The Washington times., 1911-05-02

them up. He wasn't asked to do any
more than the other boys of the
neighborhood, but he was rightly ask
ed to do as much. If he couldn't 1t
would be at the sacrifice of his pride
that he associated with them at all.
And just pride in boy Is something
you can't safely tamper with. He haU
to have the money and we managed it
somehow. But II brought home the
old grim fact that l hadn't as yet saw
ed a dollar.
l clung more than ever now to the
one ray Of hope-the job ahead 1t
was the only comfort Ruth and l had
and whenever l felt especially down
hearted she'd start In and plan how
wed spend II. rtook the edge off
the immediate thought of danger. In
me meanWhlle L resigned even from
the Neighborhood Club and let the
boy join the tennis club. noticed
az once a change in the attitude Of
me men toward me. But l was reach
ing point now where didn't care
~, ~ ms ms way; then. we lived until I
ana the boy was eleven. For the last
rev months l had been doing night
work without extra pay and so was
practically exiled from the boy except
way wanted. The local grammar
schooi was almost a private school for
nelghborhood. I should have preferred
10 nave II more cosmopolitan. The boy
was was rubbing up against only his own
KIND and this was making him soft,
Doth physically and mentally He was
also getting querulous and autocratic
Ruth saw it. but with only one .
wen. on Sundays I took the boy with
me on long country jaunts and did a
good deal of talking to him. But ali
| said rolled off like water off a duck.
he lacked energy and initiative. He
vas becoming, distinctly more middle
class than either Of us. with some OF
Inc FAULTS nf the
thrown in. He chattered about Har-
Nard, not as an opportunity, but as q
Grass privilege. I didn't like it. But be-
!9ie ! mad time to-worry much about
this the crash came that / had not been
wise enough to forcsee.
one saturday afternoon. after we had
peen paid off, Morse. the head Of the
department, whose job l had been eye
me into his office For three minutes I
saw all my hopes realized; for three
minutes ] walked diZzily, with my whole
iife justified. ] could hardly catch nv
nreath as followed him. didn't real
lze until then how big load / had been
carrying. AS drowning man is said
TO see visions of his whole past life. I
saw visions Of my whole future. | saw
Ruths eager face lifted to mine as
told her the good news: l saw the boy
taken from his commonplace surround
ings and doing himself proud in some
Dig preparatory school, where ne brush
ed up against variety Of other boys:
saW-God pity me for the fool ] was
other children at home to take his
place. ] can say that for three minutes
! have lived
Morse seated himself In the chair be-
fore his desk, and. bending over his pa
pers, talked without looking at me- He
was a small fellow. | don't suppose a
teefy man ever quite gets over a certain
feHllng of superiority before a small
man: could have picked up Morse in
one hand.
Carleton he began, I've got to cut
down your salary FIVE hundred dollars"
II came like a blow in the face
don't think ] answered.
SorTy,' he added, but Evans says
ne can double up on your work and
ofers 10 do il for two hundred dollars
more
I repeated that name Evans over and
over. He was the man under me. Then
/ saw my mistake. While watching the
man ahead of me l had neglected TO
watch the man behind me. Evans and
! had been good friends. l liked him
He was about twenty, and a hard
worker.
''Well?" said Morse
recovered my wind.
Good God ! cried: II can't live on
any less than I'm getting now
Then you resign?' he asked quickly.
For. second | saw red. wanted
to take this pigmy by the throat. 7
wanted TO shake him. He didn't give
me time before exclaiming:
VERY we'll. Carleton. I'll give you
an order for two weeks pay in ad-
vance
The next thing I knew I was in the
outer office with the order in nv hand
I saw Evans at his desk. 7 guess !
shrank away from me. Then he came
to my side.