinewise upon the lifeway of
another man! Toward dawn he rose
with a heavy sigh, undressed himself
and lay down upon his bed Sleep came
then and tortured him with dreams of
slanting snow and thoughtless pleasure
Alas! Alas!
She went to the Philippines because
she had married young officer. He
was promoted twice that year. because
as soon as he had systematized one
department and thoroughly trained his
office force they put a less able man
in there and conferred upon him a
higher and less well ordered depart
ment. He went up and up, toward
the last in dizzying leaps. until at s5
he was one of the real railway
Kings, with an uncounted fortune and
a name that was world wide known
Her father had given up his seat In
congress two years before. His health
was very bad. his income not large
She had been widowed some time be-
fore the family quilted Washington
and had come home to live
And so now-tonig ght-he was stand
ing in the reception room waiting for
her knowing all that I have just re-
countcd--but. no more
1T was still outdoors. His chauffeur
had moved of 90 do a trifing commits