Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-12-30
wo Violets
It was the day after the panic.
By M. H. JUSTICE

1t was the day after the panic
The turmoil and buster of the
street" which had swept before it in
havoc the fortunes of many substan-
tlal firms, had also taken down with it
that Of John Hambleton & Co But the
street itself, which the day before
had been one mad pandemonium, had
again quoted down to it's usual seren-
lty, except the crowds around the
curbs who still talked over the finan-
clal excitement. But so it always is
IN this district of New York Men
may go down at one fell stroke, specu-
lators may lose all they have in the
World-but the markets go on the
same-the persistent ticker marks off
more encouraging quotations, and the
tlnancier forgetting the ruin of those
around him, strives to recoup his own.
John Hambleton sat in his private
Office. On the morrow the firm would
go through the preliminaries of assign
ment. He could pay off part of the
Indebtedness dollar for dollar, but
after this his slate would be wiped
clean of cent. At so he was worse
than when he had begun--a pauper,
though an honest and discouraged
man
He touched an electric button
A slight, dark-haired, gray-eyed girl
came in with pencil and pad She was
more than beautiful. for there was
sympathy and intelligence in the
young face. She had been with the
firm but three weeks, but she had
given satisfaction from the start Her
dignity and gentleness had given a
soothing effect to the strenuous brok-
erage office without John Hambleton
knowing why.
NO, Miss Jarrett, you need take
no more notes. he told her. when she
had sat down. q regret to say | am
discharging you" He held up his
hand when she started to speak.
Don't make it worse he went on;
Il am ruined and done"
But, Mr.. Hambleton-"
He raised a silencing hand. Here
is two weeks salary in advance-till
you can secure another place, and
wish it could be more You will find
couple of firrss on this slip to whom I
have recommended you. I am going
out on business errand for an hour.
You may leave now"
She wondered at his words, but
some silent warning in his handsome
face forbade her answer. She softly
closed the door and went out. AS she
gathered up few belongings she
heard the senior partner go on his er
rand. And when she left she passed
through his private Office again, with
eyes filled with tears, and laid little
note upon his desk.
An hour later John Hambleton came
in Though he had sacrificed the last
cent of his private fortune of over
million dollars, there were still some
who called him thief and man with
out friend left.
"a man without a friend" Worse
than a man without country!
He opened a small drawer Of his
desk and took out something. The
polished steel glistened against the
rich mahogany of his desk as his hand
closed over it. Twas perhaps coward
ly But he was tired-alone and des-
peIate.
Once he looked out the window
Below, rising from the street, he could
hear the shouts of the curb brokers,
and, further away, the indistinct mum
BILE coming from the stock exchange.
He smiled. He would never hear that
again, and he gripped the steel thing
closely.
At that moment, almost brushed
aside, his eyes fell on Alice Jarretts
note.
Slowly he opened it. There were
just few words, but out fell two vio
lets, the kind that grew in his mothers
days on the farm, with the delicate
odor of spring. A food of emotion
overcame him.
His eyes fell to the note.
81 am leaving, but here Is my ad
dress. My heart is with you in your
trouble If you need me only send
for me- Your friend. A. j..
His friendi Of all the friends he
knew this gentle girl alone had left
the gentler message just In time.
With the two violets pressed to mis-
Inns. John Hambleton's head went over
on his desk, and he wept for the first
time in many years.
Slowly the little steel article was
put back in it's drawer.