The Glenwood post., 1917-01-27
JOHNS LUCK
BY JAMES e. JOHNSON.

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AS boy John vanderpoot was never
in hurry. Still lie almost invariably
seemed to ne lucy. He was large
boy. or rather his face gave the i'm.
preston Of larseness; just as his
waistcoat does now. IN those dayu he
had pendulous cheeks and his legs
bulged at the line of his shoe tops so
that the other boys called him
Fatty"
When he went on an errand he
never hurried himself about 1t, of
course. but his luck had given him
indulgent parents. so that instead of
giving him the licking most boys would
have got, they gradually refrained
from sending him-unless they were
in no hurry themselves. It goes with
OUT saying that he was never in
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 his dressing that the
other fellows went off to fire their
cannon without him. John arrived on
the scene Just in time to go back and
lIiI ttoDle dDoul lllt uNCl'ltUl ile
was the only one of the six who was
not hurt
Another time he went out with n
crew OF young reprobateS to loot the
orchard of a 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
foI bafnro tho
farmer arrived.
Get move on you. Fatty" sung
out fellow criminal below. Hes
a-startin' to rum"
Jaw! What's the hurry?" said John.
reaching for an outlying limb. There
was no reply to the question, for tho
boy had fled. 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 h0lste'! I'M
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 a clerkship in the local
grocery. His employer dispensed with
his services at the end of month.
and suggested to his father that po-
liticai 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
fiyence. so he set his son to studying
law with conservative practitioner.
1t was intensely aggravating to the
brilliant and energetic young men Of
the community. those who rose enrly
and worked late and moved around
as If they had some object in life. to
see VanderpoOt. who had no brains to
speak of. no burning ambition to dis
tluguish himself. becoming one of the
"spii3" element. He drawled in his
speech and he dawdled through what
he called his work. hut all the good
things seemed to come his way
He married. of course. He was in
no hurry about it. but he got the pret-
test and brightest young woman In
the state. What she saw in him It Is
hard to say.
One evening John was loafing in his
office when Dave Hinsley broke In.
breathless and hatless and gasping
"Firer
"At your house. judge" he added
Your wife told me to hurry down and
get you. don't reckon there'll be a
stick saved If somethIn' amt done
pretty soon."
John took one foot down from his
desk.
"Is the hose company there7"
"Yes. but there amt no water"
I'm 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 Judge" was purely
honorary. but there is no doubt that he
would have attained judiciary honors
in course of time-he was in no hurry
If it 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. Guayqul was down to a 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