Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-04-11

70 IN debt 10 them--n ne would nave II!
less than nothing lett.
For days he s,owed above his fig
ures in a room of which he hept close
guard upon the key He told Rankin.
who was curious. that ne planned to
write 4 book
Indeed. sir Fiction sir?"
Fiction cad. no, Fact"
A book of travel. sir? I've Travelled
quite a bit Perhaps"
No or yes or travel up and down
. Broadway"
Splendid. sir. If may be excuse
for taking such p liberty. I'm sure no
gentleman in all New York is more
familiar with the subject, sir. shall
be glad 10 read il, sir, I'm sure it
viii be quite a revelation"
Rankin" said Broadway earnestly,
If wrote what / really know about
Broadway it would be regulation.
lie grew very serious. for him 1T
/ would PIT some men on pedestals. and
they would not be those who now
stand highest II would put some men
. behind the bars, and among them are
some meE VINO now are free to come
ana go. with Welcomes when they
come and invitations when they leave,
in every place where people gather in
this town"
He burst into a sudden laugh Great
stuff, eh, Rankin? When you say
Broadway you stir me up. love it,
hate it; it always fascinates me
/ There's no street like it in the world. -
II your book is like that. sir, it
will be biz success" commented
Rankin, spelIbound It's going to be
a fine book. NJ Jones"
1t won't interest Broadway. There s
'0nly one kind of book that Broadway
cares about"
And what is that. sjr2''
Check books. Rankin. Now I'm so
ing into-intO-" He did not know
Just what to call the room which he
kent locked.
Your study. sir"
Thanks. Rankin Yes: I'm going TO
nv study. Don't let ne be disturbed"
IN not. sir
When he left tina; study" he avoid
ed Rankin. His fingers were ink
stained from calculations, his hair was
quite disheveled. his eyes were wide
and rolling. He could see no hope
| ahead.
He wrote a lei ter to his uncle ex-
planning that investments had gone
wrong and that he needed a small loan
of fifty thousand dollars for three
months. He was sure that If he got
this he would be enabled to find some
way out. By return OF mail he had
an answer in an envelope which
strangely bnlged. He opened Il with
trembling fingers and a package of
Jones Pepsin Gum fell out.
Chew this and forget it," said the
cheerful note which Uncle Abner had
wrapped round it, II said further:
I'm going to Europe for five Years.
Don't bother me again. You've made
you bed, now lie on it,"
That was the last straw. Without
! the least idea of what he wished 10
do, the frantic Broadway started cut
to find some work by which, at least.
he could earn honestly his hoard and
keep.
Wall street offered nothing, for when
he went down to see his friends there
his courage failed entirely and instead
OF asking them to find a place for him
ae bought them, one by one. expensive
luncheons.
He went to neighboring cities, hop
ing there to find some means OF get
ting food to eat without getting # on
credit, and there he had some strange
| experiences which lasted several days.
But, while he just escaped the uniform
of the Salvation Army, he did not find
work and wandered back to Broad way,
| the apartment and more debt
He had no profession, knew no
trade. Half crazed with the obsess5on
that he must no longer run in dent,
! he decided to sell out the fiat, DIS
| charge the servants and do mental
/ labor. Running through the list Of
his abilities he decided, with franz
self-contempt, that about the bes.
which he could do was help in hotel
as bellboy. He knew too little abou,
mathematics to keep books: he never
would succeed as desk-clerk. But he
could not bring himself to try to get
a job of that sort-it would too often
bring him into contact with the folk
| he knew.
One afternoon. while wandering in
an aimless funk upon a side street. he
saw a card in front of an apartment
house announcing that an elevator boy
was wanted. He rushed in with alac-
rity and determination-and at the
very threshold met Mrs. Gerard. who
had been calling on a friend there. In
stead OF asking for the job he took
drive with her.
II was while this drive progressed
that the sordid. vicious tempter def