Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-21

when they heard tho summons ard
turned up their coat collars in silent sympathy as
jefferson Mills passed their desks. But Mills ONLY
grinned ana went fearlessly by, He bad been Hor-
aces classmate at Princeton and was not one whit
afraid of "Old Gore'cm."
"T1ave you seen this report?' asked the old mau,
holding up some papers.
Yes, sir; looks bad, doesn't IT,
Bad" roared the old man. "It's worse than that.
It's ruin unless we can stop it. Our sales have
fallen of one fifth since Oxenham and Stecre gc
onto that instantaneous chocolate. They've got sew
en- of our best customers in the last three months.
And twelve during the year" added Mills quietly.
Old Gorham looked at him.
I'VE must get something. You must he sand.
Mills nodded.
did you know l ran those fellows ont OF west
bury in 1872" asked Gorham.
Yes, sir. But its a pity sou ran them only as
far as Passport. It's perfectly easy for both to 90
FOR the same trade"
The old man said nothing. Mills watched him.
He knew he had not been sent FOR to discuss the
yearly report OF Gorham & Bullock. Finally the old
man took up another paper.
This is from Horace he said. in debt again.
Mills raised his eyebrows as if something increat-
bic had been announced, but inwardly he was grin
ming. He knew the old man secretly Worshipcd
horace.
Ten thousand more" said the old man. did
you know that his trip around the world cost me q
JuartCr or Il million! re must HdNc ltI O. use
" red paint a mile wide across Europe
Suddenly the door opened, and q boy put his head
Two men to see you, sir. And young Mr.. Cor
lam."
Let MI. German In and keep the others out, You
nay go, Mills"
The door closed, opened again, and closed.
You sent for me, sir" said Horace.
Il did" said the elder man srimly. sit down.
want TO talk TO you
Horace sat down, swinging his stick. lie wore
a frock coat, a high hat and a GardeEia n his but
lonholc. y monocle depended FROM q silk cord
about his neck.
The old man paused for a moment, struck By the
Boys resemblance to his mother, that delicate-mind-
Cd. high-strung woman whose memory the old man
w~orshiped. Although she had been dead twelve
years. the wonder was still upon MIN that she had
married him. Aye, and loved him, too, for he Lad
not been rich when he won her. Yet with all her
dainty ways, her delicate upbringing, and her re-
ancment, against which his own uncouthness must
at times have borne heavily, not once, in spite OF
his constant fear OF it, had she spoken against any
Of his ways" But to this day the thought stll
troubled him that his lack Of breeding had reVolted
her. lie strove to comfort himself With the thought
that when prosperity came he had been lavish with
his money, and as a GROWING penance he had viola
cd, albeit sOrely against his VIII, TO her demand 10.
a college education for her boy with q finishing toul
Of the world with plenty of money to spend.
AS he sat facing the fashionably CARRIED youth, sc
painfully out Of place in q business Office, be Icl
a grim satisfaction in the fact that, II outward az
pearances we're to be believed, he had been RICH
and Cecily wrong, for here sat but the ruin OF
real man.
The old man believed so little in the voices Of th'
soul that he was accustomed to override any tend
erncss he felt which threatened to warp his coo
judgment, so, in this instance, the halt occasione'
by his sons strong resemblance to his mother wa
IF short duration, so short, indeed. that the boy di
not notice it at all.
II want to ask you," began the cold voice, Of 20
have no respect for me at all. that you come to
business office in business hours, dressed like q tai
prs dummy? Gloves! And flowers! by the Lor
Harry, how did you come to forget your earrings?
He paused, and to his intense anger he saw his SO
repress a smile.
I've made you what you are! It's MI my iaul
l sent you East to school when you should have bee
in a common public school hero in Wcstbury wit
niggers and dagoes to teach you that all men Al
born equal. | was the fool that let you so prancir
all over Europe with moro money than brains, apiI
the low-down whelps that all rich mems sons hay
come to be. It's my fault that you got to gambllr
and drinking and playing the fool generally. But !
be cursed il ! think it is my fault that you've lcarnC
to dress that way, or that there wasn't enough nor
sense in your mother and me to make you kno
better than to shame me before my clerks and Il
low business men. I've lied some and I've got ahei
of the other fellow by fair means or foul when
found had to get rid of him, but | never was
ashamed Of anything before in the whole of Il
born days as ! am to think ! am the father Oft
thing you are. 1t makes me sick to my stomach
look ct you!"
81 don't kick at your extravagances. I've pa
often and ! was going to tai to you and tell y
to go a little easy. But tnat was ali. I've sto
your college clothes ever since you came home, /
borne your swallowtal at supper every evening. !
said nothing at your having your meals in cours'
I've discharged the cook I've had ever since yo