The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-01
ny III i PHILLrPs.

4Gopyf1Bhf, 1911, oy @ssoSiaeS~
Literary Press1
Z. And sc, William Adolphuss said
1Jfankley Aldrich. you're discharged.
Il Yea don't mean I'm canned
I vailed William AdolpAus Mcclure.
4 x,eherwise known at "Wad.' Aw.
ny, Mister Aldrich, give me another
& chance.
The lawyer shook his head No
4hsng doing. William Adolphus. 1
xanst bother with you any more. First,
xou lost that draft going down street
4 s-----s
II didn't meant to do It." interrupt
cd the weeping WRd.
And then you struck my mother
In the face with ball of paper
n didn't know she was coming; L
WAS STOW ing Snags Raymond. the ele-
sator kid. the forward pass.
And now you've banged into Mr..
Collision and knocked him down. The
old gentleman recognized you as my
I; aifica boy, and went away angry. His
business was worth a thousand COL
lars year 10 me"
sAw. Mister Aldrich," pleaded Wad;
~ean't you make 'lowances for a guy
havin hard luck? ''
Ii was the wrong thing TO say.
Since isr!nkley Aidrich had graduated
with both scholarship and athletic
hoaors from college, he had doni-
mated circumstances. Everything came
out as he planned. because he pos
nessed ability above the ordinary. left
nothing to chance, and was tire
hess worker. Luck" he regarded ms
this excuse Of the weak and the in
dcient and the stupid.
Hard luck" he snorted now Hard
4 luck There's no such thing as lucs.
William Adolphus. a chap either
4 does things--or no doesn't he alone
deserves the credit. or he alone is to
blame There are laziness and incom-
pefence and Observation-Disclosures, but hard
luck--bah You know better than
that
William Adoiphus did not pursue
the subject further. Il dunno what
III DO" he shifted. Il can tell the
old lady you gave me two days vaca-
ton; but II don't start out to work
& Monday morning. she'll break nay
\ back
'Aidrich handed him four silver
dollars. There's your pay" he OBJ
Il Aerved- I'm sorry for your plight.
I but YOU need lesson. Maybe a lick
inE from your mother win drive this
Z pernicious hard luck idea out of your
head. And you'll never be successful
\ TIL that happens"
sN4 " AZ took the money anu iofSOt TO
weep. A fun weeks pay and two
days. vacation were tangible. This
being canned" had some advantages
after all. Say. Mister Aldrich," he
Aaid ut parting. AS he Jingled the
money In his pocket. If you change
Sour mind. send for me. viii you ?i'
Aldrirh promised. with smile. The
earth might stop and begin spinning
( backward: the sky might fall. They
We're possibilities. and it was also pos
eibie that he might change his mind
4 m this matter But once the evidence
had been gathered. weighed, and a
decision reached. any of the three
Ehenumena had an equal chance OF
canning to pass.
The young attorney caught an az
& feTnoon train for his mothers place
h -the~Lake. The roar and
clash of the city's manifold noises
4 AAd seemed more sharp than ever
when he left his Office and walked
m the station. 1T was freezing hard :
md there had been no snow for two
weeks. That meant there would be
famous skating on the lake His
pulses bounded with pleasurable ana.
B tIc3pation.
IL was too early for the homeward
rush Of commuters and the train WAS
only comfortably filled. Aldrich Sc
\ terted a seat half way down the day
coach and stretched out his long legn
Hlg bag went Into the rack overhead
u ais Osercoat was disposed over the
back Of the seat beside him.
two hours run and Cornwall
junction came into sight. There he
WIS to change to branch line; the
lake was stfll twenty miles away. As
tho train stopped he rose and stretch
I'D forth his hand for hts bag. A,
that precise moment the brakemen
opened the forward door. A cindes
sAAjIed down The aisle, lodged divers
md Sssndry other passengers and
ekrHfk Afdrfch iii the right eye
II was q small ciuder---not nearly
II - large as the head of pin. But IL
swas laden with weighty possibilities.
AZ WAS sharp. and II cut bit. just
SenOugh 10 become painful. Aidrich
SMaf down. his grip in his lap. and be-
ran rubbing the tear-laden and pro-
resting eye. No use, the cinder
Y j9f4s2sE 5'sssf 4s.a4 Il @5=gss,y. .A,-