The herald., 1914-09-10
4 MAN OF FAITH
By HAROLD CARTER.


When Billy Durham was at school
he was the butt Of his companions,
because he believed everything that
he was told. AS he grew older, how
ever, instead of jeering at him the fell
lows used to go to him with their con-
idences. He had that captivating
frankness and belief in human nature
that, when genuine, proved irresistible.
1t was just the same when Billy was
discharged from the insurance office.
Mr.. Somers, the manager, had been or
dered to lay of some Of the employees.
He thought Billy was not cut out for
the insurance business. You'd better
lay off for a while and look round to
see if you don't find something more
suited to you," he said.
He never expected to see Billy again,
but, five weeks later, Billy was found
at his desk one morning. Il didn't see
/ anything l like better, SO l came back"
he said. Billy stayed and was pro-
NOTED to be assistant manager By old
Hayden, who had taken fancy 10 the
| young man.
Old Hayden, being a millionaire, was
| not the man to pick up an Insignificant
| subordinate and take him into his
home. However. Billy had been to the
| Madison avenue mansion once or twice
with important papers. He had seen
| Elsie Hayden there and had at once
! fallen in love with her. With his SIM
! plicity OF mind, it did not occur to him
that there would be any difficulty
about marrying her provided he could
make her love him.
That summer he brooded over his
work, hoping against hope that the
occasion would arise for him TO 60 TO
Mr.. Rayden's house again. But he was
not summoned, and presently he dis
covered through the papers that Elsie
Hayden was spending July at Allan.
tic City.
| Billy took his vacation In July and
went there. He met Miss Hayden on
the board walk and, taking of his hat,
| reminded her who he was. Elsie Ray.
den was at once amused and inter.
ested. She was tired Of society life,
and she had begun to suspect that she
was in love with Mr.. Gerald Lomax,
who had been reported In the newspa
pers several times as paying her at
tention-
The result Of that conversation was
that Billy was invited to call at the
hotel. Miss Elsie had plan in mind.
She wanted to discover whether Ger
aid loved her, by the simple process of
trying to make him jealous.
+ She timed Billy's second visit so that
II should coincide with Geralds regu.
lar Sunday trip to Atlantic City, and
for an hour the two men sized each
other up, while Miss Elsie chatted
amiably and impartially with each In
turn, and both together.
Billy was the first to leave and some
thing which might have been called a
scene" in less exalted circles hap.
pened afterwerd. The next time Billy
called Miss Elsie was more encour'
aging than ever. That was the begin
ming of a week of ecstacy for the young
fellow. They went for long country
walks, they swan and drove, they pat
ronized theaters and all the amuse
ments. And presently the inevitable
society item found its way into the
New York papers.
"Rumor has It that Mr.. William
Durham and Miss Elsie Hayden will
shortly announce their engagement"
Billy read the item and turned white
with indignation. He went straight t
Miss Elsie's hotel and slapped the
newspaper down on the table before
her.
81 don't know what cur put that In,
he said, but / want to make it true
VIII you, dear?"
MY dear boy, you don't under
stand" she said. Il am engaged Il
marry Mr.. Gerald Lomax."
Billy stared at her incredulously
But you have gone for walks ant
drives with me-" he exclaimed.
20, go away, Billy, and learn some
thing Of the world" Miss Elsie an
swered.
Billy went away to learn. Then sh,
regretted her words. The fact wa
that she had received letter from he
] father that morning demanding point
eddy to know what she was doini
] fooling with one of his clerks at Al
D lantic City" He also demanded tina
she go home.
Elsie went home, and hard weel
followed. There was Mr.. Lomax, Ell
postulating and indignant, and her fs
Their, furious at the publicity. Thre
> days later, when Billy got back to hi
) lodgings, he found a letter stating tina
. his services would no longer be re
quired in the insurance office.
Now ninety-nine men out Of a bur
dred would have whistled and gone GU
to look for a Job. But Billy's absur
| faith took him right round to tn