The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-03
TIE EVENING STORY
The DoWn-and-outer.
(By John Philip Ortiz


the smoking room of the Phoenix club
| when young Percy Needham saunter-
ed in to indulge in a cigar. No one
! would have dared address him as Old
| Jones. He was a capitalist and re-
| puted to be worth fifteen million dol
lars. 1t was the younger members
that "Old Jonsed" him to each other.
Needham had turned to go out of
| the room when the capitalist looked
| up from his paper.
| l'See here, a moment. young man.. -
he called.
Yes. sir"
you came in here to smoke. Go
| ahead and do it. While you are smok-
| ing 1 want you to read this article in
| the paper"
Some big news?' inquired the
young man.
mo. It's about a matter quite old,
and it touches you personally
! Mr.. Needham sat down and read the
| article. Something like that appears
once in three months When newspa-
| per can't get enough about graft it
| comes out with something about the
| Idle Rich.'"
l. And you don't approve of it?''
It's all twaddle, SIR
why, I had an idea that there was
a lot of plain truth in it,
rs a young man to be held up to
contempt because his father left him
a comfortable sum of money"
But the article don't mean that"
''It says that We are not workers"
''WeIl, let's see if you are. This is
Saturday. How did you start the
week?''
ct got measured for a suit of
clothes
THAT was hard work. smiled Old
Jones. About Tuesday,"
81 had to go to see my lawyer
more hard work. And Wednes-
day?"
IT rode to hounds"
''Ah! Tremendous exertion! And
Thursday"
II played billiards most of the day."
"And was dog-tired at night, of
course? And Friday"
Lets see. 1t was an auto ride
"And today?"
Lay abed till noon, and then took
a walk"
Poor boy! And yet a newspaper
dares to refer to 20 as the idle
you speak sarcastical1y, SIR" said
young Nee1ham.
Look here. my boy said the
elderly man as he laid a hand on the
others shoulder, "let me say that II
knew your father for years and years
He worked ten hours a day and six
days in a week to accumulate the
money he left you. The auto was I'M
known, and he didn't gallop after
hounds or any other breed of dogs
"Well?"
Does it ever strike you that you
are frittering away his money!"
Well, what shall I do? 1 am get
ting good interest on the money
And every dollars interest you
draw makes the country that much
poorer, as the producers have to pay.
Have you fitted yourself to earn any
thing by your brains or labor?"
There has been no call to-
That's it, said Old Jones-"the idle
rich! You are not only idle, but you
make the busy people pay for it. Sup
pose you should lose your wealth?'
II have never given it a thought
was the reply; but I am conceited
enough to believe that I could easily
find an opening"
ct is conceit. I'll wager you a
hundred dollars against fifty that YOU |
couldn't strike a job in three months |
not a bookkeeper, a salesman, cashier |
or book agent. You have neither trade |
nor profession"
well, when the earthquake comes |
perhaps 1 can find a job of carrying |
the bod to help rebuild" laughed Need |
ham, as he rose.
Hell forget it in two minutes"
unused the old man.
A week later young Needham did a |
thing that astonished himself Attired |
in a suit of clothes that even his valet |
had cast aside, he started out to see
what might appen if his fortune sud-
denly vanished. Later on he would |
show old Jones that he had made a
wrong diagnosis, cut as he thought |
himself. He took to the street under
outer.
whats your line?" was asked of
him.
Nothing"
We'll, you've got gall 20 bother busy
peopleI"
Can you nail a box together and
mark it?''
Il never tried, but
Then go and try somewhere else!"
The nearest he came to striking
job was when the boss of a gang of
cellar diggers hailed him with:
What a good thing at s2.25 a day?"
You beti"
Then get into that gang carrying
dynamite, and in case you drop box
you'll eat your Iuch in Hoboken-or
further away
The quest was failure and old Jones
was right.
But 1 won't have it SOL exclaimed
the young man to himself. why, it
makes me as useless as a dead dog.
If 1 had been penniless it would have
meant starvation"
He entered an office at noon to be
told by superilious employee that
they wanted a dodo up at the zoo, |
and that he'd better start right away
and walk fast II ne wanted the JOB |
AS young Needham turned to go the
girl stenographer followed him out into
the hall and held a half dollar out to
him.
Thanks, but I can't take it. It's
work I want.
But places are hard to find What
did you do last?" Il
T.
you have seen better days?"
IT am 'down-and-outer now, at
least"
Would you work on a farm?" she