Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-21
=: BROADWAY JONES ::
Ratsdou Ge0rgeM Cohans Play NoqO Ruuuiug in N70 yk

"''N Nh'o" you our OF the plant-and drive
you out Of the town If | hear any more
req IRE talk out of you. | suppose you've
been Cabling so much you've got them
! all excited over nothIna. The trust isn't
going to buy this plant. It isn't for sale.
and you 60 and tell the men said So"
Twlrling his hat in his hands Higgins
humbly apologized to Josie. Then he ex-
| claimed:
TN tell the boys what you say, Mr.
Jones. What a relief it will be to them
all. It's made a different man out of me
already"
Tears were in Higgins eyes and began
to roll down his cheeks
| Wen, what are you crying about? ?"
asked Jones, gruffly but kindly at heart
Because I'm happy. It's the first time
I've been happy in twenty years" blub-
bered Higgins, and went out the door.
Broadway grinned
can you beat that?" said he He
cries when he's happy. / wonder when
he laughs He's a nice, cheerful little
party. I'd like to be around him a whole
lot"
did you have a good nights rest?"
asked the girl
With a groan Broadway replied:
My back is broken. Who named that
hotel the Grand? There are men in
prison for doing less than running a hotel
like that"
Broadway grew holder as he found that
the girls eyes did not produce that dazed
state of mind and heart in which he had
spent the latter part of the previous even
ing. Now there seemed in her face moth
ing hostile, nothing bitter, only real
frlendliness and a desire to be helpful
After time Josie asked quietly:
Have you thought of what we talked
over last night"
Broadway laughed
Have | thought of it?" he returned
Then, becoming grave in moment, IAN
dreamed about was poverty stricken
families crying out for food Thousands
OF men, women and children passed me
through the streets, out of the town and
into wild forest where there were moth
ing but chewing gum trees. l could
have slept this morning, but the Elks
started to rehearse for their minstrel
show in the parlor; so I got up and or
dered breakfast. Oh, q breakfast at the
Grandn'
Josie laughed and offered the new
owner her financial statement. He didn't
want 1t, he said, as Wallace had prom
ised to look after that part Of the bust
ness. Wallace would be in very shortly,
but he had gone 10 the barber shop
THANK heaven, l shave myself" con-
cluded Broadway.
The girl asked about the presence In
the town of Pembroke, and Broadway
explained that Wallace had given him
until II o'clock and had named a price
Of million and a half.
Almost the old look came into the
girls eyes
But you sent word to the men"
she began
Broadway treasured her:
Don't you be afraid, | meant lust
what | said to Higgins l don't mind
telling you when | came here yesterday
my intention was to sell this business
and get it off my hands at any price or
| sacrifice, but Carnegie couldn't buy II
this morning if he offered me every dol
lar he's got in the world. Wallace and
| sat up talking about it till in the
| morning. | told him all you said, and
you've convinced not only me but Wal
lace. too, and he's some business man.
He thinks with you-and me" Broad
way almost blushed at this juxtapositlon
of the two personal pronouns-"that the
right thing for me to do is to stick right
here and put up a fight for these people
the same as my uncle did"
There was a warmth of feeling in
Josie's low tone as she said:
SHE SMILES.
u knew you would, Mr. Jones"
And then she smiled. Broadway was
almost dumfounded. Her smile of the
previous evening had aroused a very
definite Temorse in him Now it seemed
a different smile-a promise that the
girl would believe in him, did believe in
him, and at the same time an intima-
ton that she felt that he was acting
solely from his own better nature, with
out outside pressure Of any sort. But
it was not entirely the effect of that
new smile that made Broadway stam-
mer and hesitate as he foundered on:
Il don't know anything about bust
ness-and l don't know anything-I
never did d days work in my life, for
the simple reason that / never had to-
The only thing that I've entered into
in the last five years is a contest to see
who could stay up the latest. l never
did anything good, because l never had
anything good to do. What I've needed
all along was a-what I've needed was
Broadway was now frantically fumbling
at one Of the side pockets of his coat
the pocket which bulged out q little.
"What I've needed all along was an in
centive-so something to spur me onto
force me to- realization that an IN
centive was needed to bring about a
realization-that an incentive would rea-
lie" Josie was now watching him in
wonder for it was apparent that EN-
barrassment had not caused this strange
wallowing verbally. 1--WE needed
Broadway stopped abruptly, then added:
what the duce have l needed? Can you
beat that! I knew that thing by heart
when l left the hotel, Won't you read
the rest of it?''
And he threw upon the table before
the girl the paper which he had been
struggling to draw from his pocket.
For moment both laughed, and then
suddenly the girls face became grave
as she realized Broadway's anxiety to
make an impression upon her had gone
so far that he had committed 1t to mem
ory She blushed, and then put the
thought from her.
at took me three hours to write that
thing" said Broadway, who apparently