Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1910 — Page 6

In one of Rudyard Kipling’s writings he tells of “the ship that found herself,” and in “The Fortune Hunter” we have the fascinating narrative of a youth who found himself.” The youth is like the ship—he had to have his course laid straight before his career began to make substantial headway. The story of Nat Duncan is one that in dramatic form, as written by Winchell Smith, has attracted the attention of thousands of playgoers throughout the country. .As a novel, written byfouis Joseph Vance, it becomes a narrative of profound appeal to the young and old and especially to those of us who in' our youth dwelt in a rural district far enough removed from the metropolitan centers to be practically a world in itself and to itself. Usually it is the country lad who ventures into the great cities to seek fortune and fame’s favor. But here we find a down to date city youth, who, a failure at everything he had undertaken, invades the rural districts to make a millionaire of himself. That which befalls him prompted a great New York newspaper editor to say, “Every American should read this great story,” for “The Fortune Hunter,” in spite of its enjoyable humor, subtilely pointed by its talented authors, teaches the vital lesson of the need of charity and tolerance for the less fortunate of human beings.

CHAPTER 1. RECEIVER at ear, Spaulding, of Messrs. Atwater & Spaulding, importers of motoring garfuents and accessories, listened to the switchboard operator’s R announcement with grave attention, acknowledging it with a toneless "All right; send him in." Then, hooking up the de&k telephone, he swung round in his chair to face the door of his private office and in a brief ensuing interval painstakingly ironed out of his face and attitude every indication of the frame of mind in which he awaited his caller. It was, as a matter of fact, anything but a pleasant one. He had a distasteful duty to perforin, but that was the last thing he designed to become evident! Like most good business men. he nursed a pet superstition or two, and of the number of these the first was that he must in all his dealings present an inscrutable front, like a poker player’s. Captains of industry were uniformly like that, Spaulding understood. If tliey entertained emotions it was stjrictjy in private. , Occasionally this attitude deceived others. Notably now it bewildered Duncan as he entered on the echo of Spaulding’s “Come!” . He bad apprehended the visage of a thunderstorm with a rattle of brusque complaints. He encountered Spaulding as he had always seemed—a little, urbane figure with a blank face, the blanker for glasses whose lenses seemed always to catch the light and, glaring, mask the eyes behind them; a prosperous man of affairs, well groomed both as to body and as to mind; a machine for the tranSpction of business with ail a machine's vivacity and temperamental responsiveness. It was just that quality in him that Duncan envied. who was yaguely Impressed that if he himself could Imitate, however minutelv. the phlegm of a machine lie might learu to ape something of its offleienev and so ultimately prove him-

THE FORTUNE HUNTER

self of some worth to the world and Incidentally to Nathaniel Duncan. “Good afternoon. Mr. Spaulding,” he said, replying to a nod as he dropped into the chair that nod had indicated. A faint smile lightened his expression and made it quite engaging. “G’d afternoon." Spaulding surveyed him swiftly, then laced his fat little lingers and contemplated them with detached fntentness. “Just get in, Duncan?" “On the 3:30 from Chicago. I got your, wire,” lie resumed. "I mean it g ,t me—overtook meat Minneapolis.” “You haven't wasted time." “I fancied the matter might be urgent, sir. 1 gathered from the fact that you wired me to come home that you wanted my advice.” • A second time Spaulding gestured with his eyebrows, for once fairly surprised out of his pose. "Your advice?” “Yes.” said Duncan evenly, "as to whether you ought to give up your customers on my route or send them a man who could sell goods.” "Well?" Spaulding admitted. "Oh. don't think I'm boasting of my acuteness. Anybody could have guessed as mu< h from the great number of heavy orders I have not been sending you.” , ■ “You’ve had bad luck." , “You mean you have. Mr. Spaulding. It was good luck for me to be draw-

BETTV GRAHAM.

