The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-06-15
An UnaCCOuntable
Prosperity
By ALAN HINSDALE

had nothing In the world to prevent
starvation. To add to my melancholy
| 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 was sitting on bench in a
park with other homeless, voorhees,
men A man sitting beside me got up,
leaving newspaper behind him. l
took 1t 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 l would send my
address to Murray & Field, agents, l
would hear something to my advan-
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
4 Field and found that they were
agents for wooden mill in New Eng
land. l handed in the ad. which l 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
1t over. Then he put it back In its
place and said to me:
do you want positlonT'
| 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 $40 and handed 1t to me-
| gasped some questions, but he said
he knew nothing about the matter ex-
cept that he had been instructed to ad-
vertise for me. | took the $40 and
spent one of them for meal. With
the rest 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 an hour
was conducted to the Office of the Sec
rotary, who told me that If | wanted
work | could have it. / asked him
questions, with the same result as be-
fore.
l was given a job on a small salary,
but the salary was increased rapidly
Within six months after being en-
ployed was receiving 500 month,
and then my salary was doubled. did
all could to earn it, but l am not an
unbiased Judge as to whether | sue
ceeded. However, | liked my work
and felt that l 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 obtained leave to go
and get married
Before leaving l was handed a check
for $1,000, which l 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 l received only 81
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 a
fairy godmother who was showering
ON me ali these blessings. but did not
believe any such thing.
One day the secretary of the COM
pany told me that l was wanted at a
certain house, to which he would con-
duct me. l felt 1t in my bones that /
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 ii.
was driven up to handsome dwelling,
alighted, and when in the house was
taken upstairs to room where an old
man lay in bed. He looked at me
steadily as 1 approached him, motioned
me to take a chair close by him, and
then said to me:
"I am your fathers brother. You
| probably never heard of my existence
for l ran away from home when a
boy, and 1 have understood that my
name was never mentioned In the fam
lily. You are the only living person
sprung from that stock. am unmar-
ried and have no children. l advertis-
ed for you, through you to make some
atonement for my desertion when q
boy. own the controlling interest In
the mills where you are employed.
have but short time to live, and al
my death you will inherit my stock In
the company. 1t occurred to me that
you should be trained to manage the
property, and I took my own way OF
training you"
/ have no remembrance of what reply
I made to this announcement. l was
so full of so many emotions that
doubt If said anything to the point
My uncle had exhausted himself In
saying what he did to me and as soor
as he had finished a nurse intimated tC
me that was to retire.
My imparting the news to my wife
was of course interesting indeed, Sc
interesting that cannot find words t.
describe It,
My uncle died in a few weeks, ant
! of his death holding n controlling in