Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-10-04

Ms advancement with the Marston
company WIS something extraordinary
| had not 0ccu with the concern n
month before was placed In charge
of department There were EN-
ployces who represented various hold
ings OF the siocN of the company who.
seeing me jumned from one position
to n better one, rouspirch against me,
But with a.i their Vaccinations they
found ii impossible 10 bulge me
Among other things they accused me
Of being the cltisc nt the loss Of one
OF the best customers OF the concern
Tie very nest day ! received an ad-
vance 10 salary OF u thousand dollars
year
Though there was no satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION OF ali this. | knew that Mr.
MarSion who owned siN-tcnths of the
stock of the company. was ut the bot
tom of IT, | was u hard aud efficient
worker. but there were other employ
eos who worked rs hard and MS elf
cicntly rs l. The matter was more a
mystery to me than 10 the others. for
employees Of Il concern managed 10y
one man power are used 10 seeing that
man take very sudden and ineXplica-
bile fancics among those who serve
him While was filed with wonder.
my fellow workncn were simply play.
ing an ordinary game to pull me down
ana build up themselves.
had not been with the concern long
when MIR Marston asked me TO dine
at his house It was evident the mo-
mcnt | appeared ut his home that
was an object Of great interest Mrs
Marston's grasp Of the hand. the In
tensity Of her gaze ut receiving me
would have astonlshed me had 1t not
been that ! Ind received 50 many sur
priSeS already The children all gave
evidence uf the same interest was
treated rs ailectionately rs il had
been some dear relative When | took
my leave WIS urged 20 make their
home my home. coming and going
without ceremony
became sufficiently friendly with
one OF The heads OF departments 10 ask
him one day what he considered the
cause of MIR Marston's and his fam
ily's kindly treatment of me. lie said
that MI AiarSion WAS very singular
man He had been accustomed TO re-
wartling the employees of the concern
for faithful aud valuable service sud.
denly and with no reference to what
the reward was given for. II seemed
90 be II fancy with him. ana no one
ever questioned or discussed anything
he did. This gave no inking OF the
reason for my preferential treatment.
for 1t had begun before had had
chance tu earn IL.
In two years ! was made vice plcsi.
dent of the company. and Mr. MarstOn.
who was getting tired of the business.
began To throw II great deal of the re-
spousibility he had heretofore taken 10
himself upon me. must have dcvel-
opcd n certain amount of business ca.
pacity or would not have been able
to bear this burden for any conSdcra-
bic period II was about this time that
! married. and Mr. Marston gave the
Il house At the time of this Gift led
the way for him 10 tell me why he had
so favored me. but lie did not avail
himself of ii. He turned away with a
grunt saying:
I'VE can't avoid fate. which is much
more liable 10 strike than TO coddle us.
Ia the first case ii does no good to
grunble. and in the second II does no
good 20 wonder In either event we
must accept what she has in store
for us -
The secret came out In time Mr..
Marston was taken III and sent for
me 20 come Ia see him. | went aud.
when ushercd into the bedroom where
he lay. stood trinstiXed with astonish
ment. lie had been III two months.
during which period | had not seen
him. His hair had grown and for
about an inch from his scalp was red
and the same shade OF red as my own.
the rest being black II was evident
that he had been accustomed 10 dye il
and during his Illness had ceased to
do So.
1T Is time" he said to me that
let you know the reason why | have
helped you II Is because some TWEEN
~ years ago would have suffered the
death Of fciun had II not been for
you y third person. who also had red
hair like yours aud mine. committed Il
murder. would have been Identified
as the murderer had 1t not been for
your opportune appearance with the
same or like shade OF hair ms III.
other two You deserve no credit Tor
having saved me from an ignoble
death but Il has given me no end of
pleasure and comfort TO reward you
as the uniutcutional cause OF my Is
cape. have done II scllishly aud for
my own satisfaction. not yours
Il have sent for you to tell YOU this
and to say To- you that shall not
again return Ia the management of the
business, Fortunately for us both. you
have shown yourself capable of man