Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-22

earn tnen.
His desperate honesty toucbcd
Spaulding q trifle. At the risk of not
seeming a business man to himself he
inclined dubionsly to relent, to Give
Duncan another chance.
Duncan" he said. whats the from.
Bile"
II thought you knew that; I thought
that was why you called me in with
my route half covered"
"You mean
81 mean can't sell your line"
"why"
"God only knows. want to badly
enough. It's Just general incompe.
tence. presume"
What makes you think thatw
Duncan smiled bitterly. Expert.
ence." he said.
you've tried-what else?"
"A little of everything. all the Jobs
open to man with knowledge Of
Latin and Greek and the higher mathe-
matics-shipplng clerk. timekeeper.
cashier. all of EN-"
! And yet Kellogg believes in you"
! Duncan nodded dolcfully. "Harry's
good friend We roomed together at
college. That's why ne stands for
mo-
"He says you only need the right
opening
, And nobody knows where that is.
except my fortunate employers It's
the back door going out for mine every
time. Oh. Harry's been prince 10
me. He's found me four or five Jobs
with friends Of his. like yourself. But
l don't seem to last. You see. was
brought up to be ornamental and ir.
regular rather than useful, to blow
about in motorcars and keep a valet
busy sixteen hours day. and all that
sort Of thing. My fathers failure
you know about that?"
! Spaulding nodded. Duncan went on
gloomily. talking great deal more
freely than he would have talked at
any other tme-suTering, in fact. from
that species of auto-hy pnosis induced
by the sound Of his own voice recount.
/ ing his misfortunes which seems espe.
cially to AFFECT a man down ON his
luck.
"rhat smash came when I was Eve
years out of college-I'd never thought
of turning my hand to anything In all
that time. I'd always had more coin
than could spend.-never had to COLI
slider the worth Of money or how hard
it is to earn. My father saw to all
RI NJ RI
work; not that hold that against him
He'd an idea I'd turn out genius Of
some sort or other. ! believe. Well,
he failed and died all IN a week,
and l found myself left with an eX-
tensive wardrobe, expensive tastes. an
impractical education-and not so
much of that that you'd notice it-and
not cent. I was too proud to look to
my friends for help in those days-and
perhaps that was ms well; sought
Jobs on my own. Did you ever keep
books In a fish market?"
No" Spaud!ng's eyes twinkled be-
hind his large. shiny glasses.
But what's the use Of my boring
you?" Duncan made as If to rise, sud
denly remembering himself
You're not. Go on"
81 didn't mean to. Mostly, l pre-.
sumo. I've been laundering round an
expla nation of kellogg's kindness to
me. In my usual Intellectual way. but
l felt an explanation was due you. as
the latest to suffer through his mis-
placed tnteres. !n me
Perhaps said Spaulding, :" am be
ginning to understand Go on. Tn,
interested. About the fish market?
"Oh, | just happened to think Of 1t as
a sample experience. and the last OF
that particular brand got so week
and earned every cent of 1t inhaling
the atmosphere. My board cost me
So and the other So afforded me a
chance to demonstrate myself cap
tain of finance, paying laundry bills
and clothing myself, besides buying
lunches and such like small matters
/ did the whole thing. you know. one
schooner Of beer day and made my
own cigarettes. Never could make up
my mind which was the worst The
hours were easy. too: didn't have to
get to work until 5 In the morning
l lasted Eve weeks at thnt job before
I was taken sick. Shows what great
constitution I've got"
"And then
"Oh"- Duncan reused why.
then fell in with Kellogg again; he
found me trying the open air cure on
a bench in Washington square. Since
then he's been finding me one berth
after another. He's sure enough op-
timist"
Spaulding shifted uneasily in his
chair. stirred by an impulse whose
unw1sdom be could not doubt Dun
can had assuredly done his case no
good by painting his shortcomings in
colors 20 vivid; yet somehow. strange
~, Spaulding liked him the better for
his open hearted confession.
'Well''- Spaulding stumbled awk.
wardly.
Yes: Of course" said Duncan
promptly, rising. Sorry If tired
you"
What do you mean by Yes. OF
courseY"
THAT you called me in TO fire me-
and so that's over with. Only I'd be
sorry to have you sore on Kellogg fol-
saddling me on you. You see. he be
lieved I'd make good. and so did
in way; at least hoped to-"