Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1919-02-28
Knights Of the
Road
By ALGER CHAPMAN
I Copyright 1918. Western Newspaper Union)

Thus Bart Newly believed and
! demonstrated, although he was no
longer the happy-gO-lucky type, with
no earthly possession beside his rule.
At twenty he had taken the road, at
thirty he had struck Alton. After he
had begun his task on the little coun-
try weekly, edited and published by
Daniel Bross, he never missed a day
of steady work.
He had known BrOss five years
previous, in fact, both had been trav-
cling typos. They had drifted apart
and now Bart came upon his old side
partner upon quite a contrasting
status to that of the meandering
printer of yOre. BrOSs had struck
luck, he told Bart He had come into
Alton ragged, hungry, penniless. The
publisher Of the local paper had just
died. His widow was in a quandary.
BrOss braced up and showed his abil-
ity. He settled down, was given en-
tire charge of the Index, and within
year welded the plump, genial-na-
tured relict of his immediate prede-
cessor. BrOss welcomed Bart with an
ardor that was almost suspicious to
Bart until he understood the situa-
ton. He invited Bart up to the
house, and a very pretty home it was.
Its mistress at once captivated Bart
with her smiling ways. There were
two healthy, well-behaved children.
When they got back to the office
Bross took Bart to a little rear room.
1t had couch and a jug. To the
latter BrOss called immediate atten-
ton.
you'll always find it full" Bross
told his restored friend. "When you
get top heavy, there's the lounge"
GIVE cut out the booze long ago,
Bross," declared Bart. "You don't
mean to tell me you're sticking to it
with such a layout as this?"
Bross only blinked in. maudlin
way, partook freely of the contents
or the jug
Bart went to work for the Index
and within a week realized that his
employer was a sot and a spendthrift
and was fast dissipating the fortune
Of his trusting and generous wife.
About a year after Bart had come
to Alton, Dan BrOss went on a fishing
trip with some reckless companions,
and he and one of the others were
drowned in an upset. Then the true
state Of affairs came to the surface.
BrOss was in debt to everybody, the
office equipment mortgaged, the paper
on a losing basis, and Mrs. Bross had
to borrow on her little home to fore
stall the seizure Of the printing plant.
''Mrs. Bross," said Bart seriously,
'ft'S time for you to sell out at a loss
or have the business run right. BrOss
was my friend and I liked him; you
are his widow and 1 respect you. My
year Of settling down has cured me of
rowing. Give me my board and lodg-
ing, a free hand in running the paper,
and I'll consider myself bound to John
Company until 1 put the paper and
your property where it ought to be-"
"You are good, true man." an
gwered Mrs. Bross with emotion. Il
trust you wholly and l am glad to
place the business entirely in your
hands"
Then began work, real work, hard
work. at times most discOuraging
work for Bart. He turned many a
crOWdfng corner, he barely kept the
bills paid up. Progress was slow.
1t was nearly a. year after Bart had
inaugurated his system Of reconstruc-
ton that a fragile, almost girl-faced
youth, looking travel WORE and hun
gry applied for work. Bart hired no
help-being editor, compositOr and his
own GRAND boy. The. youth announced
himself as Ned Trevor, homeless and
for his services, and Bart took him on.
There never was a more willing and
faithful helper. Ned slept at the of
fee, he ate at cheap restaurant near
by, he entered heart and soul into
earning his way.
One day few months later an old
tramp printer came into the office. He
was on his way to town where work
awaited him and asked Bart to stake
him for car fare. Bart did so. Just
then Ned passed through the room.
Bart's visitor stared at him hard and
steadily.
"Where did you get that grip he
blurted out
"That girl is a boy. What are you
muddling abOut?"
'"That boy is girl, you mean," as
serted the other. 81 know her from
her picture. 1t was as common as her
story in the town she came from. She
ran away from home because her rich
father wanted her to marry a man she
disliked. The unwelcome sutton is
dead and her father is securing the
country for her"
Bart said nothing to the disguised
Ned, but he investigated. 1t was a
month after Meta Boyd had gone
back to wealth and her repentant ia
ther that letter reached Part II