The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-03
What ha. happened before,

What has happened beforel
 This Is a story dealing with Bir- mingham's future.
 At 14 years old. Roebrt LandOn be- gins his awakening to young man. hood by joining the Boy Scouts. The son of a pOor woman, he leads any thing but an enviable existence, but citizenship and what it means has begun to stir fin his soul. One day seeing 6 corner stone being laid and hearing the attendant euIogy to q citizen, Bob avows he will be . great man.
 red-haired girl hears him, and much to bOb's embarrassment, speaks up and encourages the idea. He loses her after a boyisb promise that he will make good just for heI sake. An automobile drives up and learn her name.
 Bob decides to become m nrchi- tect. He conceives an Idea thnt he wishes to build . series of gigantic electrical figures above the city which will be magnificient to look upon from the top of Red mountain TwinkIing lights, he feels, are not enough. He hopes to see only castles municipal buildings, homes of God vast auditoriums, public and state buildings erected along He'd moun- tain's crest-all of them to be oi marble. Their spires and turrets and artistic beauty, he feels, would for ever he an inspiration when Birming- ham citizens lifted their eyes to look upon them. He maps out figures typi- cal of the old south and builds hi, towns in colonial style.
 n-. .l- h.. mfr ha fhe red-haired girl again, but she es- capes him. In seeking her, he acci- dentaIly learns 10 know Annette Kingston, young society girl, who is much attracted to him. Mary wit nesses the meeting, but does moi recognize Bob. Mary is being pressed to marry Herbert McAllister.
 Bob persuades Mir. EIberton, n very prominent financier, to come to Bir- mfnghEm and build home from his drawing of the ghost house. He finds a child model for his main electrical figure. Through building a wing to the Kingston home, Bob and Annette become great friends, but by seizure of dog on the street, which proves to be Mary TrevOr's, the red-haired girl announces Q desire never to sec Bob again. Bob is welcomed in the Elberton home almost like son. In . restaurant he accidentally enc0un- ters Annette with some friends, and again comes face to face with Mary DisreGarding her desire that he ic' her alone, Bob picks up her fur, ant wordlessIy frankly idOlizes her. Shs decides she will leave town if shs must encounter him again, though she does not realize he loves her.
 XU
 When Bob got home, he found an urgent telegram, calling him out oi town for a week, thrust under his door.
 By rights he should have had il earlier. because it set the date of 6 meeting in Atlanta with men who ing s3,o00,O00 factory they planned to build either in that city or in Bir- mingham.
 Bob was determined to persuade them to come to Birmingham, and, tc this end, had already made a digest of what the eity's advantages would be.
 He felt, however, that he wished tc take Wallis Elberton with him. Ell berton was a new man and had al ready begun to be great and in' fluential force in Birmiugham's life He-was powerful enough to be, ant WAS establishing record that he could be depended on for yeomer citizenship service.
 Valuable Advice
 What Elberton could say to pros pectfve Birmingham investors would be inestimably valuable from ths viewpoint of man who had recently adopted the city for his own home.
 The hour was late, but recalling that the Elbertons were entertaining at dinner party and cards thai night, Bob climbed back into his au- tomobile on the chance that he would find his friends still up.
 The train over the Southern from Memphis left at 5:50 a. m. and the, could get Pullmans out.
 %The guests were just saying good. night when Bob drove up. Landor preached his request.
 Elberton was enthusiastic.
 "Of course, I'll go Won't we mother? Ever see an old man that wasn't flattered at being picked fol something and depended on? Dick ems of good chance for an outing besides the attempt to make good or some of the hopes you entertained of me when you let me into youl AO"H. s'O idts ' CaiAS0 ih) salt"
 The Right Town
 Nonsense" truthfully contradictet Bob, who related the story of wha, he was up against. You know, Fl berton, Birmingham is a 50 per cen better town for this factory than an, other southern city could be. and whereas III have to argue and sweai to convince those fellows it Is. al you'll have to do will be to wave 2 little finger and saYs Come on over to Birmingham and it'll all be ovei but the shouting. They know you and trust your judgment"
 Elberton's eyes twinkled.
 Just where were you planning or putting the factory in Birmingham boy?" he queried and the laugh wa. general as Bob produced the plans ol the factory. already boiling smoke as it functioned on a 40-acre tract O, land in the eastern Birmingham sec tion.
 Have you already bought tn, property?"
 Yes"
 What forT'
 We need .em."
 ;. Elberton did slightly rheumati,