The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-06-05
AN 0VERGR0WN BOY
But a Foe Of Great Resource, De-
termination, and SineWs OF
Warfare.
sy ARTHUR W. PEACH

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 1t 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 off 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 If Miss Romley were 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 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. 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@till
on overgrown boy, and hadn't aeri-
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 scclding nature bounded off 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 so fatty,
The next day 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, bitttertongued man turn Oh
Hilliard stream of condemnation
in which he ripped Hilards character
into shreds and showed 1t 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, his
fair, good-natured face stiff under a
new emotion, then he turned toward
the cloak-room without word.
Alice Romley had realized her ambi
tio-; she was the chosen clerk of the
manufacturer, 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
ly, and she began to believe 1t was all
right after all, to have nature that
sees only the sunny side OF life, even
If such a nature never gets one any
where, No word came from him, and
she did not write for she had no idea
where he was.
The first inkling came through
note from one of their western man
ayers, saying that the first Of crop
of statesmen were intruding on his ter
ritory with an article similar to
theirs, but better made and cheaper,
and that his men were getting the
worst of it right along.
Lakes face had looked worried aft
er that She knew they were making
a large profit on their goods, and that
he had been afraid Of the advent of
competitors.
The next report from the west was
still more discouraging, and before
she knew 1t royal battle was on be.
for ioAo
a bit by the wonder Of it, she took
her small part In 1t. She saw that
they were fighting foe Of great re-
source and determination, and one
equipped with the sinews of warfare
wealth and credit.
They could not learn who the DOW.
er was in the opposing company but
she knew they we're men of ability;
some of them had been with Lakes
firm In the old days.
Then came the afternoon she knew
she would never forget She sat
in the room where the members OF
the firm sought to find a way out;
she saw them desperately plan, and
turn back. held at bay from every
corner One by one they left in
despair. and only Lake remained.
The telegram cane Offering no com.
promise, but stating that It would give
a reasonable amount for their bust.
ness Beaten, and beaten badly, Lake
assented.
When the representative OF the 9Th.
er firm entered she heard Lake gasp,
and looking up, she gasped herself. It
was Hillard. but changed Hillard.
Ills face was firm and stern, his EYES
had grown steadier, and his manner