The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-05-24
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
ONE WAY OUT
By WILLIAM CARLETON
Copyrighted, 1911. by Small Maynard & Company.

When 1 turned to Ruth for the final
decision. she looked into my eyes a sec
ond, just as she did when ! asked her
to marry me. and said:
Go after IT., Billy. You can do it."
dorsed by Dan and friend of his, and
for a month 1 waited. ! didn't sleep as
well as usual but Ruth din't seem to
Then one night when 1 came home
found Ruth at the outside door waiting
for me. / knew the thing had been
decided. She came up TO me and put
her hand on my shoulder, and patted
me.
Its yours, Billy" she said.
My heart stopped beating for a mo-
ment, and then 1t went on again beat
ing dozen ticks to the second.
The next day closed up my options.
I went to Cookery, gave my notice, and
told him what l was going 10 do. He
was madder than hornet. / listened to
what he had to say any went off with
out a word in reply. He was so unrea-
sonable that It didn't seem worth it.
That noon / rounded up the men and
told them frankly that l was going to
start In business for myself. and needed
hundred men. l told them also that
this first Job might last only four or
five weeks, and that while l had nothing
definite in mind after that / was in
hopes TO secure In the meanwhile other
contracts.
said this would be largely up to them.
told them that didn't want a man to
come who wasn't wiling to take the
chance. OF course, ii was something of
chance because Cookery had been
giving them steady employment
Still it wasn't very big chance be-
cause there was always work for such
men.
l watched anxiously to see how they
would take it. felt that the truth of
my theories were having their hard
est test. When they let out cheer
and started toward me in mass 1
saw bury.
I'll never forget the feeling 1 had
when started out in the morning that
first day as an indepedent contract
or; I'll never forget my feeling as l
reached the work an hour ahead of
struggling up. l seemed closer than ever
to my ancestors.
1 felt as my great-great- grandfather
must have felt when he cut loose from
the Massachusetts, colony and went Oft
down into the unknown Connecticut.
l was full enough of confidence but /
knew that a month might drive me
back again.
Deeper than this trivial fear, however.
there was something bigger-something
finer. l was a free man in a larger
way than i had ever been before. It
made me feel an American to the very
core Of my marrow.
The work was all staked out but be-
gether. l didn't make a speech; 1 just
said:
"Men-Fve estimated that this can
be done by an ordinary bunch of men
do it in thirty. If you succeed. it gives
me profit enough to take another con-
tract. Do the best you can"
There wasn't a mothers son among
them who didn't appreciate my position.
There were a good many who knew
Rnfh and knew her through what she
had done for their families and these
understood it even better. The dirt
began to fly and it was pretty sight
to watch.
l never spoke again TO the men, I
simply directed their efforts. / spent
bout half the time with shovel in my
I hands myself. There was scarcely a
day when Ruth didn't come out to watch
with an anxious eve, but after the first
| week there was little need for anxiety.
l think she would have liked to take a
shovel herself. One Saturday Dick came
out and actually insisted upon being al
lowed to do this. The men knew him
! and liked to see such spirit.
Well, we clipped ten days from my es-
, innate. which left me with all my bills
paid and with a handsome profit. Bet
| ter still I had secured on the strength
| Of Carleton's gang another contract.
The night deposited my profit
in the bank, Ruth quite uncon-
sciously took her pad and pen
| ell and sat down by my side as usual
to figure up the household expenses for
| the week. We had been a bit extrava-
CANT that week because she had been
away from the house a good deal.
| When Ruth had finished I took the pad
and pencil away from her and put 1t
| in my pocket.
There's no use bothering your head
any more over these details" ] said.
She looked at me almost sadly.
mo, Billy" she said, with a sigh,
| there isn't, is there
| Continuation of This Story VIII 8e
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