The Meeker herald., 1919-07-12
TOO Old"
By VICTOR REDcLnFE


1Ou bee Tic Dlk eutEdnCc u tuc
factory. Beyond. n great broad stair
way leading to the Offices. After that
the draughting rooms. Then building
after building. pattern lofts, machine
rooms. moldIng floors. Well. thirty
years. boy and man. I've gone up those
stairs. kept going till I mounted high
er and higher. and became superlntend-
emit. then-foilow me a 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, he did not feel II. His voice was
clear as a clarion note, his eye was
full of hre and power. Just wee
stoop of the shoulders threw the stall
wart figure ont 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 cnne under his arm, disdaining Its
use RS a support and only taking 1t
with him for company because 1t WINS
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
to the town. around the great stone
wall inclosing the plant. and then
swung his cnne to where long steep
chute ran from the upper floor Of the
tin speciality shops to the barren rear
yard. Down It was now pouring the
scrnps, refuse. waste Of the factory.
1.-THE dump head-see 1t, Farlelgh?"
questioned the old man bitterly.
"That's me-in at the front. rushed
through, worked out and thrown on
the dump head!"
At that same hour Thomas Wynne,
head Of the great Wynne company. sat
facing his attorney in his private Of
hce.
1.-THE fact Is. wynne, isn't 1t that
Purcell is Oslerized," submitted the
latter.
Don't use the word jauntily, Ran
DALI" returned the founder. "but that
about covers 1t. You don't know how
1t Jars on me to face the merest i'm
DuyHIlOu VI lHJuHllSC iGkuiaihS vs.
cell. He has been my right hand since
started in here with little twenty
by forty shed Of a shop. and has help
ed build the business up to its pres
ent up-to-date proportions. You know
how fifteen years ago my wife Inherit
ed a large estate and supplied one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
capital. to expand the enterprise. Well.
recently a younger brother Of hers.
what you may call mechanical the
orist and ultra-system man. got the
idea in his head that he could come
in here and double up profits In
year."
"But what interest has he in the
business7"
"None, except through the courtesy
Of my wife and some relatives who are
also stockholders. OF course can't
gainsay her. Her estate owns con-
siderable of the company stock. She
helped build me up. can't afford to
bubble with her. had to super
cede Purcell. My brother-in-law is
now in charge of the mechanical de-
partments. Younger men. stricter
rules, more business. higher profits. his
aim, We shall see how 1t works out"
Mr.. wynne sighed.
1--WE shall, indeed" muttered the
lawyer cynically.
Eyes. TINT isn't all. Randall" re-
sumed the manufacturer. II am ap-
preaching delicate subject. You
know that Purcell has son who Is
the pride Of his soul and the apple of
his eye, Arnold Purcell"
Eyes" 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 en-
gineer."
every well, by some strange freak
of destiny he and my daughter. Elsi-
more, met at a social function In the
city. Plainly. they are In love with
each other. am no aristocrat.
sprung from nothing. as did Gabriel
Purcell. My wife, however. as you
know, draws the line at social dis
tinctions, or rather those Of wealth.
She has fatty told young Purcell that
Elsinore must never marry man who
has not as large fortune as her
own"
"And Arnold PurcellT
ASKS time to make good the condi-
ton"
"Great for him! He'll make It."
declared the lawyer with confidence.
"The young man has not advised his
father or others of his love affairs"
said wynne. Gle and Elslnore seem
to have settled down to sensible. dig
nified patience and mutual fidelity. He
does not intrude himself upon her
company. He Is pursuing the even
tener of his way, and she is content.
1t Is the father worry about. I
4.