ing down my weekly checks, bad luck to you not to have a man who could earn them." His desperate honesty touched Spaulding a trifle. At the risk of not seeming a business man to himself he inclined dubiously to relent, to give Duncan another chance. “Duncan," he said, "what's the trouble?" ' ■ “I thought you knew that; I thought that was why you called me in with my route half covered." “You mean”— “I mean I cant sei J your line.” i “Why?” “God only knows. I want to badly enough. It’s just general incompetence. I presume." “What makes you think that?” Duncan smiled bitterly. "Experience.i' he said. “You've tried—what else?" “A little of everything, all the jobs open to a man with a knowledge of Latin and Greek and the higher mathematics— shipping clerk, timekeeper, cashier, all of 'em." "And yet Kellogg believes in you.” Dupcan nodded dolefully. “Harry's a I good friend. We roomed together at college That's why he stands for me.” “He says you only need the right opening"— • And nobody knows where that is. except my fortunate employers. It’s the back door going out for mine every : time. Oh. , Harry’s been a prince to toe. He’s found me four or five jobs with friends of his. like yourself. But I don’t seem to last. You see, I wqs brought.up to be ornamental and irregular rather than useful, to blow about in motorcars and keep a valet busy sixteen hours a day. and all that sort of thing. My father's failure—you know about that?" Spaulding nodded. Duncan went on gloomily, talking a great deal more freely than lie would have talked at any other time—suffering, in fact, from that species of auto-hypnosis induced by the sound of his own voie'e recounting ius misfortunes which seems especially to affect a man down on his luck. - - j ’Tffat smash came when 1 was five I rears out of college—l’d thought

<?: ' : . ban 1 to anything in all th .: ti e. l‘d always had more coin than 1 could spend—never had to consider the worth of money or how hard It is to earn My father saw to all that. He seeded not to want me to work; not that I hold that against him. He'd an idea I'd turn out a genius of some sort or other, I believe. Well, he failed and died all in a week, and 1 found myself left with an extensive wardrobe, expensive tastes, an impractical education—and not so much of that thai you’d notice it—and not a cent. I was too proud to look to mj’ friends for help in those days—and perhaps that was as well; I sought jobs on my own. Did you ever keep books in a fish market?” “No.” Spaulding’s eyes twinkled behind his large, shiny glasses. “But what’s the use of my boring you?” Duman made as if to rise, suddenly remembering himself. “You’re not. Go on.” “I didn't mean to. Mostly, I presume. I've been blundering round an explanation of Kellogg’s kindness to me, in my usual ineffectual way, but I felt an explanation was due you, as the latest to suffer through his misplaced interest in me." j “Perhaps;” said Spaulding. “I am be ginning to understand Go on. I’m interested. About the fi It market?" “Oh. 1 just happened to think of it as a sample experience, an 1 the last of that particular brand. I got $9 a week and earned evdry cent of it inhaling the atmosphere. My board cost me s♦> and the other S 3 afforded me a chance to demonstrate myself a captain of finance, paying laundry bills and clothing myself, besides buying lunches and such like small matters. I did the whole thing, you know, one schooner of b(>er a day and made my own cigarettes. Never << old make up my mind which was the worst. The hours wen- easy, too: didn't have to get to work until 5 in the morning. I lasted five weeks at that job before I was taken sick. Shows what a great constitution I've got.” “And then"— “Oh”— Duncan roused. “Why. then I fell in with Kellogg again; he i found me trying the open air cure on a bench in Washington square. Since then he’s been finding me one berth after another. He’s a sure enough opI timist.” f Spaulding shifted uneasily in his ; I chair, stirred by an impulse whose : unwisdom he could not doubt. Dun- 1 can had assuredly done his case no good by painting his shortcomings in colors so vivid; yet somehow, strangely, Spaulding liked him the better for his open hearted confession. “Well”— Spaulding stumbled awkwardly “Yes; of course," said Duncan } promptly, rising. "Sorry if I tired you.” “What do you mean by ’Yes. of course?’ ” “That you called me in to fire me— ■ and so that's over with. Only I'd be sorry to have you sore on Kellogg for saddling me on you. You see. he believed I’d f make good, and so I did i in a way; at least I hoped to." “Oh, that's all right,” said Spaulding I uncomfortably. “The trouble is, you j see, we've nothing else open just now, but if you'd really like another chance on the road I—l’ll be glad to speak [ to Mr. Atwater about it.” “Don’t you do it!” Duncan counsel- ! ed him sharply, aghast. "He might say yes. And I simply couldn't accept; it wouldn't be fair to you. Kel- ' logg or myself. It’d be charity, for I’ve proved I can’t earn my wages, and I haven’t come to that yet. No!" he J concluded with determination and I picked up his hat. “Just a minute.” Spaulding held him i with a gesture. “You're forgetting j something— at least I am. There’s a ! month's pay coming to you. The cash- j ier will hand you the check as you go j out.” “A months pay?" Duncan said ' blankly. "How's that? I've drawn up I to the end of this week already, if . you didn't know it.” “Of course I knew it. But we never > let our men go without a month's notice or its equivalent, and"— “No," Duncan interrupted firmly—. “no: but thank you just the same. I couldn't—l really couldn't. It’s good of you. but— Now,”. he broke off abruptly. “I’ve left my accounts, what there is of them, with the bookkeeping department, and the checks for my sample trunks. There’ll be a few dollars coming to me on my expense account, and I’ll send you my address as soon as 1 get one.” “But. look here”— Spaulding got to his feet, frowjning. “No.” reiterated Duncan positively, “there’s no use. I’m grateful to you for your toleration of me and ajl that, ! but we can’t do anything better now : than call it all off. Goodby. Mr. Spaulding.” Spaulding nodded, accepting defeat with the better grace because of an innate conviction that it was just as well after all. And, furthermore, he ‘ adipired Duncan’s, stand! so he offered ’ his hand—an unusual condescension. I “You’ll make good somewhere yet." i he asserted.

