Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-07-15
CHAPTER Y.

James Wheaton was 30 years old, and
was reckoned aiming the solid business
men of ClarksOn. He had succeeded far
beyond his expectations and was fairly
!! content with the round of the ladder that
he had reached. He never talked about
himself and as he had no intimate friends
it had never been necessary for him to
give condolences. His father had been a
harness s-maker in a little Ohio town; he
and his older brother were expected to
follow the same business but the brother
grew restless under the threat of enforc-
ed apprenticeship and prevailed on James
to run away with him. They became
tramps and enjoyed themselves roaming
through the country, until finally they
were caught stealing in little Illinois
village and both were arrested.
James was discharged through the gen
erosity of his brother in taking all the
blame on himself; the older boy was sent
to a reformatory alone. James then went
to Chicago where he sold papers and
backed boots for a year until he found
employment as a train boy, with a com
pany operating on various lines running
out of Chicago. This gave him a wide
acquaintance with Western towns. and
incidentally with railroads and railroad
men. He grew tired of the road, and OBJ
tained at ClarksOn a position in the of
fee of Timothy Margrave. the general
manager of the TranscOntlnental, which
he had heard was a great primary school
for ambitious boys.
He attended night school. was assidu-
Gus in his duties, and attained in due
~, of h.,
took the cards of Margrave's callers in
dexed the letter books and copied figures
under the direction of the chief clerk
After a year, hearing that one of the
Clarkson National Banks messengers was
about to resign, he applied for this place.
Nargrave recommended him; the local
manager of the news agency vouched for
his integrity. and in due course he wend-
ed the streets of ClarkSon with a long
bill-book. the outward and visible sign 0.
his position as messenger. He was stead
ily promoted in the bank and felt his
past receding farther and farther behind
him.
When, al an important hour Of his life,
Wheaton was promoted to be paying tell
er. he was in the receiving tellers cage.
He had known that the more desirable
position was vacant and had heard his
fellow clerks speculating as to the possi-
bility of a promotion from among their
number Thompson. the cashier, had
nephew IN the bank: and among the
clerks he was thought to have the best
chance. They all knew that the directors
were in session. and several whose tasks
for the day were finished, fingered later
than was their wont to see what would
happen. Wheaton kept quietly at his
work but he had an eye on the door OF
the directors room, and an ear that in
sensibly turned toward the annunciatoI
by which messengers were called to the
board room. 1t rang at last, and Whea-
ton wiped his pen with a little more than
his usual care as he waited for the re-
suit of the summons. This was on his
twenty-ffth birthday.
"Mr. Wheaton :" The other clerks
looked at one another. The question
that had been uppermost with all of
them for a week past was answered:
Thompson's nephew slammed his book
shut and carried 1t into the vault. Whea-
ton put aside the balance sheet ever