The herald., 1920-12-16

WY HEN Tom left the farm to
!: 6: !: ! !: !: :: !: :: :: !:
AH} 90 Ia the city To make his
&sEgS& fortune he did IT contrary
ny to the OminOuS head
YETST shaking and prophecies
of disaster of all the
A neighhorS. Even his IA
Their and mother, with past
years of toll rapidly be-
ginning to tell upon them, were pes
simiStic of his chances of success, nor
could they resist expressing their fore
BOdingS. His mother was worried by all
she had heard of the tempta-
lions and Establishments that beSet
the way OF an unSuphiSticated coun-
try boy away off in the big, callOuS,
turbulent city. and his father SOrely
needing the hoy'S help about the farm
had no faith in Toms roScate expec-
tatiOnS.
The old folks loved their boy too
well To rcprOaCh him for his deSertun
now I'm the first flush of his young
llldllllbDl Iul illtlI ll'dA - hl'i a. nv 81
thought of the separation.
you'll soon get tired of all that
hurly-burly there in the city, Tom.
his old father told him. And when
you do want you always To remcm-
Der that we've still got Il place for you
back here AT the old homestead. 1t
mayn't be aS fine and snowy as lots
you'll see there in the city, hut its
more the sort that the good Lord i'll
tended YOU for Ma and | are hoping
the best for you. son. hut-when you
do find out that your fortunes not
away off there-juSt pocket your pride
and come back here 10 us who love
you"
So young Tom left the farm with
shining eyes and high heart and al
ventured into the great. PARKWAY city
In qseSt of fame and fortune.
How he Jared there and all the sor-
~ disappointment that repeatedly
overlook him during that year of alb
sence would be long and narrowing
story To tell. He chased his rainbow
To its end. yet found the tabled pot of
gold not there as he had 50 confidently
and blatantly expected.
Tom made applications for all sorts
of office positions only to find himself
quickly rejected because of his lack
of experience in those specific IT.
His willingness To work hard, his per
sonal integrity and decent habits. it
appeared. were not assets that counted
for much in securing ii desk job in the
city.
We'll, anyway. I'm young and huS-
XIV and used to hard manual labor,
Tom consoled himself. Il can AT least
get job with contracting gang. as
a painter. or plumbers assistant, or
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 blank
wall. He had no references as tn past
city employment and nobody would
hire him after once finding out that he
had no union card.
Huddled in his shabby overcoat on
a street corner in the Squalid section
of the city-the icy Wind waiStling
| arofbd him and biting through his
| threadbare garments-poor Tom stood
on the evening before Christmas, won
dering where ne might find a shelter
! in which to sleep that night without
| freezing A few blocks away the huge
bulk of the railroad station frOwned
| down upon the dilapidated stained
brick structures that were the barrel
houses, the all-night lunch counters
and the hobo ''flOps" where bunk Cor
the night might be had for dime. on
beyond them hulked the great square,
| darkened warehouses of the wholesale
district. The melancholy putting and
bell changing of trains reverberated
family from the freight yards and the
dirty, snOw-encrusted sidewalks crack
led frOstily, protestingly, under the
footsteps of the occasional shabby pc
destrian sinking past the solitary Tom
with furtive eyes.
Just how long he had stood there
shivering in the chill wind on the
street corner-bitternesS against the
great, unfeeling city ranking in hi:
heart-TOm did not know. He was
startled from his moody reverie by
hearing hOarSe. wheedling voice a
his very elbow. saying what was in
tended as a confidential tone:
How'd y'like"a nice hot feed ant
some coin to Jingle in yer pants. DO
Amt hungry, are yaT'
Whirling about, Tom saw that hi!
accoster was an understood, burly fel
low with tough, truculent visage ant
hands showed. deep into the side peck
cts of his coat. He wore Il battered
cap with the visor pulled low dow
over his eyes and spat malevOlentl.
upon the sidewalk each time before h
spoke.
How'd y'like the idea, huh?" he re
iterated in his raucOus, grating voice
Siding closer as he spoke and castin
wary eye up and down the nearl
deserted, gloomy, wind-swapt street.
Tom regarded him with distaste an
. undisguised mistrust. He looked liz
n typical thug. Eut misery cannot b