The Red Cloud chief., 1913-02-27
AN OlERGROWN BOY
But a Foe OF Great Resource, De-
termination, and SineWs OF
Warfare.
BY ARTHUR w. PEACH.


the Office of the head OF the big manu-.
featuring firm, she met Roy iliIlard
for the first time. That meeting
served to make her Interested in MN
and the interest grew from friendship
into something else. She would not
confess II was love for him bat she
was attracted by his CHEEKY, happy'go-
luck personality. his Willingness to do
little services that woman values.
II did not take her long to discover
that he was OF little use to Mr.. Lake.
tho head of TIE firu, whose conf'den'
tial clerk he was supposed to be. She
learned. too. that Hillard had money
In his own right--a considerable
amount fact. but as II had been the
wish of his father that he enter busi
ness with Lake he had done so. He
was lazy. never on time. always put.
ting OF his work. She could see that
Mr. Lake was exasperated at times.
but managed to hold his temper
Therein. she discovered. too. that II
Hillard were discharged. his position
would be hers
Hillard got into the habit of seeing
her home; sometimes she found him
and his car waiting for her. Before
long he was coming on Sundays and
soon she was listening for his slow,
gOod.natured voice asking the girl at
the door IL Miss Romley were In.
One starry night, when II seemed
S.. ~. tn kn hn
side him. he proposed. She was
startled. yet she had read II In his
eyes days before. His first words
thrilled her. the next angered her, for
he was proposing as he did every
thing. carelessly. goodnaturedly. rs II
II didn't amount to much anyway.
Marriage involved giving up the bust.
ness career for which she had fitted
herself, and OF which she had
dreamed. II was not "A matter to be
talked OF In other than serious
way. His manner angered her.
She told him, frankly. that she
would not marry him, that he was still
on overgrown boy. and hadn't a seri.
Gus thought In the world. and that n
girl liked to have the thuoght OF mar
riage with her regarded as the biggest
thing In the world
His open. smiling face grew serious.
for )nce. as she went on. and she
found she could not scold when words
Of n scolding nature bounded on 30
easily. Before they had returned. rhe
was smiling herself. but under her
smiling exterior was her detremina.
ton never to marry him. She told
him so fatty.
The next day small bomb burst
in the Office. Hillard appeared late
and making no effort to make up foI
lost time, he aroused Lakes long sui
fering wrath. with the result that
the room fuH Of stenographers heard
the irate. bittter.tongued man turn on
Hilliard stream OF condemnation
in which ne ripped Hilard's character
into shreds and showed II up before
Hillard himself In its bare truth. Not
stopping there he went on to dis
charge him. closing with the words
You aren't half man! Get out
Mis- Romley, you take his work"
Hilard stood, white to the lips, hi
fair. good-natured face stiff under ,
new emotion. then he turned towart
the cloak-rOom without a word.
Alice Romley had realized her ambi
tior: she was the chosen clerk OF th'
manufacturer. and she labored t
show her value to him. He seemed
pleased by her efforts, and she certain
" was by the size OF her pay checl
and his words
or Hiilard. she heard nothing afte
his departure She missed him keen
". and she began to believe 1t was al
right, after ALL to have nature tina
sees only the sunny side OF life, evel
n such a nature never gets one any
where. No word came from him. an
she did not write for she had no ide
where he was.
The first inkling came through
note from one OF their western mar
ayers, saying that the first of GRO
OF statesmen were intruding on his tel
ritory with an article similar I
theirs, but better made and cheaper
and that his men were getting tn
worst of 1t right along.
Lakes face had looked worried af
er that. She knew they were maxim
a large profit on their goods, and tina
ne had been afraid of the advent c
competitors.
The next report from the west wa
still more discouraging, and befor
she knew It royal battle was on b,
tween two firms for existence. Daze
bit by the wonder Of 1t, she too
her small part in It. She saw tn,
they were fighting a foe OF great r
source and determination, and on
equipped with the sinews OF warfal
wealth and credit.
They could not learn who the po,
er was in the opposing company, b,
she knew they were men OF abilit,