Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-24

almost as IL he had entered some femi I.
nine domain. The world was full OF
laughter this crisp October morn.
Nancy Bowman. II sine really owned
n dog all would be well with tie world.
Amazing fact! They two-stage favor
lite and country bumpkin-shared a
secret. After all seven millions weren' I
going to be such burden. But on
the heels Of this coinplacency came the
thought that he wasn't going 70 have
seven millions for many weeks to come
he was going to be Il poor young man
who had come to the city to make his
fortune. Nancy: English and old.
| fashioned. How she could sing and
how she could dance! Oh, this world
was all right.
But what should he do7 He would
have TO have a job Of some kind. lie
couldn't sit in his rooms and twiddle
his thumbs between meals. No store
job: that would be intolerablc: what
over he did he must be his own master.
He could, at pinch. translate" one of
IIoracc's books of Satires. lie would
not have to apply himself vigorously
to the task {; only when time hung
heavily on his hands; enough work to
prove that he was thus engaged. Be-
sides, it was the best Of mental cxer-
| clses, the study of any foreign tongue.
! Still, the Sutires would scarcely do.
lie ought to have something that had
"a business air about II. financial
promise. IIa "a textbook for be.
ginners; Tint was n capital notion. lie
recollccted having read that textbooks
were gold mines. In his case it would
not matter how much he piratcd the
work would never be offered to any
publisher.
The law firm Of Smell T. Pride was
situated in the warehouse district.
| Winter and summer there was the
stencil Of cured hides. The main office
first foor up, no clevator-was large.
! Thousands Of yellow law books bent
the shelves; they were stacked in cor
ners for lack Of room on the shelves.
! Mingling with that of hides vas the
vague odor Of the finished product.
Everything was old--the books, the
desks. the clerks. 1t was almost British
in its mustlness, Its dinginess. The
firm Of Smell 4 Pride never dealt in
divorces, murder, theft, but was some
times forced into court in the matter
of tampered wills and litigation over
wills. The general business was
estates.
There were three private Offices, the
windows Of which offered the pleasing
| prospect Of an alley into which the
sun was never able to squeeze. There
were no names on the roughened glass
of the doors. This gave the occupants
Il certain protection against unwelcome
! visitors
Bancroft had never been to the offices
, before. Smell had come out to the village
TO read the will. or rather TO offer Il.
He was unknown here; so he stood
outside the gate, striving in vain to
catch an eye. At length an aged clerk
approached
''Then Every Dollar Is Clean"
"Tou wish TO see----'
Mr.. Smell. am Mr.. bancroft"
\ slight rustic wns audible among tho
dozen human fossils. 1t was a sign
Of tremendous interest. had Bancroft
but known.
MIR. Bancroft? Oh. sir, come right
along with me- said the clerk. Mr..
Smell is in his office. MIR. Pride is in
San Francisco"
The clerk knocked at the middle door,
aud a brisk voice bulc him enter.
Mr.. Bancroft. sir
"W"li. WE'LL" began Smell. withersd
but prpprry. for al! that h" had spent
the major portion of his days in this
! semi tomb. Sit down. Glad your" 50
prompt" He pressed a button. Ban
rrot,.' he said in answer 10 the clerk :
! inquiry. "Well. how does it feel TO br
u milionairc!'
! Some day III be able to tell you
Just now there ore other things in my
! forehead
".Ah. yes, I see. The Johnson matter.
Well, ! don't know
"Mr. Smell! Pm going to ask you n
question which may startle you. Was
my father uu honest man.
Come with ,ne,' said Suell. "WclI
20 into the Office your father occupied
all these years On the way Smell was
given the rim box which held RancrOft'S
papers. OnCa within the elder Banrroft's
room the lawyer turned and laid his
hands upon the young mans shoulders.
Here is the room. where the spirit OF
your father may sometimes return. ]
say to !ou so!emnly thnt under Gods
heaven there never lived an honester
man than your father
Then every dollar is cleani'
AS the sunshine Is in your part of
the world.
but why live as he did, Why did
| he treat me so?' cried the son passion
ately.
God only knows. What your fathers
motives were for acting the misanthrupe
and pretending to be n miser | have
no knowledge. BUT so far ns honesty Is
concerned. ! can declare that. You
know nothing about rents in New York
at the present time. but youll ger II
gliInmrr when | rc!l you that all your
rents ara the same as pre- war times
He had all 'he chance in the world to
goUge, but he didn't Sow, observe ,his
sIip.'
Upon this slip Bancroft read ubout
twenty hnmeS. with addresses. Against
each nam" WAS II sum Of money.
''Prcpl" who owe him?'
'NO. Your father was not only m
honest man, my hoy, but kindly one
On Dcr"mh"r 20, year after year,
mad" out thcs" sums into checks and
mailed them. doubt if. even ut this
day, the brnriiriuries know where the
money comes from. Nearly ten thousand
Il year 70 men and women who had in
some way, at some time, performed an
act III his service diSiutrrestedIy.
"tharity' ~
''Prcciscly.'
Il don't understand He never gave
me any money!
But today You are only twenty
four and the absolute master of nearly
seven millions. That seems answer
enough. The day YOU went t" camp he
said he was making his will IN your
favor every dollar, stick and stone. ]
vaguely protested about the looSeResS
and suggested trust. lie said no aud
went on 10 say that all the money
YOU had ever had you had earned by the
sweat of your brow, that you wonld
/ know what II dollar was and how far
1t would go. So that part Of the riddle
/ ~