The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-01-19
By
EDWARD MARSHALL


why, you always led me 10 Deueve
that you were a millionaire"
mot exactly that. But l did not
deny the stories that, somehow, got to
going round. Maybe | lied a little. At
that, I would be worth a million by
now IL I'd had any business ability,
with the bank roll ! had to start with"
When | came here to New York
and started to burn up Broadway, five
years or SO ago, l was worth two hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars. There
was cash. real estate and my small In
terest in the chewing gum factory.
First thing | did was spend the cash.
then | sold the real estate, then I
sold my interest In the factory.
II had no use for anything but cash.
"My Uncle Abner bought me out
and cheated me. He paid me just a
hundred thousand, a measly hundred
thousand, for my share OF the prop
erty out of which he's since then made
a dozen fortunes. hear the gum
trust offered him a million dollars for
the plant and the good will last year"
Jones Pepsinl"
yes; Jones' Pepsin. made in
Jonesville. It's the Oldest gum on the
market. Ever chew it,"
mo"
Don't. It's awful. It's terrible
stuff"
well. go on. What happened.
them
II could scarcely wait to get hold of
that money and get out of that town.
! wanted New York; nothing but New
York. / had heard about New York; /
had read about New York; I'd been
down here as a kid on visits. / talked
New York, / dreamed New York. Why,
from the time / was a kid, In knicker-
bockers. to the time / left Jonesville,
everybody called me Broadway
That's where 1t began"
Il thought 1t started here"
mo! when I was a kid in Jones'
vile. That was my name-Broadway'
just because l wore patent-leather
shoes and put on a clean collar. now
and then. That's the kind of a town it
is.
I've lived up to the name, | guess.
/ know every n~ewsboy. policeman. &C
tor. chorus girl. wine agent, gambler
and bartender or the street. I've been
TO bed just n night in five years be-
fore six o'clock in the morning and
that was when | had a toothache and
my face was swollen. 1t was not the
pain that kept me in; 1t vas the looks
of the pulled face"
He drew his breath In slowly, almost
wonderingly. "On, what | haven't done
to Broadway he continued. We'll,
you've seen me. You've been with me.
You know"
Wallace nodded. 9" always thought
you were pretty speedy. but | thought
you couId anord II. The trouble with
you is you've been toe liberal"
Liberal! Why, when | go into a
restaurant the walters come to blows
to see who'll get me. In barber shops
as | approach you'd think some one
had just yelled 'Fire!' the way the bar
bers dash far the chairs. Oh, I've been
the bright-eyed baby boy around this
town, all right. It's cost me a fortune
all | had"
His voice trailed into silence; Wal
lace sat looking at him dumb.
But I've had a wonderful time!"
said Broadway finally.
How long have you been broker"
About six months. My credits car
ried me on. When l first went broke
made up my mind wouldn't run in
debt, no matter what happened. put
on IN old suit of clothes that morning.
and started out looking for a job"
What kind of a iob?"
"Any kind of a job. Messenger boy.
elevator boy--I didn't care! I promised
myself I'd earn my living without beg
ging, borrowing or stealing"
He told Wallace of his stealthy
search for the elusive job which was
to have paid up his debts and started
him again, this time as a millionaire
in process of construction of new mil
lions.
i started looking for a 'boy-wanted'
sign. 1t sounds funny, but 1t Is q fact.
My intentions were the best in all the
world. But | got to thinking Of some
thing else, after | had walked a block
or two, and where do you suppose I
was when l woke up? In Delmonico's.
eating breakfast! Turned in there out
of force of habit.
Il made a dozen attempts to do the
right thing. / cut out automobiles and
rode in street cars for three days; l
went to an opening night at a theater
and sat in the gallery; / bought a pair
OF ready-made shoes; / ate meals at a
forty-cent table d-hote and smoked
%five-cent cigars-practicing. just prac-
ticing, trying to get used to it.
But | couldn't. That was ALL SIM
ply couldn't! All my good resolutions
went to smash every time l took q
look at Broadway. I knew my credit
was good; the things / wanted were
there; ! could have them; so-well.
took them, that was ALL"
And now" said Wallace, who had
sat, at first ~incredulous. and. later,
spellbound. during the recital, you
are fifty thousand dollars In debit"
Il don't know the exact amount. but
that's 9 falrly good gnAaa.