The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-07-14
CHAPTER V.

James Wheaton was 35 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
harness 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 a 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
blacked boots for year until he found
employment as 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 Transcontinental, 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
course the dignity of desk as which he
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 wa,
about to resign, he applied for this place
| Margrave recommended him; the loca
manager of the news agency vouched fol
| his integrity, and In due course he wend
| ed the streets OF Clarkson with a Ions
| bill-book, the outward and visible sign O.
| his position as messenger. He was stead
| ily promoted in the bank and felt hi
| past receding farther and farther behint
him.
| When, at 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 desirabl
| position was vacant and had heard hi
fellow clerks speculatlng as to the posi-
bility of a promotion from among thei
number. Thompson, the cashier, had
nephew In the bank; and among tn
clerks he was thought to have the bes
chance. They all knew that the director
were In session, and several whose task
for the day were finished, fingered late
than was their wont to see what woul
happen. Wheaton kept quietly at hi
work but he had an eye on the door O
the directors room, and an ear that In
sensibly turned toward the annunciato
by which messengers were called to tn
board room. 1t rang at last, and Whea
ton wiped his pen with little more tina
his usual care as he waited for the II
suit of the summons. This was on hI
twenty-fifth birthday.
"Mr. Wheaton, The other clerl
looked at one another. The questio
that had been uppermost with all {
them for a week past was answere,
Thompson's nephew slammed his Doc
shut and carried it into the vault. Whe'
ton put aside the balance sheet sv'