The gold leaf., 1911-01-12
THE GOLD LEAF.
The Story of a Year.

Gle ullHt ui'j II ii'N ''''
ert did not find it so.
He pulled out the bureau drawer
which appealed tc him ~ most prom
ising. and turned it upside down upon
the bed. Letters, photographs, ties,
and a miscellaneous collection OF per-
sonaI b belongings greeted him. He
uttered pleased exclamation at the
sight of the shOe-hOrn for which he
had been searching six weeks and
over. He also drew forth his mother !
photograph and set it upon the man
tel He laughed to think OF the e4-
preston Of his mothers face, If she
should see the contents OF that bu-
reau drawer.
The necktie he wished had not ap-
peared. He consulted his watch and
decided that he still had time to do a
little searching.
'The night I'll be long enough at
Austin'- for me to repent OF later,
then lac added, "But | don't begin to
run the pace the other fellows do. |
don't know how they stand it. Takes
me three or four days to straighten
out the tangle in my brain. Well, I'll
90 slow tO-night-get there late and
hold on tomyself" Even as he made
the resolution a shrug Of his shOul-
drrs expressed his realization Of its
futiIity. One couldn't seem too
offish. 1t was n pity one had to do
so often Just what one knew to be
unWise, lust to he Il good fellow. He
turned to the heap before him, then
4 Urbat'S thiSo''
A letter, whose seal had never been
broken. and whose stamp had not
been Cancelled. met his eyes. He held
it nearer the light, the expression OF
vexati0n and brwildermrnt increns-
ing on bis handsome Young face.
The |, tier WAS directed in his own
handwriting 1t was addressed to
his mother Evidently he had dropped
it into the bureau drawer instead of
into the letter-bOx, but how lOug it
had remained there, hr had no idea.
He tore open the envelope hastily,
aud consulted the date at the top of
the hastily written sheets. Then he
gasped. "Why, that's today!' he
said. 1t was a moment before he
realized that by a singular coinci-
dence he had unearthed a letter writ
ten to his mother exactly year be-
fore, but never posted.
The necktie was forgotten. The
little group waiting at Austin's
rooms also passed out OF Roberts
mind. All that he could think OF was
the letter he had written Il year be-
fore, to a day. He was new to the
city then; ''green as grass he told
himself with n gOOd-natured con-
tempt for his former self He had
STAYED at home for Christmas. and
had started off next day, with the
scent of the fir in his nOstris, and
the warmth of Christmas cheer in his
heart. A position was waiting for
him, and in that year he had made
rapid advance which was the envy of
many Of his associates. This letter
had been written while everything
was still fresh and new. He was
rather curious to know it's point of
view. He moved nearer the gas Jet,
smoOthed out the folded sheets and
began to read:
Dearest Mother: Your letter came
this morning and IcOuld hardly wait
till tonight to answer it. You mustn't
worry about me. dear little mother.
It's true that I'm away from home
and from you, but it would be pity
if, after I've had both all these years,
l didn't know the right way we'll
enough to stick to it.
Robert paused in his reading, and
hn N = l. = L., g., l.. h.
uncomfortably. UncOnsciously he
had fallen into a rather supercilious
way OF regarding the youth he had
been twelve months before, the boy
fresh from the country, with so many
lessons to learn He had a curious
feeling as if the tables had been turned
upon him, and he had incurred the
contempt of his Old-time self. He
had lost interest in the letter. He no
longer cared to know what it said
Perhaps there was more than indif-
ference, a certain shrinking reluctance
from what was coming. Robert had
sense of making a deliberate effort
as he went on with the letter
Even il | didn't have NV bringing
up TO help me. YOU must remember
that m ambiriOu~ 4 fellow doesn't
have 10 com" 10 the CITY TO find nut
what drl. king gambling AID bal
comphniOnsl,Ip d. for men, think
too much of my future to imppril it
In any such way. | would bp fool.
wouldn't l, to risk my prospects for
the sake of drinking and playing
poker i'll the company of set OF fel-
lows who don't think OF anything
but having good time just for now
Again Robert was conscious of an
uncomfortable wave of color which
burned its way up to the roots OF his
hair. Whatever might be laid to the
charge OF the country boy he himself
had been, he could not be attacked
on the score OF lacking good sense.
Robert contrasted the standpoint OF
the letter with something Austin had
said the day before Austin's hand
was unsteady, his cheeks hollow and
cadavOrous, and someone had re-
marked warningly that if he didn't
change his tactics he would not live
out half his days "A short life and
merry one," Austin had made an
swer. Somehow in the atmosphere
this letter had created, the reply
seemed contemplate.
The letter was not finished yet.
More and more oblivious to every
thing but its message, Robert read
on.
You know, mother dear, / never
was much of hand to talk about
the things that meant most to nae.
But now I'm going to break through
my rule. | mean to make the kind of
man you'd be proud to own for your
son. I'm ambitious to make money,