“I wish I could believe it." Duncan's grasp was firm since he felt more as sured of some humanity latent in his late employer. “However, goodby.” ‘ Good luck to you,” rang in his ears as the door put a period to the inter-, view. He stopped and took up the battered suit case and rusty overcoat which he had left outside the junior partner's office, then went on. shaking his head. “Much obliged.” he said huskily to himself, “but what's the good of that. There’s no room anywhere for a professional failure, and that’s what l am—jnst a ne’er-do-well. I never realized what that meant n-r.J.y before, 'anti, .t s certainly taken me a damn' z long time to find out. But I know now. all right.” Despondently lie went down to the sidewalk and merged himself with the, crowd, moving with it, though a thousand miles apart from it. and. presently diverging, struck across town toward the Worth street subway station. I “And the worst of it is he’s too 1 sharp not to find it out- if lie hasn’t by tliis time—and too decent by far to let me know if lie lias. It can’t go on this way with us, I can’t let him. G't to break yvitlr him somehow—now —today. I won't let him think me what I've been all along to him. Bless liis foolish heart!" 'lnhere was no deprecation of Kellogg's goodness in his mood, simply determination no longer to be a charge Upon; it. To contemplate the sum total of the benefits he had received at Kellogg's hands since the day when the latter had found him ill and half starved, friendless as a stray pup, on the bench in Washington square staggered his imagination. He could never repay it, he told himself, save inadequately, little by little—mostly by gratitude and such consideration 1 aS he purposed now to exhibit by removing.liimself and his distresses from the other's ken. Here was an end to comfort for him. an end th .living in Kellogg’s rooms, eating his food, busying his servants, spending his money, not so much borrowed as pressed upon him. There crawled in his mind a clammy riiemdry of the sort of housing he had known in past days, and he shuddered inwardly, smelling again the effluvia of dank oilcloth and musty carpets, of fishballs and fried ham, of old style plumbing and of $9 a week humanity in the uiiwashen raw. the odor of misery that permeated the lodgings to which his lack of means had introduced him. He could see again, and with a painful vividness of mental vision, the degenerate "brownstone fronts” that thask those haunts Of wretchedness, with their flights of crumbling brownstone, steps leading up to oaken portals haggard with flaking paint, flanked by squares of soiled note paper upon which inexpert hands had traced the warning, not “Abandon hope all ye who enter here,” but “Furnished rooms-to let with board.” And to this he must return, to that treadmill round of blighted days and joyless nights must set his face. (> Alighting at the Grand Central station. he packed the double weight of his luggage and his cares a few blocks northward on Madison avenue ere turning west toward the bachelor rooms which Kellogg had established in the roaring Forties, just the other side of the avenpe—Fifth avenue. The elevator boy. knowing him of old. neglected to announce his arrival, and Duncan had his own key to the door of Kellogg’s apartment. He let himself in with futile stealth. As was quite right and proper. Kellogg's man Robbins was in attendance, a stupefied Robbins, thunderstruck by the unexpected return of his master's friend and guest. "Good Lord!" lie cried at sight of Duncan. “Beg your pardon, sir, but—but it can’t be you!” “Your mistake. Robbins. Unfortunately it is." Duncan surrendered his luggage. "Mr, Kellogg in?”" “No. sir. But I’m expecting him any minute. lie'll lie surprised to see you , back.” “Think so?" said Duncan dully. “He doesn't know me if he is.’ 1 “You see. sir. we thought you was out west.” “So you did." Duncan moved toward the door of his own bedroom. Robbins following. “It was only yesterday I posted a letter to you for Mr Kellogg, sir. and the address was Omaha.” “I didn’t got thgt far. Fetch along that suit case, will you please?, I want to put some cleau things in it.” “Then you're not staying in town overnight. Mr. Duncan?" “I don't know. I’m not staying here anyway." Duncan switched on the lights in his room. ‘Tut it on the bed, Robbins. I’ll pack as quickly as I can. I'm in a hurry." . ' “Yes, sir: but I hope there's nqthing wrong." , “Then you lose.’.’ returned Duncan grimly. “Everything's wrong.” He jerked viciously at au obstinate bureau drawefl and. when it yielded unexpectedly with the well known impishness of the inanimate, dumped upon the _flooiL a tangled miscellany of shirts, socks, gloves, collars and ties. “Didn’t you like the business, sir?" “No. 1 didn’t like the business, and it didn’t like me. It’s the same old

