The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-01
AN 0IERGRONN BOY
But a Foe Of Great Resource, De.
termination, and SineWs OF
Warfare.
BY ARTHUR w. PEACH.


When Miss Alice Romley entered
the office of the head of the big manu-.
featuring firm, she met Roy Hillard
for the first time. That meeting
served to make her interested in him
and the interest grew from friendship
into something else. She would not
confess 1t was love for him but she
was attracted by his CHEEKY. happy, go.
luck personality, his willingness to do
little services that a woman values.
1t did not take her long to discover
that he was of little use to Mr.. Lake,
the head Of the firm. whose conhden.
tial clerk he was supposed to be. She
learned. too. that Hillard had money
In his own right-a considerable
amount fact. but az It had been the
wish Of his father that he enter bust.
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 we're 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 be was coming on Sundays and
soon she was listening for his slow.
good'natured voice asking the girl at
the door II Miss Romley were In.
One starry night. when Il seemed
good to b alive. and good TO be be-
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 40 he did every.
thing, carelessly. good-naturedly. as II
1t 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. It was not a matter to be
talked Of In other than q serious
way. His manner argered her.
She told him, frankly. that she
would not marry him that he was still
on overgrown boy, and hadn't oeri.
Gus thought in the world and that a
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 seeding nature bounded OF so
easily. Before they had returned re
was smiling herself. but under her
smiling exterior was her detremina.
ton never to marry him She told
him 80 fatty
The next day a small bomb burst
in the Office. Hillard appeared late.
and making no effort to make up for
lost time, he aroused Lakes long SUI.
fering wrath. with the result that
the room full Of stenographers heard
the irate, bittter.tongued man turn on
Hilliard q stream OF condemnation
In which he ripped Hilard's character
into shreds and showed It 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 a man! Get out!
Mis- Romley, you take his work."
IIilard stood, white to the lips. his
fair, good.natured face stiR under a
new emotion, then ne turned toward
the cloak-room without a word.
Alice Romley had realized her ambi.
to- she was the chosen cl,rl: Of the
and she labored to
show her value to him. He seemed
pleased by her efforts. and she certain.
ly was by the size Of her pay check
and his words.
OF Hillard. she heard nothing after
his departure. She missed him keen.
", and she began to believe It was all
right. after all. to have a nature that
sees only the sunny side OF life. even
II such a nature never gets one any.
where. No word came from him. and
she cid not write for she had no idea
where ne was
The first inking came through
note from one of their western man.
ayers, saying that the first OF crop
81 statesmen were intruding on his ter.
-itory with an article similar to
heirs, but better made and cheaper
md that his men were getting the
worst of It right along.
Lakes face had looked worried aft.
,r that She knew they we're making
/ large profit on their goods. and that
le had been afraid of the advent OF
Tn, next report from the west was
It'll more discouraging. and before
he knew It a royal battle was on be.
ween two firms for existence. Dazed |
bit by the wonder OF 1t. she took
Ter small part IN II. She saw that
hey were lighting foe Of great re.
ource and determination. and one
Quipped with the sinews OF warfare
wealth and credit.
They could not learn who the pow.
e was in the opposing company, but
he knew they we're men Of ability;
ONE Of them had been with Lakes
rm in the old days.
Then came the afternoon she knew
he would never forget. She sat