Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-01-19
FIFTY-FIFTY
BY DOROTHY o. GRAVES.

an ola ana wealthy man.
He was aroused by the respectful
knocking of his office boy.
Good morning, Tom" the wealthiest
man greeted the boy
"TOp o. the mornin' to We, yer hon
orr
The wealthiest man smiled. "Why
do you call me that, Tom?'
The boy blushed and twisted his
fingers in his coat but his eyes never
wavered. Because, sir" he stressed
the sir, ri forgot, sir"
Forgot what, Tom?"
Eyer honor"
The old man pondered and shook
his head II don't understand yet,
my boy. Tell ME again"
The boy grew redder under his
freckles but he stood stanch. Its
game, sir"
ooh, yes, l see." The man twisted
the crystal vase between his thumb
and fOrefinger. He watched the heavy
blossom tilt back and forth while he
questioned further. "And if l told you
l liked games, Tom, would you let me
play, too?"
The wealthiest man grasped the
vase in his entire palm.
The slender crystal stem cracked
and broke. A stream of water trickled
over the papers on the desk and min
gled with a drop of red blood from
the wealthiest mans hand. The white
orchid seemingly shuddered and
writhed. Its delicate petals turned gray
and crumpled 1t faded into an ash
and was gone.
The boys face Was white and awed.
He looked apprehensvely at the man.
ooh. sir :" he said, his voice
weak.
ITS gone, Tom" The man spoke
lightly
yep like death, sir"
Eyes, like death, Tom, or Dreams"
ooh, no, yer honor, oh no, sir, l
mean; dreams they amt like that. If
We believe in 'em and put faith in 'em
they're bound, sir, bound to come
true"
And why do you think so, Tom?"
me mother, she says so, yer-sir, l
mean"
Gould you get into college, Tom?'
asked the wealthiest man. 'It's awful
ly hard. There's exams and school
ing"
Toms whole body was tense with
eagerness. "Oh, sir, we're dom that.
Mary and me. I'm. goin' to night school
and Mary helps me, too. Mary's my
sister,"
"And mar" asked the man.
"Oh, ma, well, there's her eyes, you
know, SIR"
"Ah. yes, her eyes," the old man re-
peated.
"What do you want most, Tom?"
Don't you know, TOMB"
mo, yer hon-sir, mean. 1t amt
time fer mother raise yet, m Mary
can't 60 to college cause she's got an
other year at high school,"
"And your mother, TOm?"
"And mas gonna git her eyes fixed
as soon's save enough money" Tom
smiled confidently at the man. Nope, I
don know. Unless :"
"Unless what, Tom?"
"A goose, sir"
"A goose"
"Yep, like at the old place that ma
tells about"
"A Christmas goose. stuffed, sir"
The wealthiest man smiled kindly.
"There shall be stuffed goose, if"
"Yes, yer honor" Tom in his anx-
iety forgot the sir"
"If 1 can help eat it. I'm goose hun
CRY, too"
"You hungry, sir?" Tom expressed
unconditional doubt.
ooh, yes, and Tom, my family died
this morning-all the family l had. Old
Scout, l called him, and he was the
finest dog a man ever had"
The boy nodded seriously.
81 haven't any Mary. nor any mother
with big soft eyes, Tom"
"Ain't youse got nobody?
Nobody at all, Tom"
"Gee!" the boy looked at the man
with feeling. "Gee!"
"Gee!" repeated the wealthiest man.
Tom laughed readily. "Say, CUES"
you do need somethin'." He moved
closer to the man. "Say, if youse come
home with me after work and see ma
she'll help you, honest she WILL"
"How will she help me, Tom?"
"Well," he edged nearer and whis-
pered confidentially: MARY, you know,
hadn't anybody, and so we jest took
her in-we adopted her." The boy
paused, thinking. Maybe, yer--sir, l
mean, If youse wanted to, and If you
tell ma, we could just adopt you, too"
The old man turned his face away
from the boy could you afford to
keep another, Tom?" His voice was
husky.
Tom answered readily. "Yep, I think
so. You see, could work nights again
like l used to, and"
"And give up night schOol?"
yep, jest fer now, you know, and
youse could help with the goose money,