The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-04-13
.2CHARLES KLEIN

and influence. Ones vices as vel as
ones virtues are handed down to US
ready made. BE had no doubt that
in the Jeffries family somewhere In the
unsavory past there had been weak.
vicious ancestor from whom he had
inherited all the traits which barred
his way to success
The crowds OF hungry workers grew
bigger every minute. Every one was
elbowing his way into neighboring
restaurants. crowding the tables and
bunets. all eating voraciously as they
talked and laughed. Howard was
rudely reminded by inward pangs that
he. too, was famished. Not a thing
had passed his lips since he had left
home in Harlem at eight o'clock that
morning and he had told Annie that
he would be home Tor lunch. There
was no use staying downtown any
longer. For three weary hours he had
trudged from office to Office seeking
employment, answering advertise
ments. asking for work of any kind.
ready to do no matter what, but all to
no purpose. Nobody wanted him at
any price. What was the good OF a
man being willing to work if there
was no one to employ him? A nice
lookout certainly. Hardly a dollar
left and no prospect of getting any
more. He hardly had the courage to
return home and face Annie. With a
muttered exclamation OF impotence
he spat from his mouth the half-con-
sumed cigarette which was hanging
from his lip, and crossing Broadway.
walked listlessly in the direction OF
Park place.
He had certainly made a mess Of
things. yet at one time. rot so long
ago. what a brilliant future life
seemed to have in store for him! No
boy had ever been given a better
start. He remembered the day he
left home to so to Yale: he recalled
his fathers kind words OF encour-
agement, his mothers tears. All, II
his mother had only lived! Then.
maybe. everything would have been
different. But she died during his
freshman year, carried OF suddenly
by heart failure. His father married
again. a young woman 20 years his
junior. and that had started every.
thing OF wrong. The old home life
had gone forever. He had felt like
an intruder the first time he went
home and from that day his fathers
roof had been distastetul to him. Yes,
that was the beginning OF his hard
luck. He could trace all his mlsfor.
tunes back to that He couldn't stand
for stepmother, a naughty, selfish,
supercilious, ambitious creature who
had little sympathy for her predeces,
sor's child. and no scruple in show.
ing it
Then. at college. he had met Robert
Underwood. the popular upper class
man. who had professed TO take a
great fancy to him. He, tim!d young
freshman. was naturally fattered by
the friendship OF the dashing. fascinat-
ing sophomore and thus commenced
that unfortunate intimacy which had
brought about the climax to his trou-
bles. The suave, amiable Underwood,
whom he soon discovered to be a gen.
tlemanly scoundrel. borrowed his
money and introduced him into the
sporty" set. an exclusive circle into
which, thanks to his liberal allowance
from home, he was welcomed with
open arms. With a youth of his pro
cliyities and Inherent weakness the
outcome was inevitable At no time
overload OF study. he regarded resi-
dence in college as a most desirable
emancipation from the restraint Of