Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-06-09
CHAPTER VII.


several times repeated to himself alb
stractedly: He's nice little follow!"
CHAPTER VII
It is no longer SO very laudable for
a young man to pay his way through |
college; and Morris Leighton had done
this easily and without caring to be
praised or martyrized for doing so. He
had enjoyed his college days; he had
been popular with town and gown; and
he had managed to get his share of
undergraduate fun while leading his
classes He had helped in the college
library; he had twisted the iron letter
press on the presidents correspond
ence late into the night; he had copied
briefs for a lawyer after hours; but he
had pitched for the nine and hustled
for his frat" and he had led class
rushes with ardor and success.
He had now been for several years
In the offices of Knight, Kittredge &
Carr at Mariona, only an hours ride
from Tippecanoe; and he still kept In
touch with the college. Michael Carr
fully appreciated a young man who
took the law seriously and who could
cit down in a court room on call morn
ings, when need be- and turn off a de-
murrer without paraphrasing it from a
text book.
Mrs. Carr, too. found Morris Leigh
ton useful and she liked him, because
he always responded Unquestioningly
to any summons to fill up a blank ut
her table. Young men were at pre-
MUM in Mariona, as in most other
places, and it was something to have
one of the species, of an accommodate
ing turn, and very presentable, within
telephone range. 1t was through Mrs.
Carr that Leighton came to be we'll
known in Mariona; she told her friends
to ask him to call, and there were now
many homes besides hers that he Wis
tied
An errand to a law firm in one os
the fashionable new buildings that had
lately raised the Mariona skyline led
him one afternoon past the office of his
college classmate, Jack Balcomb u
Arthur Balcomb" was the inscription
on the door. Leighton had seen little
Of Balcomb for a year or more, and
his friends name on the ground glass
door arrested his eye.
Two girls were busiIy employed at
typewriters in the anteroom, and one
of them extended a blank card to Nor
ris and asked him for his name The
girl disappeared into the inner room
and came back instantly followed by
BalComb, who seized Morris hand,
dragged him in and closed the door.
Well old mani" Balcomb shouted
I'm glad to see you. It's downright
pleasant to have a fellow come in oc-
casionally and feel no temptation to
take his watch"
Morris cast his eyes over the room
which was handsomely furnished
There was good rug on the floor and
the desk and table were of heavy oak:
an engraving of Thomas Jefferson
hung over Balcomb's desk. and on the
opposite side of the room was a table
covered with financial reference books.
What is your game just now. Jack.
If it isn't impertinent? It's hard TO
keep track Of you. I remember very
well that you started in to learn the
wholesale drug business" said Norris.
'Oh, tush! don't refer to that as
thou lowest me! That is one of the
darkest pages of my life. Those peo-
pie down there in South High street
thought I was a jay, and they sent me
out to help the shipping clerk.
Wouldn't that jar you Overalls-ani
q hand truck. 1 couldn't get out of
that fast enough. Then, you know. 7
went to Chicago and spent a year in a
brokers' office, and l guess 1 learned n
few up there. Oh, rather! They sent
me into the country to sell mining
stock and made & record. They kept
the printing presses going overtime TO
keep me supplied. Say. they got afraid
of me; I was too good"
What's your line now? Real estate
mortgages, lending money to the door?
How do you classify YOURSELF"
You do me a cruel wrong. Morris.
cruel wrong. You read my sign on
the outer wall? Well, that's bluS
There's nothing in real estate. And
the loan business has all gone to the
bad-people are too rich; farmers are
rolling in real money and have II 70
lend. There was nothing for little VIII
lie in petty brokerages I'm scheming
-promoting-and I take my slice off
of everything that passes"
THAT certainly sounds we'll. You've
learned fast. You had an ambition to
be a poet when YOU were In college l
think | stu have few pounds of
your verses in my traps somewhere
And then, you remember" Balcornh
went on, in enjoyment OF his own rem
iniscences. 4 wooed the law for q
while. But l guess what I learned
wouldn't have embarrass ed Chancellor
Kent. l really had a client once. I
didn't see a chance of getting one any
other way, so l hired him. He was a
coon. l employed him for two dollars
to go to the Grand Opera House and
buy seat in the orchestra when Sir
Henry Irving was giving The Me--
chant of Venice" He went to sleep
and snored and they threw him out
with rude, insolent, and angry hands
after the second act; and l brought
suit against the mana cement for dam
ages, basing my calm on the idea that
they had spurned my dusky brother
on account of his race. color and pre-
vious condition of serviture. The last
clause was a joke. He had never
done any work in his life except for
the State. My client got loaded on gin
about the time the case came up on de-
murrer and gave the snap away. and
I dropped out Of the practice to avoid
being disbarred So here I am; and
I'm glad l shook the law. I'd got tired
of eating coffee and rolls at the Berlin
bakery three times a day.
One of the typewriter operators en-
tered with a brisk air of business and
handed telegram to Balcomb, who
tore it open nonchalently. As he read
It, he tossed the crumpled envelope
over his shoulder in an absentminded
way. Then, to the girl. who waited
with note-b book and pencil in hand: