The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-07-02


! dread, and his smart walrus bag
aboard a train that halted and snuff
ed and backed, and bumped and halt
ed with maddening frequency. But it
landed him at last in little town
bearing the characteristics of all
American little towns. 1t was sur
prisingly full of six-cylinder cars, and
FIVE and ten-cent stores, and banks
with Doric columns, and paved
streets.
After he had registered at the ho-
/ tel, and as he was cleaning up a bit
he passed an amused eye over the
bare, ugly, musty little hotel bedroom.
But somehow, as he stood in the mid
die of the room, a graceful, pleasing
figure of youth and confidence, the
smile faded. Towel in hand he sur
veyed the barrenness of it. He stared
at the impossible wall paper, at the
battered furniture, the worn carpet.
He shifted the stuffy smell of-what
was that smell, anyhow?-straw, and
mating, and dust, and the ghost-odor
of hundreds who had occupied the
room before him. It came over him
with something of shock that this
same sort Of room had been his moth
er's only home in the ten years she
had spent on the road as a travelling
saleswoman for the T. A. Buck Fea-
Heirloom Petticoat Company. This
was what she had left in the morning.
To this she had come back at night
AS he stared ahead of him there rose
before him a mental picture of her
the brightness of her, the sunniness,
the indomitable energy and pluck, and
courage With a sudden burst of new
determination he wadded the towel
into moist ball, flung it at the wash
stand, seized hat, coat, and gloves,
and was off down the hall. So it was
with something of his mothers SPLEEN
did courage in his heart, but with
nothing of her canny knowledge in
his head, Jock McChesney Jared forth
TO do battle with the merciless god
Business.
1t was ten-thirty of brilliant morn
ing just two days later that buoy
: ant young figure swung into an ele-
vator. in the great Office building that
: housed the Berg, Shriner Advertising
/ Company. Just one more grain oil
! buoyant swing and the young mans
walk might have been termed a swag-
7 ger. AS it was, his walrus bag just
! saved him.
a Stepping out of the lift he walked
as from habit, to the little unlettered
: door which admitted employees to The
= big, bright, inner office. But he did moi
!, use it. Instead he turned suddenly anc
: walked down the hall to the double
= door which led into the reception
: room. He threw out his legs stif1y
: and came down rather hat-footed, TIT
i way George Conan does when he
il pleased with himself in the seconc
is act.
g Hello, Mackl" he called out jovial
k 1y.
lie Mack, the usher, so called from hi
y Machiavellian qualities, turned to sur
y. vey the radiant young figure befor
at him.
GOOD morning, Mr. McChesney,
y he made answer smoothly. Mac
never forgot himself. His keen ey
le saw the little halo of self-satisfactio
< that lowered above Jock McChesney'
u head. "a successful trip, 1 see"
n Jock McChesney laughed a littl,
Of pleased, conscious laugh. well, raw
a thahP he drawled, and opened tn
door leading into the main Office. H
- had been 1oath to lose one crumb c
: the SAVIOR of it.
Still smiling, he walked to his ow
he desk, with a nod here and Their
n. dropped his bag, took off coat an
IS hat, selected a cigarette, tapped
lie smartly, lighted it, and was off dow
n. the big room to the little cubby-hol
n at the other end. But Sam Hupp
nd plump, keen, good-humored face di
ell not greet him as he entered. The Ii
40 tie room was deserted. Browning, Joe
r. sank into the empty desk chair. +
he Graded his head in his hands, title
M the chair, pursed his mouth over Il
pu slender white cylinder and squintt
,t7 his eyes up toward the lazy BIZ
spirals of smolle-the very picture
r. content and satisfaction.
MS ! Hupp was in attending some COME