The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-05-09
AN OVERGROWN BOY
But a Foe of Great Resource, De-
termination, and SlneWS of
Warfare.
BY ARTHUR W. PEACH.

LOT Tue uIbl llH6. ludN mSNNiAS
served to make her interested in him
and the interest grew from friendship
into something else. She would not
confess it 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 confiden-
tial clerk he was supposed to be. She
learned, too, that Hillard had money
in his own right-a considerable
amount fact, but as 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
ing of his work. She could see that
Hr. Lake was exasperated at times
but managed to hold his temper,
herein, she discovered. too, that if
billiard 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,
go~od-natured voice asking the girl at
the door if Miss Romley we're in.
One starry night, when it seemed
good to be alive, and good to be be
side him, he proposed. She was
startled, yet she had read it in his
eyes days before. His first words
thrilled her, the next angered her, for
he was proposing as he did every
thing, ~carelessly, good-naturedly, as If
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. 1t was not a matter to be
talked Of in other than a 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'
u 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 a scclding nature bounded of so
easily. Before they had returned. FNe
was smiling herself, but under her
smiling exterior was her detremina-
ton never to marry him. She told
him 30 fatty.
The next day a small bomb burst
In the office. billiard appeared late,
and making no effort to make up for
lost time, he aroused Lakes long suf-
fering wrath, with the result that
the room full of stenographers heard
the lrate. bittter-tongued mar turn on
Hilliard a 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.
Hilard stood, white to the lips, his
fair. good-natured face stiff under a
new emotion, then he turned toward
the cloak-room without a word.
Alice Romley had realized her ambi
tior she was the chosen clerk Of the
manufacturer, and she labored tc
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 aftel
his departure. She missed him keen
ly. and she began to believe 1t was al
right, after all, to have a nature tina
sees only the sunny side OF life, ever
II such a nature never gets one any
where. No word came from him. ant
she did not write for she had nc idet
where he was.
The first inkling came through {
note from one of their western man
ayers. saying that the first Of a croT
of statesmen were intruding on his ter
ritory with an article similar t
theirs, but better made and cheaper
and that his men we're getting thu
worst Of 1t right along. 'I
Lakes face had looked worried aft
err that. She knew they we're makinl
a large profit on their goods, and tina
he had been afraid of the advent o
competitors.
The next report from the west wa
still more discouraging, and befor,
she knew It a royal battle was on be
tween two firms for existence. Dazet
a bit by the wonder Of it, she tool
her small part in 1t. She saw tina
they were fighting a foe Of great re
source and determination, and on,
equipped with the sinews Of warfarl
wealth and credit.
They could not learn who the pow
er was in the opposing company, bu
she knew they were men OF ability
some Of them had been with Lake
firm in the old days.
Then came the afternoon she knew
she would never forget. She sa
in the room where the members O
the Arm sought to find a way out
} she saw them desperately plan, an,
/ turn back, held at bay from ever
corner. One by one they left II