The Washington times., 1920-09-12

A LII the heroes OF the story books
"a those surprising youths who rise
= i to fame and fortune with such in
credible quickness before the last chapter
is reached-have been outdone in real
life by Mike Gilhooley, the freckle-faced,
red-headed sixteen-year-old son of an Irish
father and Belgian mother, who stole his
way across the Atlantic in the hold OF
troopship and promptly landed in soft
lap Of luxury from which nothing seems
able to shake him. The way this boys
lucky star has shone on him, enabling him
to triumph over all sorts of adversities and
giving him every assurance of a happy,
prosperous future in this land OF the free,
makes the imaginary achievements Of the
do and dare" luck and pluck" boys about
whom Horatio- Alger and Oliver Optic
wrote seem quite tame and commonplace
. II there had been any doubt of this after
Mike Gilhooley was suddenly snatched
from Ellis Islands crowded deportation
pen and installed in a luxurious suite at
one of New York's most fashionable hotels,
1T would be dispelled by the latest amazing
turn which the .whirligig of fortune has
taken for this young hero Of real life.
Mrs. Marion Gilhooley Curry was the
fairy godmother who brought about the re-
markable transformation that turned Mike
Gilhooley, penniless waif, into Mr.. Michael
Gilhooley, prosperous young gentleman. BY
touching the ragged, grimy, half-starved
:stowaway with her magic wand OF good
American dollars she not only secured his
admission to this country but also assured
him all the advantages Of millionaire's
son. Was ever anything in this world OF
stern reality so infinitely stranger than fc-
ton? Even Alger and Optic might well
have hesitated to build one Of their famous
stories around such a chain Of events for
fear Of straining their readers credulity
I, But the luck which was working these
wonders for Mike Gilhooley proved unable
to hold good for his fairy godmother. Be-
fore she was fairly started on the task OF
giving her protege a good education and
polishing off the rough edges left by his
years Of vagabondage, series OF unfortu-
nate investments made serious inroads on
her wealth. Soon some Of her creditors
began to press her, and at last she was
forced to declare herself bankrupt, with
only a few hundred dollars OF assets to
. Offset liabilities Of more than $lO0,00O.
There seemed nothing to do but give up
all her ambitious plans for Mikes future
and either send him back to Belgium or
nut him to earning his living here In some
humble fashion.
'"Just what we've expected all along"
said the confirmed pessimists, who thought
the luck which had attended Mike Gilhoo-
lev since he first set foot on Ellis Island
altogether too good to be true. But the
pessimists were wrong this time. as they
often are Not even the bankruptcy of his
fairy godmother was able to dim the rays
of the lucky star which for nearly year
now has been shining on this Irish-Belgian
waif
While Mrs Curry was still bemoaning
her sudden fall from affluence and Mike
was gloomily contemplating the prospect
OF having to give up his school and his
nice clothes and his pleasant companions,
there entered the room where they sat
brand new character in these real life ad-
ventures-Mr. Harold Bolster, prosperous
New York banker.
MIR. Bolster was a friend OF Mrs. Curry's.
He knew Mike through having entertained
the boy for a few days at his country
home He liked the freckle-faced young.
ster, thought he had the right stun in him
and would make a successful man II given
half a chance. Now, having heard OF Mrs
Curry's financial misfortune, he came TO
offer to become the boys guardian and to
no longer able to.