The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-04

quite understand why his mother felt so
| bad about it and why she chung to HIM III
such a teary way No doubt she was
worried because she feared he eouldn |
| take care of himself But he would show
her.
"Goodby, mother,
"Goodby. dear son.
| She was standing in the doorway as he
went down the road with his little bundle.
/ lie remembered that picture a long time,
! And something choked him a he looked
| back and he broke into quick run-and
! the picture was gone.
Whats your name!' the man asked
him,
John Ridgeway.'
Com to make it famous, ehy'
Il dunno. Maybe
| We'll. you stick by me, then.
| But he hadn't stuck by Walker very
| long. He was not an easy taskmaster.
Moreover he was hard drinker, and for
getfu about the boys wages. And one
| day he had come to the stable drunk and
! struck at John blindly and unreasonably,
and John had nimbly eluded the blow and
| run away.
He didn't go back Instead he knocked
| about the streets doing odd Jobs and often
wishing he could see the patient figure in
| the doorway of the old home again. lie
wrote now and then and made his letters
as optimistic as possible. And when
times with him grew still more hard and
bitter he wrote oftener-perhaps because
| he had more leisure
His affairs were at very discouraging
ebb when the tide turned. He had quiet
ed and subdued a young horse that was
| driven by an elderly man. and the elderly
man had been so much impressed by the
boys courage and cleyerness that he had
taken him into his employ.
| It was rather dull position i'll dull
old house with no chance to rise. The
! boy chafed against his narrow opportuni-
ties.
One day he went to his employer and
unfolded a plan through which he could
by prompt purchases of certain COM
modify profit by rise that seemed newt.
able. 1t was a simple DEAL only relieved
by the boys shrewd reasons for believing
the stuff would rise in value.
But his elderly employer received the
scheme coldly. The house didn't do bust
ness in that way. Not to put it too mild
ly, the boys plan was merely gambler S
chance.
The boy withdrew from the dingy Office.
He withdrew as far as the establishment
| of a customer of the house, keen-eyed
man who had spoken to him in friendly
way on several occasions.
The keen.eyed man had listened to the
boys plan with an amused smile.
"And how much do you expect for your
share in the deal?' he asked.
Ten per cent of the net profits the
boy quickly replied.
Modest YOUTH" said the man with a
laugh "Goodby."
A week later he handed the boy a fold
ed slip of paper as he passed him in the
big wareroom.
"Your share" he abruptly remarked,
and passed on.
The boy unrolled the paper. 1t was a
check for $500.
Let it be said to his credit that he sent
500 of this amount to the loving mother.
That check marked the turning point
in his career From that moment he pros
pered.
And as he prospered the patient figure
of the mother in the doorway grew more
and more indistinct. He sent money to
her with unfailing regularity-and occa
sionaly he wrote.
But the picture grew DINNER.
He went abroad He mixed with great
captains of industry They recognized
him as a rising force. He sat with them
He was one of their number.
And the patient woman in the far of
doorway looked in vain for the coming OF
her boy.
! John Ridgeway was a busy man. His
interests were many His time was brief
Small wonder that the old home grew
further and further away.
In time it quite disappeared.
Men trembled at John Ridgeway's
name The financial power he welded
had been fairly equalled. Clutched in his
strong right hand were threats that rar
in many directions and controlled many
interests.
And then one day he saw the patient
figure in the doorway again.
He hadn't been quite himself that day
He was dull and heavy and he knew it
And being incapable Of thinking of hi.