The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-11-25

fell, rather thar climbed, down the
ladder, snatched the white missile from
the grass. and saw that 1T was, indeed
a sealed and addressed envelope. had
somehow expected that address to in
Guide either Godfrey's name or mine;
but it did neither. The envelope bore
these words:
MR.. FREDERIC SWAIN,
1910 Fifth Avenue,
=. New York City.
If not at this address,
please try the Calumet club.
1 sat down on the lowest rung of the
ladder, Whistling softly to myself. For
Freddie SWANS address wa no longer
found in the luxurious rooms of the
Calumet club. In fact, it was nearly
a year since he had entered either
place. For some eight hours Of every
week day, he labored in the law Of
ices OF Royce Dc Lester; he slept in
a little room on the top floor of the
Marathon; three hours of every eve
ming, Saturday, Sundays and HOLIDAYS
excepted, were spent at the law school
of the University of New York: and
the remaining hours Of the "a in haunts
much less conspicuous and expensive
than the Calumet club.
For Freddie Swain had taken one of
these ~toboSgan slides down the hill of
fortune which sometimes happen to
the most deserving. His father. old
Gen. Orlando Swain, had, all his life,
put up a pompous front and was sup
posed to have inherited a fortune from
somewhere; but, when he died, this
edlflce was found to be all facade and
no foundation, and Freddie inherited
nothing but debts. He had been ex-
pensively educated for a career as an
ornament Of society, but he found that
career cut short, for society suddenly
ceased to find him ornamental. 1 sup
pose there We're too many marriageabls
daughters about!
L am bound to say that he took the
blow we'll. Instead of attempting to
cling to the skirts Of society as a ven
der or champagne or an organizer of
feteS champetres. he-to use his own
words-decided to cut the whole show.
our firm had been named as the
administrators of the Swain estate, and
When the storm was owe and we were
slttlng among the ruins, Freddie ex-
pressed the intention of going to work.
What will you do" Mr.. Royce in
quired. Ever had any training in
making money!"
No. only in spending it." retorted
edd easily. but l can learn. I was
good trade, isn't it?"
Splendid" assented MI. Royce,
warmly. And there are always so
many openings. You see, nobody studies
i~aWLI-iawyer are as scarce as hens
"Just the same, 1 think I'll have a
try at 1t" said Freddie, sturdily. There's
always room at the top, you know"
ne added. with a grin. Il can go to
the night school at the university, and
! ought to be able to earn enough to
live on, as a clerk or something. I
know how to read and write"
That will help. of course" agreed
Mr.. Royce. But I'm afraid that. right
at first, anyway. you can scarcely hope
to live in the style to which you have
accustomed"
Freddie turned on him with fire in
his eyes.
Look here" he said, suppose you
give me a job. III do my work and
earn my wages-try me and see
There was something in his face that
touched me, n | glanced at Mr..
Royce. 1 saw that his gruffness was
merely q mantle to cloak his real feel
ings: and h result was that Freddie
Swain was set to work as a copying
applied himself to his work with an
that surprised me, and I learned
he was taking the night course at
the university. as he had planned. Fin
turning in to my rooms at The Mara
thon, and found a he had rented
a cubby-hole on the top floor Of the
building. After that, / saw him oc-
and when six months had
passed, was forced to acknowledge that
he was thoroughly in earnest I hap
pened to remark to Mr.. Royce one day
Swain seemed to be making good.
Yes. my partner agreed; II didn't
think he a it in him. He had a rude
from his dream of affluence,
and 1t seems to have done him good.'
But, somehow, I had fancied that 1t
was from more than a dream of af-
fluence he had been awakened; and
now, as / sat staring at this letter, I
to understand dimly what the |
other dream had been.
The first thing was to get the letter
into his hands. for I was certain that
1t was q cry for help. I glanced at my
and saw that it was nearly half
past 10. Swain, I knew, would be at
lunch, and was not due at the office
until / o'clock. Slipping the letter into
my pocket. / turned back to the house.
and found Mrs. Hnrgis standing on the