Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-02-02
CHAPTER |.

I'm ". G.-that's cfnch! Inc
sooner | chuck it the better!"
Caught in the swirl of the busy
city's midday rush, engulfed In Broad
ways swift moving flood of hustling
humanity, jostled unceremoniously
by the careless, Indifferent crowds,
discouraged from stemming further
the tide of pushing, elbowing men and
women who hurried up and down the
great thoroughfare. Howard Jefrfes,
tired and hungry and thoroughly dis
gusted with himself, stood stffl at the
corner of Fulton street, cursing the
luck which had brought him to his
present plight.
1t was the noon hour, the important
time of day when nature loudly claims
her due, when business affairs, no
matter how pressing, must be tenn
porarily interrupted so that the hui
man machine may lay in a fresh store
of nervous energy From under the
portals of precipitous office buildings,
mammoth hives of human industries,
which to right and left scared diZZily
from street to sky, swarmed thou
sands of employees of both sexes
clerks stenographers, shop girls, mes
senger boys-all moved by common
Impulse to satisfy without further de-
lay the animal cravings Of their phys
Ical natures They strode along with
quick nervous step, each chatting and
laughing with his fellow, interested
for the nonce in the days work, ma
king plans for well-earned recreation
when five o'clock should come and
the uptown stampede for Harlem and
home begin.
The young man sulleniy watched
the scene, envious of the energy and
activity of all about him. Each one
in these hurrylng throngs, he thought
bitterly to himself, was valuable
unit in the prosperity and welfare OF
the big town No matter how humble
his or her position, each played a
part in the business life of the great
city, each was an unseen, unknown,
yet indispensable cog in the whirling,
complicated mechanism of the vast
world metropolis. lntuitively he felt
that he was not one of them, that he
had no right even to consider himself
their equal. He was utterly useless
to anybody. He was without position
or money He was destitute even of q
shred Of self-respect. Hadn't he
promised Annie not to touch liquor
again before he found job? Yet he
had already imbibed all the whisky
which the little money left in his
pocket would buy.
Inyolun,arily, instinctively, he
Ehrank back into the shadow of &
doorway to let the crowds pass The
pavcments were now filed to over
flowing and each moment newcomers
from the side streets came to swell
the human stream. He tried to avoiC
observation. fearing that some one
might recognize him, thinking al
could read on his face that he wai
n sot, 4 self-confessed failure, one o
life's incompetents. In his painful
self-consciousness he believed himsel
the cynosure OF every eye and h,
WINGED as he thought he detected OF
certain faces side glances of curiosity
commiseration and contempt
Nor was he altogether mistaken
More than one passer-by turned Il
look IN his direction. attracted b,
his peculiar appearance His was
type not seen every day in the com
merclal district-the post gradual,
college man out at elbows. He wa
smoothfaced and apparently about 2
years Of age. His complexion wa
fair and his face refined Ii woul,
have been handsome but for a drooE
ing. irresolute mouth, which denote
more than average weakness OF char
acter The face was thin, chalk.lik
in rs lack Of color and deeply seame
with the tell-tale lines OF dissipation
Dark circles under his eyes and
peculiar watery look suggested lat
hours and oyerfondness for alcohol
refroshment Ills clothes had the cu
of expensive tailors, but they wer
shabby and needed pressing Ills line
was eoiled and his necktie dlsal
ranged Hls whole appearance va
careless aud suggested that reckless
ness nf mind which comes OF geuer.
Generalization
Howard JeHries know tnat he was
failure. yet like most young me
mentally weak. be insisted that h
Secretly too he des pissed these sobe
indu ulrious people NAo seemed col
tented with the crumbs Of comfol
thrown 70 them What he woudere
ids Vas their secret OF getting on
Iax uere they able 20 lead such We
regulated lives ateu be- starting ot
witt far greater advantages, ha
failed 0b. be knew Well where ~
trouble lay in bla damuahlo Neal
aces go character biz ioFe for dfinl
That was responsible fof evefytbiHI
tut &as lt bis fault II b. were boz
Neska fhvae people Wha behave
theWaelvss Hna sol an. be- sneefeY
Were calm. eaa amanpiaee temper
menf ale found na aImeatY lu esl
trulHE faaH nasrf lneuneta The
Oh HHht simrIF because thay ioua
d aalaf fhaH ts au slaug Their ii