Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-16

ks.eVs& fortune he did it contrary
.yN 10 the Ominous head
stafeF shaking and prophecies
e of disaster of all the
neighbors Even his IA
thcr and mother. with post
years of toll rapidly be-
ginning 20 tell upon them, We're pes
snmistiC az his chances of success. nor
could they resist expressing their fore
oodinss
The old folks loved their boy TOO
we'll 10 reprouch him for his assertion
now in the first Aush Of hi, young
manhood but their hearts did ache at
tlmehi of the separation.
"Iuuli soon get tired OF an That
hurIy-burly there ia the city, Tom
DIS Oh father told him. and when
you do. want you always To reuem-
Der thai we've still got place for YOU
back here at the old homestead. IL
maynt be as fine and SNOWY as lots
youl see there in thc city, but ms
more the sort that the good Lord ,n
tended you for Nj and are hopu-
the best for you, son, but-when you
DO find out that your fortunes NOT
away OF there-just pocket your pride
and come back here 10 Us who love
Won"
young Tom left the farm with
shumc eyes and high heart and ad-
ventured ntJ the great, far-aWay city
IN quest of fame and fortune.
How he Jared there and en- the sor-
~ disappontmcnts that repeatedly
overlook him during that year OF alb.
sence would be long and narrowing
story 10 tell He chased his rainbow
10 It's end. yet found the tabled pot OF
gold not there as he had so confidently
and blntantly expected.
Tom made applications for all sort~
OF Office positions only 10 find himself
quickly rejected because OF his lack
Of experience in those specific lli
"Wen. anyway. I'm young and hus-
XIV and used to hard manual labor"
Tom consoled himself. Il can AT least
yei job with a contracting gang, a.
PAINTER, or plumbers assistant, on
teamster That will suffice TO keep me
going for while until the sort of po-
sitiOn ! want turns up.
But even IN those lines Of work the
green country boy found himself sud
denly brought up short against a blank
wall. lie had no references as 20 past
city employment and nobody would
hire him after once finding out that he
had no union card.
IIudIIad in hfS chahhX oNprt.OHf
a street corner in the squalid section
OF the city-the icy wind Whistling
around him and biting through his
threadbare garmentS--poor Tom stood
on the evening before Christmas, won
dering where he might find shelter
Ip which 10 sleep thst night without
freezing.
lust how long he had stood there.
shiverinG in the chill wind on the
street corner-bitterness against The
great. unfeelinG city ranking in his
heart-Tom did nor know. He was
startled from his moody reverie by
hearing hoarse wheedling voice al
his very elbow saying what was IN
tended as a confidential tone:
How'd y'like nice hot feed and
some coin TO jingle in yer pants. boz
Amt hungry. are yaT
WhirIing about. Tom saw that his
accoster was an understood. burly fel-
low with a tough. truculent visage and
hands showed deep into the side pock
cts OF his coat He wore IA battered
cap with the visor pulled low down
over his eyes and spat malevoenuy
upon the sidewalk each time before he
spoke.
How'd y'ilke the idea. huh ?" lac re
iterated In his raucous grating voice,
Siding closer at he spoke and casting
wary eve up and down the nearly
deserted. gloomy, wind-swept street.
Tom regarded him with dstaste and
undlsguised mistrust. lie looked like
typical thug. But misery cannot be
too fastidious about the company II
keeps. Finally Tom scswled blackly
aud answered:
Whats that 10 y0u, anyway
We'll, you're outta luck. amt cha
ral7 Yer on yer uppers, stony broke
and maybe with an empty belly. too
huh. bo? Well. / guessed that much
i ain't blind yet, l aln'tl Well.
need a pal for little job tonight apc
we both can make lOtta Jack out OF
n, seer
"You-you mean-burgIary1 Ton
nuttered hesitantly, with an involun
tary contraction OF his heart
"Humph Not anything Ike safe
cracking or breaking into house.
don't. Too many people staying M
with the kids over Christmas trees to
night. I amt keen on takin foo
chances like that. I'm tellin' ya Nav
this I wantcha for Is something soft
safe and easy as falling on a log. Yo'
know the big prices people are Willing
&C. nay for real booze since the coun
try went dry. don't char Well. RICH
near here know certain warehouse
thafs got ~ cases Of whisky stored II
the basement Real bonded stun
The Waterman - on old pal O. min
and T. willing 20 let VIZ swipe II I