The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-01-25
MINIS LUCK, ! /
y JAMES {. JOHNSON.

eoeeooecoeeeet ee6eseeseaeaei
A a boy John vanderpoot was never
IN hurry. Still he almost Invariably
seemed to DO lucky. He was large
boy. or rather bis face gave the Inn.
preston Of largeness; just as BID
waistcoat does now. II those days be
had pendulous cheeks and his leg.
bulged at the line Of his shoe tops 90
that the other boys called him
"Fatty."
When he went on an errand he
never hurried himself about It, of
course. but his tuck had given him
lndulgent parents, 90 that tnstead of
giving him the licking most boys would
have got they gradually refrained
from sending hirn-unless they were
in no hurry themselves. It goes with.
out saying that he was never 10 q
hurry to get up In the morning. There
was one Fourth Of July. that he did
get up at four O'Clock. but he was so
leisurely about bis dressing that the
other fellows went OF to Gre their
cannon without him. John arrived on
the scene just In time to go back and
tell his people about the accident. he
was the only one of the sig who was
not hurt.
Another time he went out with a
crew OF young reprobates to loot the
orchard Of particularly cross-grained
farmer. He was up In the tree when
the alarm was given. but he calcu
lated that there would be time to Sc.
cure few more apples before the
farmer arrived.
I "Get move on you; Fatty" sung
out fellow criminal below. "He'a
a-startin' to rum"
"Awl What's the hurry1" said John,
reaching for an outlying limb. There
was no reply to the question. for the
boy had fed. The farmer saw them
stringing out in the direction of the
fence. overlook and cornered them
From his perch in the apple tree John
witnessed those unfortunates come,
one by one. beneath the horny palm Of
the farmer. and saw them h0isted un.
tremendously over the fence. AS their
howls died away in the distance. John
quietly descended and made off the
other way.
. . .
John got through school somehow,
but he was no forced plant. He was
in no hurry about going to work, but
eventually took clcrkship in the local
grocery. His employer dispensed with
his services at the end of q month,
and suggested to his father that 20.
litical influence should be exerted to
secure the young man a position In
some claim department In Washington.
where his peculiar dilatory talent
would be appreciated. Johns father
thought the idea was good. but he
didn't happen to have the political in.
lluence, 10 he set his son to studying
law with a conservative practitioner.
It was intensely aggravating to the
brilliant and energetic young men Of
the community. those who rose early
and worked late and moved around
as If they had some object in life, to
see vanderpoet, who had no brains to
speak of, no burning ambition to dis
tinguish himself. becoming one of the
''solid" element. He drawled in his
speech and he dawdled through what
he called his work. but all the good
things seemed to come his way.
He married. Of course. He was 10
no hurry about 1t. but he got the pref
test and brightest young woman in
the state. What she saw In him 1t is
hard to say.
One evening John was loafing in his
Office when Dave If1nsley broke in,
breathless and hatless and gasping
"Firel"
"At your house, Judge" he added.
'Your wife told me to hurry down and
get you. don't reckon there'll be q
stick saved II somethin' amt done
pretty soon."
John took one foot down from bis
desk.
lis the hose company there3"
eyes, but there amt no water"
Elm that case. Dave. guess the
only thing we can do Is to let 'er
burn" And he put his foot up again.
OF course he was heavily insured.
Johns title of fudge" was purely
honorary. but these is no doubt that he
would have attained judiciary honors
In course Of time-he was In no hurry
If 1t had not been for his investment
In Guayquil Central stock. That would
have been his limit, however. Beyond
the bench he would have been found
out. Guayquil was down to pretty
low ebb and friend Of Johns who
had inside information. urged him to
buy at once. as It was certain to rise.
John said he would. but he deferred
his purchase FROM sheer inertia until
1t went down still lower. OF course
1t would 60 down. AS soon as he had
bought It began to rise. That was be"
cause John. like the idiot he was. had
put every available cent he had In the
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