The Washington herald., 1911-06-25
COPYRIGHT BY JAMES ELvBRsoy


ri is head ached and his heart ached,
I'LL and an unpleasant lump would rise
I'LL INTO his throat every now and then.
Au He was very young to be so unhap-
- py, he thought, rebelliously-ha
more than seventeen; and he had
tried so hard, during these last six months he
had spent in New York, to delude himself
with the idea that he was as happy and con-
tent as boy could be.
he had been earning fair salary and was
his own master. What more could boy
wish? And yet the fact remained-Roger
Kent had never been really happy all this
time, and he was very, very miserable just
now.
He had come to the store that morning two
hours late, with this same headache throbbfng
at his temples. 1t had stubbornly refused to
leave him, though he had walked the long,
monotonous avenue all that dreary rainy day
One of his employers had called him into
his office and had talked severely, though not
unkindly, to him.
sion; "but we can have no drinking young
men in our store. You have good parents and
a good home in the country, if I've heard
Alright. Take my advice, and go back to
them. | came from the country myself when
young man unused to city life. Unfortunate
ly, i couldn't have gone back il l had wanted
to. The cashier will pay you the amount due
you. Invest the money In carfare, like
Roger rushed blindly from the store, not
seeing the look of sympathy that Hal Flem
ing gave him.
He never wanted to see Hal Fleming or his
clique again, he said to himself, furiousy 1t
was they who had brought all this trouble
and disgrace upon him. They had urged him
again and again to take lust one little sip"
of the strong concoction they had brewed in
Halls room, and at last he had yielded
through shame.
They had applauded, and he had slipped
little more; and that is all he remembered
about it the next morning when he awoke,
faint and dizzy and miserable.
Yes, he had actually been ashamed to do
what was right!-ashamed of the promises he
had made to his mother and ashamed of his
good and upright fathers teachings.
Rogers cheeks burned when he thought Of
it all and realized how he must have fallen
IN the estimation of all right thinking people,
He felt as if the mark of his own shame
were on his forehead--that everybody must
know by his face what sort of fellow he was
lie slipped from the glare of the electric lights
Of the Sixth avenue into the gloomland quiet
1t was the last day Of the year. The choir
of one Of the little churches was rehearsing
the hymns for New Years Day.
Roger leaned wearily against the sleet-cov-
cred iron railing of the fence, and heard, as
in dream, the deep tones Of the organ and
the sweet, boyish voices as they sang He
could not hear the words, but somehow the
music soothed and quieted him. The anger
and bitterness seemed all gone from his heart.
He could see the little Connecticut farm
house that he had left, with passionate, re
bellious heart, only six months ago. simply
because his father had denied him a few privi-
leges he had thought were his by right. He
knew now-as he had half known, but never
confessed all along--that his father was in the
right and he was in the wrong
Should he. take Mr.. Telford's advice and go
back! He knew what his welcome would Be
that his mother would laugh and cry with
joy, and that his father would be glad, too,
though he might say little.
Roger had letter in his inside coat pocket,
It was short and badly spelled, and written
in a cramped and illiterate hand, but it was
from motheri
Roger thrilled as he whispered the word
and it was very precious to him Just now. He
passed his hand over his breast to feel if it
were still there.
She did not say much-it was so hard for
her to write at all. poor southland aha wanted