Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-01-29

ANY kind OF BIOL 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 mill
lions.
s started looking for a .b~ey-wantedY
sign. 1t sounds funny, but it is a fact.
NY 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 / woke up? IN Delmonico's,,
eating breakfast! Turned in there out.
Eof force Of habit.
& made a dozen attempts to do the
right thing. I cut out automobiles and
rode in street cars for three days: I
went to an opening night at a theater
and sat in the gallery; I bought a pair
forty-cent table d-hote and smoked
fve-cent cigars-practicing, just prac-
ticing, trying to get used.to it.
But I couldn't. That was ALL sim.
ply couldn't! All my good resolutions
went to smash every time I took a
look at Broadway. / knew my credit
was good; the things I wanted were
there; I could have them so-well,
I took them, that was aH!''
And now" said Wallace, who had
sat, at first incredulouss and, later.
E~spel1bound, during the recital, you
are fifty thousand dollars in debit"
@ don't know the exact amount, but,
that's a fairly good guess"
You've been pretty quiet about it.
It hasn't seemed to worry you much!"T
Hasn't worried me?g Broadway's
voice was bitter. seWeIl, I don't mind
telling o that / have just come out
of the first sound sleep I've had in
weeks. I'll bet I walked to Chicago
and back every night the first month
I was broke
"I don't understand? 2"
"I mean If you had measured up my
carpet by the mile. I thought so much
and worried so much that / didn't dare
trust myself alone. I had the weird
est ideas; I did the craziest things. Do
you know that I belong to the Saliva
ton Army?"
What"
"On the level. I went to Newark
and joined n night"
What was the idea?"
81 thought it might help me forget
my troubles. / played the bass drum
for two nights and couldn't stand it
any longer. Er-have you ever been
in Newark"
i've been through there on the
train
That's bad enough. Guess what Z
suffered! I got off the traini oh, you
can't realize what I've been through,
Bob! I've made a bluff and pretended
to be happy all the time; but, believe
me, old pal, there have been times
when I've started for the Brooklyn
tbrfdge-and Iwont tell you about a
bottle Of poison and a u full of lead
which I considered using Ididn't a r
about the money I'd spent: what wor-
RED me was that running IN debt, day
after day. with no chance Of repay
ing"
But you kept on accepting credit"
"And it was swrong-dead wrongE
But-well, I guess it must be in my
blood. I couldn't help it.
How about your uncle?"
Broadway laughed. a cackling, scOrn~
full laugh.
Hes a rich man. Have you tried
him? 2,
yes; tried him and found him
guilty. / wrote and told him + was.
short of ready cash, after I had spent
the pittance that he paid me for my
interest in the Jones' gum. Z asked
him if he wouldn't lend me, say ten.
thousand dollars"
did he answer"
"Sure, he answered. Sent me- a pack
age of the gum and the advice: Chew
this and forget your troubles Hes i'm
Europe now. He's worth a million, If
he's worth a nickel, and he bought me-
out for practically nothing!"
sStingy?"
stingy? He's SO mean that every
time he's asked to have a drink he
takes a cigar and then saves up the
cigars, puts them in old boxes, and
gives them away for Christmas pres
ents."
Where have you been getting
enough for tips and pocket money!"
81 sold that big French a I said
was in dead storage. And do you re-
member that said I'd lost a lot Of
ljewelry? hadn't. I had pawned it.
How's my work, chi"
You're wonder! I've got to hand
it to you. But why didn't you contide
in me long ago?"
7 didn't have enough courage to-
confde in anyone. / could only keep
on hoping that some miracle would
happen. I've thought Of nothing ex-
cept money and how to get It.
sand, Bob. last night. at that ban
quet table, / sat looking at Mrs. Ge-
rard, thinking of her millions and won
dering what she'd say to me if ] should