NOVELIZED BY JOSEPH VANCE FROM THE PLAY V" OF THE SAME TITLE BY WINCHELL SMITH COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY WINCHELL SMITH AND LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

Story, Robbins. I’ve lost my job again, that’s all.’ “I’m very sorry, sir.” “Thank you. but that's all right. I’m used to it." “And you’re going to leave, sir?’ “I am. Robbins.” “I—may I take the liberty of hoping It’s to take another position?”

“BEG PARDON, SIR, BUT IT CAN’T BE YOU!’

“You may, bn. . .: second time. I’ve just m;w.<- t. my mind I’m not going to hang around here any longer, that’s all." “Bait.”,,,Robbins ventured, hovering about with exasperating solicitude—“but Mr. Kellogg ’d never permit you to leave in this way. sir." “Wrong again, Robbins,” said Duncan shortly, annoyed. “Yes, sir. Very good, sir.” With the instinct of the well trained servant Robbins started to leave, but hesitated. He was really very much disturbed by Duncan’s manner, which showed a phase of his character new in Robbins’ experience of him. Ordinarily reverses

such as this had seemed merely 1 to serve to put Ih” can on his mettle, to infuse him with a de(ermiiiation to try again and win put, whatever the odds, and at such times he was accustomed to exhibit a mad irres;»onsibility of wit and a gaiety of spirit (whether it were a mask or not that only outrivaled his high good humor when things ostensibly were going well with him. Intermittently, between his spasms of employment he had been Kellogg's guest for several years, not infrequently for months at a time, and so Robbins had come to feel a sort of proprietary interest in the young man. second only to the regard which he had for. his employer. “Beg pardon, sir.” he advanced, hesitant. “but perhaps you're just feeling a bit bine. Won't you let me bring you a drop of something?” “Of course I will," said Duncan emphatically over his shoulder. “And get it now. will you. while I'm packing? And. Robbins!” “Sir.” “Only put a little in it.” “A little what, sir?” “Seltzer, of course.” (To Be Continued.)

A Terrible Execution. Millions of disease germs in the blood die when Electric Bitters—the King of all Malaria Remedies —is used. It soon kills the microbes of Malaria, Chills, Fever and Ague. W. A. Fretwell, Lucama, N. C. writes: “Three bottles drove all malaria from my system.” 50c at A. F. Long’s. in your subscription renewal to The Democrat and get the National Monthly a full year free gratis.

