The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-01-24
Ambition
and Ability
By r. RAY BAKER

| Syndicdte.)
Ralph Long lacked two essentials tC
success-ambition and business abil
ity. At least his fiancee, Esther Rem
ington. 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 a 50 raise and was told "the
firm can't afford it; besides. you're not
worth It"
ut can't be DONE" Esther went on,
jabbing q loose pin back into her fluffy
red hair. IF old Wilbur won't give
YOU a 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 a regular city.
you've been holding down that of
! flee job in WiIbur's canning factory
! five 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
/ fIdlu, DuL SIlIlig ndI Utcn uuQDIe W
''make the grade" he asserted. "This
is a pretty good job, anyhow" he said,
''and l might not be able to get any
where In the big town"
Esthers attractive red lips curved
downward in disgust, and she forth
with severed relations. There was no
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 Tins going to make good in a regu-
lar position"
She resigned her place as saleswom-
an in Boorbon's department store and
q week later carried a handbag and a
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. I like you; in fact,
I'm very fond Of you, but 1 must for
get you, because my husband must be
man who has enough ambition and
ability to get TO the front in the bust
ness world
He set his lips firmly and shook
hands with her and went back to his |
desk in the canning factory, but made |
miserable failure of his work that |
afternoon and for several days there
after. He did a deal Of serious think |
ing, and his jaw seemed to become |
trmer and resolute light shone from |
his gray eyes.
Things went wrong with Esther. She |
arrived in New York with thirty dol |
lars in money and a 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 alIuring from a distance,
had turned out to be mirage
For there seemed TO be no position
not even a mere job-for Esther
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 ,
100 late with her application or she
lacked training for the job. Thus, at
the end of Il months weary search, ;
Esther was in dire straits.
Before long, however, fortune IA I
7ored her. The goddess didn't smile !
1t her, but she did lend helping
hand, and Esther obtained work in a |
dirty clothesl l
She kept this job a month, in lieu of
better, and lived from hand {
o mouth on So week, eating cold
God in her dingy room in a dilapidat-
ID house on a dismal street.
Then something better turned up. 1t Z
vas So a week, with meals thrown in.
IS waitress in a restaurant, where the
God was given a liberal coat of grease
o make it slip down easily, instead of |
icing cooked However, the patrons f
f the place appeared to like 1t that
way. for they came back for more I
ach day. Esther was allowed to keep {
IL her tips, but the tips were ingrat-