The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-26
The Man Who
Worried
And In One Case There
Was Something to
Worry About.
By JOHN 7. LARNED

gOhAAN k<fAhAlNA<O
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
/ began my business career at seven
teen as Office boy with an importing
house. My father, who was a friend
Of the proprietor, Mr.. Jehn Edsall. Sc
cured me the position, and was en-
social terms with the Edsall family.
was interested In my work, whatever
it was, and that is an important ele-
ment of success. was connected with
different departments at different
times, and in this way / gained gen.
eral knowledge of the business.
Mr.. Edsail's only child was daugh-
ter, who when / came of age was AZ
teen years old Some girls Of fifteen
are like a six-weeks-old colt, all limbs
and very awkward. Lucia Edsali was
the reverse of this. She was very
pretty and graceful as fawn. fam
cied her from the first moment 1 saw
her and had evidence that she fancied
me. But girl of that age will usually
cling to any young fellow with whom
she associates.
Nevertheless, after she had been at
boarding school for a year, ON her re-
turn, although she was more careful
in showing her feelings for me, had
reason to believe that they had not
changed. / was not in receipt of an
income to marry my wealthy employ
er's daughter. Nevertheless there was
sparring between Lucia and me that
was dangerously near to love making.
Another years separation occurred
a trip abroad Lucia made with her
mother-and on her return, while l
saw no change in my sweetheart, had
become impressed with the risk to me
In appearing as a sutton for the hand
of my employers daughter. Should he
have other plans for her he might as
sumo that l had clandestinely won her
and be proportionately indignant
was in high favor with him in bust
ness way, and my prospects were very
bright 1t would be terrible misfor-
tune to me If such an accusation were
brought against me. l would lose not
only the girl loved, but my position,
and would have to begin again at the
foot of the ladder.
Being a year older on Lucia's return
than i was when she went abroad,
this view of the case seemed of great
er Importance to me. There is no one
more prone to worry, to take a pessi-
mistic view of his affairs than lover.
dreaded to have Lucia show a parti.
atty for me, and when she did re
pressed its expression. This naturally
caused her to treat me coolly, and
was more miserable than before.
l had been spending months in thii
condition Of uncertainty, making my
self and Lucia miserable, when Mr.. Ed
sail was taken Ill. He sent for me t.
come to his house and told me that ht
wished me to run the business, report
ing to him every day until he had re
covered. / was astonished at this, be
cause there were men much older thar
/ who had been In his employ fol
many years. OF course ! was muci
fattered. l was also rejoiced because
1t indicated that some day l might b
promoted to a position next to the pro
prietor of the business.
But the higher 1 was lifted in /
business way the more anxious / be
0me lest something should brint
about more open love affair between
Lucia and me, and my prospects woul(
be brought to "a sudden collapse. I hat
not definitely made love to her. The
matter was drifting. II 1 told her tina
loved her I should be in position tc
offer myself to her. That would neces
state my going to her father, and
had not the faintest knowledge wha
ground he would take. But I fearet
the worst.
When he recovered and resumed hi
place as manager of his business h
made me his financial man, placing m,
in charge Of not only the moneys he
used In the business, but his securities
This showed great confidence In m,
integrity, but was all the more paniC
stricken at the prospect of his coming
to a knowledge of what was going OF
between me and his daughter.
worried, too about the Affairs O.
my department The cashier, Samue
Gregory, was under my orders, ant
the only person besides myself ant
Mr.. Edsall who had the key Of tn,
safe. Gregory had been with the con
Germ twice as long as had, but wor
ried lest he would involve me in som,
misfortune. He was not as careful
with his personal expenditures as
thought a man entrusted with fund
should be, but that was not sufflcien
cause for my pessimism.
One afternoon after bank hours a Gus
toner from another city came into thu
Office and insisted on paying his &C
count, a very large amount in banl
bills. 1 was obliged to receive 1t, ant
It was placed In the safe. That nigh
lay awake, not only thinking Of tn
equivocal position l occupied with re
spect to having q love affair with tn
daughter OF q man who trusted me Inn
plicitly, but who could wreck my pros
poets II ne considered that had beel
treating him dishonorably. Worry is
habit. and If a man permits himself +
worry about one thing he viii WORT,
about everything.
What made me worry about tn
money in the safe was that when
had reported the fact Of the paymen
to Mr.. Edsall he said that / shoul