Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-01-22
CHAPTER i.

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clapboard buildings forming, in Jones'
vile, Conn, the extensive group de-
voted to the manufacture of Jones
Pepsin Gum, was the abandoned power
house, wherein were housed the water
wheels which once had furnished force
to drive the -factory's machinery. The
streams diminishing flow, the in
creased needs of the business, and the
economy of steam all had initiated to-
ward Industrial abandonment Of the
old building.
Small boys never fished there, for
the sluice-waters were too swift, loaf
ers never idled there, for the watch
men of the mills were too strict in
their guardianship; but lovers some
times wandered there, of moonlight
nights; and in the afternoons, when
the academy sessions had ended,
Broadway" really named Jackson
Jones, but nicknamed Broadway" be
cause of his continual glori1cation of
New York's great thoroughfare, which
he had seen upon occasion, sometimes
went there Ito get away from Jones'
viIle." This afternoon he was to teach
two Jonesville girl friends new dance
steps which he had learned in New
York city. Later, dancing these with
him at the Odd Fellows ball, they
would confound all other girls in
Jonesville.
The girls came promptly. Clara
Spotswood was the daughter of the To-
cal judge, Josie Richards the daughter
of a recent manager of the gum fac
tory. Her father was now laid up with
rheumatism, and Josie was in training
for a bookkeeper's post in the great
enterprise which swallowed most of
J~onesyille's youth of either sex, as
soon as they left school.
Nov this step, girls" Broadway
said in preface, was invented on
Broadway for use upon Broadway by
Broadway people. Don't mistake it for
a quiet nap. It's not a sleep-dance. 1t
was not dreamed out in Jonesville."
"And was everybody dancing it?"
asked Josie.
Every girl / saw" he answered. He
had been telling of a ball he had at
tended in New York, but not quite all
he might have told about it. Every
ic3e I saw, but one."
"And al she dancing old style?"
mo; she was being carried to an
ambulance. She had just sprained an
ankle"
ooh, Jackson. you're too FUNNY"
Thanks for those kind words" He
watched them .whirl together for a
moment. mo; not quite that way,
Clara. Don't give a Broadway step a
J~onesville twist; you want to give a
~Jonesville step a Broadway polish"
Breathless they stopped their eff
forts. ooh, you and your Broadway!
You're always talking about Broad
way!"
"Clara," said Jackson very seriously,
have you eve seen Broadway"
you know 1 haven't"
well, if you had, you'd never see
another place o thought worth see
ing"
"Oh, o and your, Broadway Josie
Richards was an extremely pretty girl,
more serious than Clara, who was fluff
fly. No wonder the boys all call you
Broadway"
Il suppose a minister is proud when
people call him doctor" was the an
swer. when people call me Broad.
way I feel about like that"
I'D rather folks would call me An
drew-Jackson," remarked Sammy.
Observation-Disclosures a-statesman
-not-a-street."
GsVn,r -or-lf@%lo h~1&L1-y -
Broadway, but, not being eloquent by
nature, he left the sentence incom.
plete.
He thinks he'll be a Caesar. He
wants to kill some boys by strategy,
for he's too fat to fight"
The girls laughed again. Now they
had begun the pleasant, homeward
walk along the high road to the border
of the village.
Can you come to supper?" Clara
asked.
"As long as l can't eat on Broadway
I'd rather go to your house than to any
other place 1 know" said jackson
But I've got to go home first. This
collars wtlted."
He was the, only boy in JonesvilIe
who would have thought of that; he
was the only boy in Jonesville who
owned a pair of patent-leather shoes.
AS they passed his uncle's residence
the old man, who was his guardian
caught a glimpse of him through an
opening In the neglected shrubbery or
the great lawn, and sent a serving
man to bid him enter.
Jackson made a wry face for the
benefit OF the girls, as he said good-by
to them, promising to appear for SUP
per at the Spotswoods'. He carefully
Obeyed the summons, but it irked him
His uncle always irked him. He be
Ieved, and there were others who be
heved, that his uncle tried to irk him
They never had got on very well to
gether; the old d was hard. con
servattye to the point OF stubbornnest