Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-05
The Daily Story
What Fate Did-By Edith v. Ross.
conyr.ghted. 1914. By associated Literary Bureau.

only son. His father had Dulit up gooe
business and was extremely DESTROYS
of training the boy TO take bis place al
fits manager. But Barton's tastes wer'
not for business. In the first place, hs
was too tender hearted for the man
agement of a concern wherein manJ
disagreeable things must be done Tor
which the manager must take the re
sponsibility. A customer whose credit
is tottering IS near failure; he must be
fumped on and his ruin completed
Dull times come on, and persons de
pendent upon the concern for living
must be laid of. 1t Is the maDagers
business to speak the word that de
priyes them of their daily necessar1es
and comforts.
Barton as q boy heard of some of
these ardships-hardships for his
father as well as the others concerned
and conceived great dislike for what
he understood business to be. But this
did not satisfy his father, who consfd-
cred it the part of man to do neces-
sarily disagreeable things when they
came in the line of duty. When his son
came to be eighteen years of age the
father proposed to put him in his fac
tory at the bottom of the ladder and
elevate him as rapidly as he showed
himself capable of being advanced
Barton demurred, declaring that he
wished TO go to college.
Here was a breach between father
and son that was never healed. Barton
went to college, and his father put in
I'D f0r- q
nephew. Evan Swift, who gave evil
dence of possessing those qualifications
which Barton lacked. Evan was buSi-
ness man from the crown of his head
to the soles of his feet He could say
mo" when mo" was necessary. He
could detect expenses that were I'M
necessary and cut them of, no matter
who was hurt by doing so. He could
figure profit and loss, and, no matter
how hard the times, there was always
some profit. By those who understood
the requirements of the concern he was
by those whose minds were
intent simply on their own interest he
was hated.
Barton at college developed tastes
that his father considered a waste of
time to pursue. The bones of dino
saurs. the skulls of cave men, Of cliff
jewellers, of extinct lake men who sew
eral thousand years ago lived in houses
built over the surface of tranquil wa
tiers, absorbed his attention. He also
had a fancy for digging in the dirt to
exhume ancient buried cities. He was
as much delighted at discovering an |
earthen pitcher made 5000 years ago |
as his father was at hitting upon a
new article of commerce that could be |
at a profit.
When Barton was graduated from
college he desired to go with an expe-
tition to Asia to look for the lost site
Of a city that fourished a thousand |
years before the Christian era His |
father, who considered the object use
ess if attained, refused to furnish him
the necessary funds. But so impor- !
-ant was Barton to the party that his
alma mater supplied them. 1t was
through Barton Kenwoods researches
hat the site was found.
Theck was q girl who had been a
of Barton Of whom he had
rom the first made a confdant. Her
lame was Grace Bingham. Even as a
hid she showed evidence of both in
diligence and practical common sense,
n that respect resembling the elder and
he younger Kenwood. AT first she adj
Used Barton to accede to his fathers
wishes, but before the break between
hem came about she realized that the
wo looked upon values from opposite
tandpoints and that Barton never
ould be made a business man. She
therefore, reluctantly advised him to
ollow that for which he was best
tied.
After Barton went away Evan Swift,
rho had entered his uncle's employ
18th view to reaping the emoluments
hat his cousin had turned aside, be-
an to pay attention to Grace Bing-
am. Grace from little girl was pre-
isposed to Barton. but after he went
} the university she saw little OF him.
Whether during that period Of rapid
hange between fourteen and twenty
e passed out of her mind or lay there
is not to the point. What IS
ertinent is that at twenty years of
&c she found it time and a necessity
lat she should take husband. ,
Swift was in oil respects q desirable
srson. He had already been made Sec 1
Id to his uncle In the management of I
10 Kenwood Manufacturing company,
I'd It was expected that he would {
'on assume full control. Mr.. Ken
Gods fortune was all In the business, I
as necessary to the business, and 1t 1
as surmised that he would leave II to
g man to whom he proposed to take
$ place instead OF his son, who was '
nsidered to have sold his birthright
r old bones. b
Be these things as they may, Grace
ngham did not throw so favorable U
opportunity for settling herself for b
o over her shoulder. But Swift was I:
mo time ginning her consent. and S
ere were those who said that the rea- b
n was TINT the man she desired. for
nself alone. was Barton Kenwoo6
it, given a practical girl, a fine bust.
IS man with a Y1rOSnoefiva %1r$..