El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-04
The Herald's Daily
Sbort StOry

4, to the bottom of the business, clear
out. 1 tell you straight
Suddenly he became confidential
All right. sir. come up into the
kitchen. an the miSsuS viii give yer
a bit O supper, an Wen ave good
This is the story the housekeeper
Z told me:
longed to a glove merchant. The shop
downstairs was his. and the room next
20 mine was his private office he was
the kind of man you seldom 1Ind 10
day. He had a child-a sOn-on whom
his hope of life was built.
Ralph was his father over again in
many ways, with the strong handsome
face. the courteous bearing.
It was the dream of the fathers life
that his son should come into the bus
mess at the age of 81. This was done
in the letter, but not the spirit. Ralph
had no taste for business. He was
little more than a boy at 81. petted and
courted by dis friends, of whom he
had u large circle. So he came into the
business amid great rejOicings. dinners.
toasts. and speeches. all as the father
%This is the great day of my life.
Ralph said, and for a moment could
say no more.
over, and when all the papers had been
signed. the son found himself fairly in
the D. He knew he hated it.
show ii at first. for he had a real love
for his father; but it gradually became
evident he was in the wrong place. He
stayed away from the shop, was slack
when he did come and looked bored
when his father talked of business.
At first the father did not notice.
den he pretended not to; finally 1t
dawned on him what manner of son he
had. Each reused the latent devil in
the other. though neither gave way
without q struggle. The father would
try gentleness and persuasion. the
youth would have periodic fits of devO-
crept in taunts. knocking answers. ur-
dutfuI words on both sides, and, at
last, open warfare
It was the eternal drama of father
and son. of the new breaking away
from the old.
And one night matters came to
head The exact words of the inter-
view were never known, but so many
similar scenes had taken place before
listeners, that good idea may be
gathered Of what happened.
The father began by referring to the
particular duty forgotten. and from
that went on 10 complain of his sons
negligence. The son declared, with
truth, that he had come into the bus
mess meaning to do his share, much as
he lOathed it. but had found the load
intolsrable. Then he had come on
new ways of thought, and the con-
flict in his mind had been great
L can make You understand, ne
said: you won't listen.
To this his father replied that he mad
had to work hard to keep a lazy son
Fine words pay no bills" he said.
Then suddenly he lost all control over
himself and all the pent-up bitterness
of years was let loose. He called mis-
son a dishonest fool. He was never
10 think OF act for himself he was
just to walk along the path his father
had chosen Tor him
His fathers reply was one that made
the son flare up in Unpardonabl bic in
science. His mOcking voice rose clear.
There are other things in life than
selling gloves" he said. And with that
the father struck him.
It was not a hard blow, but the total
unezDcctedness of it caught him off his
guard He fell. striking his head
against the edge of the mantelpiece.
The stream of blood oozed through in
% the next office.
When the clerk rushed in, startled
by the awful calm that followed the
noise. the father was kissing the sons
blood-stained hair. and calling him by
a pet name OF childhood.
The doctor was brought. and had to
turn from the dead form of the son to
the dying one OF the father For the
shock had killed the old man; he died
in the doctors arms. with his eyes to
the last on the dead body.