The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-16
An UnaCCountable
Prosperity
Bv ALAN HINSDALE

Indeed, l was out Of position ana
had nothing in the world to prevent
starvation. To add to my melancholy
| l was in love with girl who was sup
porting herself by teaching. She loved
me, but of course marriage between us
| was out Of the question. One AFTER
noon l was sitting on bench in a
park with other homeless, voorhees,
men. A man sitting beside me got up.
leaving a newspaper behind him.
took it up mechanically and tried to
read some of the items in 1t, prin-
cipally to relieve my mind from gloom.
Suddenly my eye caught sight OF my
own name. 1t was among few per-
! sonals. 1t said that If would send my
address to Murray & Field, agents, |
would hear something to my adyan-
| tage. | would have concluded that the
| ad. was for some other person of SINH
| lar name, but my name is an odd one
and my two surnames are also I'M
usual
| lost no time in calling on Murray
& Field and found that they were
agents for wooden mill in New Eng
! land. handed In the ad. which had
taken from the newspaper and was
shown into Mr.. Fields office Without
| saying anything to me he took down a
letter file, withdrew letter and read
it over. Then he put 1t back In its
place and said to me:
do you want positlon?'
said that most assuredly did want
position very badly He told me that
he had been directed by an officer Of
the mills he represented to send me to
them. Opening a drawer in his desk,
he took out $50 and handed it to me.
I gasped some questions, but he said
he knew nothing about the matter ex-
cept that he had been instructed to ad-
vertise for Inc. took the $50 and
spent one of them for meal. With
the rest l paid my way to the mills.
When got there was received by
the secretary and put In room by
myself. the door standing open. After
remaining there about half ali hour /
was conducted to the office of the Sec
rotary, who told me that If | wanted
work l could have 1t. l asked him
questions, with the same result as be-
fore.
/ but the salary was increased rapidly.
Within six months after being en-
plOyed | was receiving 800 month.
and then my salary was doubled did
all | could to earn it, but | am not an
unbiased judge as to whether | sue
ceeded. However, liked my work
and felt that | was fitted for it, One
day | asked If might consider my sal
airy permanent, and on being told that
1t was | wrote my sweetheart that |
was ready to marry her if she was
ready to marry me. She replied that
she was. and l obtained leave to go
and get married.
Before leaving l was handed check
for $1,000, which was told was for
immediate use was given every
thing | desired except information as
to why | was favored To my ques-
lions on this point | received only ST.
lence. Before my return from my
honeymoon | was informed that a
house had been provided for me. and
on my arrival one of the EMPLOYEES of
the mills conducted me to it, and when
we were inside he handed me deed
for the property, which was worth
about $4,000
My wife insisted that there was n
fairy godmother who was showerinc
on me all these blessings, but did not
believe any such thing.
One day the secretary of the COM
pany told me that | was wanted at n
certain house, TO which he would CON
duct ne. l felt it in my bones that I
was to receive an explanation of my
good luck or kind treatment. and while
being driven to my destination | was
forming theories to account for il.
was driven UP to a handsome dwelling
alighted, and when In the house was
taken upstairs to room where an old
man ray III beu. lie looked nj mo
steadily as approached him, motioned
me to take chair close by him and
then said to me:
II am your fathers brother. yor
probably never heard of my existence
for ran away from home whom q
boy, and l have understood that nv
name was never mentioned I'm the fam
lily. You are the only living person
sprung from that stock. am unmar.
ried and have no children. l advert,s-
ed for you, through you to make soma
atonement for my desertion whom q
boy. l own the controlling interest N
the mills where you are employed 7
have but short time to live. and 81,
my death you will inherit NV stool A.
the company. 1t occurred 10 mo Tho.
you should be trained to MANAGE tbo
property, and l took my own wav 90
training you"
have no remembrance of wh,t ro,,.
l made to this announcement ~,
SO full of so many emotions tho, :
doubt IL | said anything to the noip+
My uncle had exhausted b,msals -