The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-02-05

and borrowed all ON his life fnsur-
ance the companies would stand
still, he kept up his elegant home and
his generous habits and met the
world with such an unruffied brow
than even those closest TO the inside
couldn't but believe that he had re-
sources that would NETT all liabili-
ties.
Then, as it often happens to men
who are generous to and careless with
themselves, his life went out as the
light goes out in an electric lamp
when some hand turns the button.
AS he was loved and honored in
life, so in death. He was not church
member, but the biggest church in the
city was crowded when his still form
lay before the altar; rank on rank
his lodge brethren marched behind
the hearse; behind them came mile
of crowded cars; those who didn't
own cars walked to the cemetery ana
stood around the grave like an army;
hearts ached with unassumed grief
and genuine tears welled from the
depths; the flowers were piled so
thick ON his grave that not a grain of
the fresh-turned earth could be seen.
When the executors met and it was
found that his business was a hollow
shell, there was no scandal. Every
body Except q few who said nothing)
were SIRE he would have made good
IN time. The staggering enterprises
were set on their feet, the creditors
collected what they could and made
no fuss about what they couldn't. The
family was safe. The widow had own
ed the home from the day after her
marriage, and there was some fra
ternal insurance that the creditors
couldn't touch wouldn't have touch
ed it If they could The SON had won
a commission at training school;
the week after the funeral he went to
France, and there he is today, while
his mother and sister secure in their
home, wait and work and pray for the
victory of the nation and his safe re-
turn.
Was this man good sport, or did
he only follow the line Of least re-
sistance?
In the same city dwelt another
man whose friends, the last twenty
years OF his life, jokingly referred TO
as @titewad."
He was born of poor but honest and
unlucky parentshis father and
mother literally worked themselves to
death. He was brought up by an
uncle who had bed and board and
scanty clothes but no money for the
Iorphan. He went to public school, but
when he reached the ninth grade he
found place in a business house and
began to work for his living. He was
strong, healthy, intelligent and indus
trious. He had a good head foa
figures, and tho he never saw the in
side Of an algebra he could keep any
accounts needed in ordinary business.
He worked his way up from position
| to position until he was its virtual
manager.
Unluckily for him, while he could
execute, he couldn't plan. He could
| find flaws in other men's plans, or he
could carry them out, but he could not
make plans himself, so he remained
| in subordinate position at az moder-
ate salary all his days.
The first week he was at work, he
estimated what he would receive and
made up his mind to spend even less
and this program he adhered to with
| few exceptions until his last payday
He had no bad habits. Sometimes, he
took glass of soda with friend;
then he would mark that friend down
on q mental tablet until he boughl
him drink in return; after that bic
would mark the friend off the tablet
until said friend bought him another
drink He always kept exact account
and toted fair but he had not many
friends. No matter If he was suffering
with thirst, he would not take drink
with a crowd, for If he had he would
have thought himself bound to buy
them all a drink apiece until he had
gone around, and he could not keep
tab on so many. He had q weakness
for chewing gum, and would some
times accept a chew from friend
this was the only thing in which the
world got ahead of him, for he never
bought any gum-the idea of buying
a whole nickel's worth appalled, him
He did not smoke nor chew nor bet,
ice cream and candy he let strictly
,alone, and his dental bills footed up
less than five dollars from his cradle
to his grave.
He married early, pretty, doll
faced, shallow Drained girl, with
whom he tried to make home. They
made sort of a one, but it was most
" because the titewad did lot OF the
woman's work as well as his own, and
because his stubborn viii kept her re-
luctant feet on the straight and mar
row way.
There were two children, a boy and
a girl who brought into their fathers
life the only real joy it ever knew.
But this didn't last beyond their child
hood they were too much like their
mother.
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