The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-10-04

WIT wr+h1ess Ii he won't work !!
W Now Ma, there's no use in
V +a1King-I don't intend to b.
tha fool father of a rich mans
- least not any more" With
sol- ferrous movement the old man
I'D his morning paper open and
n nth one blow OF H. palm smote "
w. - with the financial page upper
no. osr more coffee" he ordered over
his shoulder CURLY.
liz hntler silent, scornful, automatic,
~ through noisless grooves; and
~ ~, The other end of the breakfast
l la%la Ma kept on, needless OF the ola
I tao dictum of tinality.
Lev aWhv Pa, I don't see how you can
eo-vou've got money enough for
aTt = nc Let the boy enjoy himself. =
az rHa old man grunted from out OF
49, coffee cup, with his eyes still
- lsod to the market reports before
80 49, ..Tet him learn to make money
ILL., 1:1-a 7 did. SOS he can take care OF It
INV I'm gone-that'll be enjoyment
enough ,41 =. n,.oia
-+-oe rinpled i'm a spiritless indig-
~ ea+ion at the other end of the table.
1T amt fair, Pa" she urged peevlsh-
II Here he is just getting On with
r r nice people and invited all around
house parties and such, and clubs
ond All that-and now you're going
~ make him come down to your stuff
f. old office every day
This was a gross libel on the old
n,on,e HEADQUARTERS; a whole floor
had t' hpen remodeled by fancy archi-
+acr in an ascending scale of opulence
tha+ eliminated In an inner sanctu-
arT with futed columns, padded
foors and silk rugs-a place where
aDarvthing had been carved, woven,
nainted or designed to special order.
+ looked expensive, and thereby sat-
isfed the old mans only esthetlc
sensibility.
Disnassionately he grunted Is he
nushed the empty cup away. Jim, .
Going to learn to work." he announc-
Cd fatty. Tell him to come down
to the office at five this afternoon. LIZ
ha don't come, his allowance L. cut
in half, Not before five o'clock,
though. I'm busy" He showed his
chair back from the table and jamm-
I'd the paper i'm his pocket. Don't
forget to tell him about his allow
ance-he'll come"
His alloWance-Oh, ia Inc
silk and lace morning gown futtered
in an agony of agitation. why, ne
hasn't enough as it j., and was just
going toask you-wait minute, Pa
But with final snort over his
shoulder the old man had disappear
ed, and from the distance came a
further series of pufings and grunt-
ings that marked his struggles with
his overcoat. Helplessly the t1utter-
ing laces and silk settled back.
The thumb of destiny had been
turned down, and the doom OF regu-
lar and vulgar daily toll was about to
descend on the son of the house.
Downtown, late that afternoon,
the old man sat alone i'm his carved
and padded sanctuary. Thirty stor-
les below, the haze of the evening was
already settling, softening the roof
tops of the distance and leaving in
delicate contrast the purple canons
of the interesting streets. Before him,
on a Uttered desk with the area or a
billiard table, four clocks bearing
enameled signs-London, New YORK,
Chicago, and San Francisco-marked
the hours with a mechanism as silent
as the passage of time itself.
A the New York clock Indicated a
quarter OF five he had dismissed brus-
quelE the last conferee and then ap-
parently lost himself in staring idly
over the melloWing lights of the great
city. The smooth-shaven, heavy
jowls and the lean lips were a. i'm
mobile as ever, yet at intervals the
old mans eyes travelled across the
little clock that was slowly counting
out the minutes of the New York day.
And one of the heavy-knuckled hands
covered with the loose, parchment
skin of old age abstractedly fondled
an unlighted cigar that would ordl-
narily have been half consumed by
this time.
A muft1ed buzzer sang at the side
of the desk, and a second later a
faded little secretary appeared. Your
son is outside, Mr.. Gorem."
Send him in," ordered the old man
CURLY. He swung around at the desk,
lighted the cigar briskly, and began
shutting among the scattered papers.
"Prompt-maybe he's got the goods
He ought to have-from me, anyhow.
Or maybe he wants the allowance"
he added grimly to himself. ION time
hey = He looked up as his son en-
tered the room. Ma told you what
wanted you for ?"
The younger man nodded a. he
lighted cigarette. Said we needed
Inc money-I'm getting big boy
noW-'time to 20 to work, put my
shoulder to the wheel, and all that
sort OF thing" he answered flippantly.
Thu old n; Il snorted We'll, made
W Your mind what businessyOu want
10 20 ito, hey p he asked.
Well, Dad, I've come down to talk
It over. But you know I've no taste
Ior buslness-what need, anyway
you've got more money than you and
inc rest of us can use. OF course,
nc went on seriously, "if we were
IKE most families and you needed
me, why, you know, Dad, I'd pull
along in the yoke with you like all
possessed. But a. it j., T don't feel
mat I'm a shirk.'
You won't be a shirk, Jimmie
you've got my blood in ye-and IT,
tlme to begin. I've got some pride q
lamlly, and T made my own pile my
sef-Pve got the pride of wanting TO
zee my son do what I've done, and
WIN better chance at the start than
had-peddlin' tinware. Tin the next
place, there amt room in this coun-
Try Tor man that won't work, wheth-
- he's one OF these rich hoboes OF
! st an ordinary poor one; and then
lOr another reason, / don't intend to