Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-06-14
TOO Old"
~0
By VICTOR REDcLRFE

Copyright. 1913. Western Newspaper Union.)
"You see the big entrance to the
factory. Beyond. great broad stair
way leading to the offices. After that
the draughting rooms. Then building
after building pattern lofts, machine
rooms, holding floors. Well. thirty
years, boy and man, I've gone up those
stairs, kept going till mounted high
er and higher, and became superlntend-
ent, then-follow me bit, and I'll
show you the other side Of the pic
ture."
Thus Gabriel Purcell, sturdy old dis
ciplinarian Of fifty. He did not look
II, be did not feel 1t. His voice was
clear as o clarion note, his eye was
full Of fire and power. Just a wee
stoop of the shoulders threw the stall
wart figure out Of direct plumb line.
and the silvering hair was touched
with the first frost Of time and win
ter.
He carried a magnificent gold-head-
ed cane under his arm, disdaining Its
use as support and only taking II
with him for company because 1t was
the cherished gift Of some cheap
shovel men in the factory, who loved
him and his Just, helpful way as II
he had been an own father to them.
Gabriel Purcell led his companion, an
old-time friend, making brief visit
10 the 'o"n' "rounu inc srea. s.ono
wall inclosihg tne plant anu .hen
swung MS cane 70 where lons s'eep
chute ran from the upper moor Oh the
TN speclaity SHOPS 10 the Darreh rear
YARD Down II was now pouring the
scraps reruse. waste OF tne factory.
Ihe dump heao-see IT, Farieign
Questioned the OLD man Dltterly.
Thats me-in at the 'front.' rusheu
through WORKED out anu tnrowh ON
the dump neadF
At that same hour Thomas Wynne,
nead OF the great Wynne company SAT
racing MS attorney In MS private OF
nee.
The fact Is, Wynne, isn't IL tnat
Purcell Is Oslerized'" submitted the
latter
Don't use the WORD 1auntiiy' Ran
oaH' returned the Iounuer' put that
about covers 1t. You don't know how
1t jars on me TO race the merest I'M
putatlon OF lnJustce regarding fur-
cell. He has been my right hano since
started IN mere with httle twenty
by forty shed OF o SHOP ana mas help
ed build the business up to Its pres
ent up-to-date proportions You know
how hfteen years ago my wire lnherit-
ed a large estate and supplied one
hundred ana hfty thousand collars
capital to expand the enterprise: Weh'
recently a younger Drother OF hers'
what you may call mechanical tne-
orlst ana u,tra-systeni man sot the
iuea III MS heau that nc couiu coine
IN mere ana oouDie up prohts IN u.
year.
but what interest mas ne III the
DusinessT
none, except through the courtesy
Oh my "ite anu sohie reiutiNeS VIM are
also stockhoiuers' VI course cant
gainsay her' her estate owns con
siderable OF the company stock' Sne
helped ouiid me up l can't aHoru 10
qulDDle Win her: nau 10 super
cede Purcell MY prother-lh-iaw Is
now In charge OF the mechanicai de-
partments. younger men, stricter
rules, more business, hlgher pronts' MS
aim. We shall see how 1t WORKS out"
MI. Wynne signed.
I'VE SHALL indeed" muttered the
lawyer cynlcally'
Yes, that isn't all, RANDALL re-
sumed the manufacturer. Il am ap-
preaching a delicate subject. You
know that Purcell has a son who is
the pride Of his soul and the apple OF
his eye, Arnold Purcell"
"Yes," nodded the lawyer, and 1t was
palpably apparent that the mention
aroused pleasant sentiments. "A fine
young man, an exceptional one, they
say. Capable, ambitious, high grade.
I hear that he has won quite some
eminence as an advanced sanitary On
gineer."
"Very well, by some strange freak
Of destiny he and my daughter, Elsi-
more, met at social function in the
city. Plainly, they are In love with
each other. am no aristocrat, l
sprung from nothing, as did Gabriel
Purcell. My wife, however as you
know. draws the line ut social dis
tinetions' or rather those OF wealth.