The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-12-04
"rn take IT," said Dave.

"T1i take IT," said Dave.
The boss proved to be one Thomas
Metford. He owned half dozen
teams and was engaged In the carriage
business, specializing on coal. He was
a man Of big frame, big head. and q
vocabulary appropriate to the pur-
poses to which he applied II. Among
his other possessions were wife, nu-
merous children and n house and barn
In which he boarded his beasts Of bur
den. including In the term his horses
his men and his wife, In the order OF
their valuation. The children we're q
by-product. valueless until such time
as they also would be able 20 work.
Dawes duties were simple enough
He had to drive a wagon - a coal
yard, where n very superior young
man, with n collar. would express sur
prise that he had been so long gone.
and tell him TO back In under chute
number so-and-so. II appeared to be
always n matter OF great distress to
this young man that Dave did not
know which chute to back under until
he was told. Having backed into po-
sition door was opened. There was
a fiction that the coal In the bin should
then run into the wagon box. but. as
Dave at once discovered, this was
merely q ficdon. Aside from a few
accommodating Jumps near the door
the coal had to be shoveled. Then
Dave had to drive TO an address that
was given him, shovel the coal down
chute located In the most inacces-
sible position the premises afforded.
and return TO the coalyard. where the
young man with the collar would face
tiously inquire whether Mrs. Blank
had invited him In to afternoon tea.
or II he had been waiting for a change
In the weather.
His work and supper were over by
seven o'clock each evening, and now
was the opportunity for him TO begin
the schooling for which he had eft
the ranch. But be developed sud-
den disinclination to make tn, start:
he was tired In the evening. and =
found II much more TO his liking to
stroll downtown. smoke cigar es on
the stree. corners. or engage In an
occasional game of pool. In this way
tho weeks went by, and when his
month with tford was up b, haL
neglected TO end another position. so
he continued where was. He was
being gradually and unconsciously
submerged In an inertia which, how
ever much might hate its present
surroundings had not the spirit 10
seek a more favorable environment
So the fall and winter drifted along;
Dave had made few acquaintances and
no friends, n we except Coward.
whom he frequently met In the pool
rooms and for whom he had developed
a sort OF attachment.
one Saturday evening. as Dave was
on his way TO their accustomed resort.
he fell In with Coward on the street.
"Hellc old man. said Coward
cheerily. ~ was just looking for you.
Got two tickets for the show tonight.
Some swell danes In the chorus.
Come along. There1l he doings."
town. one of which played to the bet
ter-class residents. In II anything OF
risque nature had to be presented
with certain trimmings which allowed
II TO be classified as art" but In the
other house no such restrictions ex-
ward led. Dave had been there be-
fore, In the cheap upper gallery, but
Conward's tickets admitted to the best
seats In the house.
II was an entirely new experience.
From the upper gallery the actors
and actresses always seemed more or
less lmpersonal and abstract but here
they were living. palpltating human
beings, almost within hand-reach. GER
tainly within eye-reach. Dave found
himself regarding the young woman
Immediately before him: all In white
she was. with some scintillating mate
rial that sparkled In the glare of the
spotlight then suddenly she was in
orange. and pink. and purple. and
mauve, and back again In white. And
although she performed the various
steps with smiling abandon there was
In her dress and manner a modesty
which fascinated the boy with a sub
tlety which a more reckless appear
ance would have AT once defeated
And then Dave looked in her face.
II was pretty face. notwithstanding
its grease paint. and II smiled right
into his eyes. His heart thumped be-
tween his shoulders as though II would
drive all the air from his lungs. She
smiled at him-for him Now they
were away again: there were gyra-
tons about the stage.
Then there was sudden break
away In the dance. and the girl dis
appeared behind forest. Dave sup
posed she had gone TO rest; dancing
like that must be hard on the wind,
He found little 10 interest him now in
what was going ON on the stage. II
seemed rather foolish. He wished the
girl behind the. forest wonld come
I kM