The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-02-04
Ambition
and Ability
BY R. RAY BAKER

'<SSSSsS<SSs<%< &$&330S
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)
Ralph Long lacked two essentials to
success-Ambition and business abil-
ity At least his fancee, Esther Rem
tngton, said he didn't have them. And
those two essentials were among the
things she admired most in men.
"How do you ever expect to get mar
ried on SIS a week?' she wanted to
know when they had their final reck-
oning" on the night he asked his en-
ployer for 81 raise and was told "the
firm can't afford 1t; besides. you're not
worth it."
at can't be DONE" Esther went on.
jabbing loose pin back into her fluffy
red hair. "If old Wilbur won't give3
you raise, why don't you dig out and
try New York? Cut loose from this
dead town. Ralph, and show them
what you're made of In regular CITY,
you've been holding down that Of
ice job in Wilbur's canning factory
Ave years for that same measly SIS a
week, and If you'd had any ambition
you would be manager by this time
or you wouldn't be there at all"
Ralph demonstrated. He had worked
hard, but simply had been unable to
make the grade" he asserted. "This
is a pretty good job, anyhow" he said,
"and / might not be able to get any
where in the big town."
Esther's attractive red lips curved
downward in disgust, and she forth
with severed relations. There was 40
ring to hand back, because he had not
been able to procure one, but she let
him know in words that could not be
misinterpreted that their engagement
was thing of the past.
you can keep your good job for
ten years more If you like" She said,
'but I'm going to the big town myself,
and Pm going to make good in regu-
lar position"
She resigned her place as saleswom-
an in Boorbon's department store, and
n week later carried handbag and a
J suit case to the railroad station. re-
solved to bid Brown City good-by for
ever. Ralph was there TO see Off and
to ascertain If her decision was IRE
vocable.
"Come on, Els; forget that big talk
and settle down here" he pleaded.
Never" was her reply. a steely gilt
ter in her blue eyes. Its all over be-
tween US, Ralph. like you; In fact,
I'm very fond of you. but must for
get you, because my husband must be
man who has enough ambition and
ability to get to the front In the busi-
ness world"
He set his lips firmly and shook
hands with her and went back to his
desk in the canning factory, but made
a miserable failure of his work that
afternoon and for several days there
after. He did deal of serious think
| ing, and his jaw seemed to become
frmer and a resolute light shone from
his gray eyes.
Things went wrong with Esther. She
arrived In New York with thirty dol
lars in money and fortune in ambi-
ton. In one month the thirty had
dwindled and the fortune was ebbing.
If she had had folks at home" she
would have written for assistance, but
her parents were dead and the only
relative she could claim was an uncle
| whose address was somewhere In
America, just where she could not tell
because he was a wanderer.
True, there were many good friends
back home-Ralph among them-but
she preferred starvation to letting
them know that her prospects, which
had been so alluring from a distance,
had turned out to be mirage.
For there seemed to be no position
not even mere job-for Esther
Remington In all New York. Her writ
ten recommendation had no effect, be-
cause experience was what counted
and experience in Brown City was not
the same as experience In New York.
Although she answered every "help
wanted" advertisement that seemed to
fit her abilities even remotely, she
could not find work. Either she was
too late with her application or she
lacked training for the job. Thus, at
the end of a months weary search,
Esther was in dire straits.
Before long, however, fortune IA
vored her. The goddess didn't smile
at her, but she did lend a helping
hand, and Esther obtained work In a
Misunderstanding dirty clothesi
She kept this job month, in lieu of
something better, and lived from hand
to mouth on Sc a week, eating cold
food in her dingy room In a dilapidat-
ed house on dismal street
Then something better turned up. 1t
was IS week, with meals thrown in.
as waitress in a restaurant, where the
food was given liberal coat of grease
to make 1t slip down easily, instead of
being cooked. However, the patrons
of the place appeared to like 1t that
way, for they came back for more
each day. Esther was allowed to keep
all her tips, but the tips were ingrat-
Eating smirks from the male gluttons
and an occasional cold thank you" or
pleasant day. from the feminine
diners.
If Esther had been able to save
enough money to pay her fare back to
Brown City she would have been
tempted to return. But she would not
have yielded to the temptation, be-
cause she felt that she had burned her
hrfdoos uhap cho fnrnod har 10 -
the place of her birth for the great
opportunities that beckoned.
Every night when she crawled be-
tween the torn sheets on the 2 by 4
bed she visioned the clean, shady Old
town where she had grown up, and
she longed for glimpse of Boorbon's
store and all her former associates
there, and she wished she could go
canoeing on Mirror lake and have the
moon shine. and-yes, II would have
been rather nice to have Ralph WELD
ing the paddle
At the end of two years, after sur
viving variety of jobs. Esther held
down portion of the floor behind a
dry goods counter In the Climax FIVE
and ten cent store, and every Satur-
day night she went out of the place
with SO in her pocket. Twice she asked
for raise, and twice she was refused.
There are any number of girls wait
ing to take your place." she was told.
Nothing was said about "affording" it,
because the Climax covered a whole
block and was doing more business
than any two stores of the kind In
the city.