“IVE LOST MY JOB AGAIN.”

jBVVHBMHBntfIBMMKZSIMXX ■w- y ■ » Chicago to Northwest, Indlanapofia. Cincinnati and the South, Louisville and French Lick Springs. RENSSELAER TIME TABLE. In Effect June, 1910. SOUTH BOUND. <O-31—Fast Maf1.............. 4-45 <_ m. Mad (dally) 10:55 a. n, 50113 MaU <daUy)-- I*9 P- mMUk accomm (daily).. 4:03 p. m. ISO. 3—Chi. to Ix)Uisville.ll:os p. m NORTH BOUND. (daU y> < m abu N°.4S—Milk accomm. (daily) -7:31 a. n, •No. 6—Mall and Ex. (dally).. 1-17 nm. No.3o—Cin. to ChL Ves. Mali «;02 £ No. 4 will, stop at Rensselaer to let off passengers from points south of Monon, and take passengers for Lowsn | Hammond and Chicago. Nos. 31 and 33 ' make direct conl .ection at Monon for Lafayette. FRANK J. REED, G. P. A. , McDOEL, Pres, and Gen’l ’ Mgr., CHAS. H. ROCKWELL, Traffic Mgr ™ Chicago. W. H. BEAM, Agent. Rensselaer.

OFFICIAL DIRECTORY. CITY OFFICERS. Jfayoj , G- F. Meyers J- K. Davis Treasurer r. d. Thompson Moe « Leopold Civil Engineer...L. C. Klosterman Fire ChiefJ. j. Montgomery Fire Warden..C. B. Stewart j, Councilmen. I s j ard ’ George Hopkins 2nd Ward....... ..EUie Grow 3rd Ward Frank KreSler , At Large...C. J. Dean. A. G. Catt JUDICIAL. Circuit Judge Charles W. Hanley Prosecuting Attorney Fred Longweli i Terms of Court—Second Monday in February, April, September and November. Four week terms. COUNTY OFFICERS. Clerk Charles C. Warnei Sheriff Louis P. Shiver Auditor James N. Leatherman Treasurerj. d. A 11msn Recorder., J. W. Tilton Surveyor ....W. F. Osborne Coroner. W. J. Wright SupL Public Schools.. .. .Ernest Lamson County Assessor..-John Q. Lewis Officer...,..,.E. N. Loy COMMISSIONERS. Ist Di5trict.................. John Pettet 2nd District... Frederick Waymlre 3rd District Charles T. Denham i Commissioners’ Court—First Monday :of each month. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. Trustees Township . • Wm. Folgarßarklev Charles May Carpenter 'J. W. Selmer Gillam George Parker Hanging Grove W. H. WortleyJordan j Tunis SnipKsener : John Shiver.. .. ... --. . nankskee Edward Parklson Mario a George L. Parks...Milroy E. J. Da.ne....' Newton Isaac KightUnion S. D. ClarkWheatfield Fred KarchWalker Ernest Lamson, Co. Hunt Wenwroieer E. C. English,Rensselaer James H. Green.... Remington Geo. O. Stembel..,..,...Wheatfield . Truant Officer. .C. B. Stewart. Rensselaer . TRUSTEES’ CARDS. JORDAN TOWNSHIP. The undersigned trustee of Jordan Township attends to official business at his residence on the First and Third Wednesday of each month. Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Postoffice address, Rensselaer, Ind., R-R-4. W. H. WORTLEY, Trustee. NEWTON TOWNSHIP. The undersigned trustee of Newton township attends to official business at his residence on the First and Third Thursdays of each month. Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Postoffice address, Rensselaer, Ind., R-R-3. E. P. LAKE, Trustee. UNION TOWNSHIP. The undersigned trustee of Unioc township attends to official business at his store in Fair Oaks on Fridays of each week. Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Postofflce address. FabOaks. Indiana. ISAAC KIGHT.

A GOOD PROPOSITION. * c". ■ • ' •' . * ' We have for sale, Three and Five Year, 7 and 8 per cent semi-annual interest bearing notes, in amounts from $300.00 to $5,000.00, .secured by First Mortgage on Improved Real Estate. We collect interest, and principal when due. and remit without charge We have loaned over $2,000,000.00 in Oklahoma City and vicinity without one dollar lost. We will pay your *•.. R. fare and all expenses to and from Oklahoma City, if every resentation we make here or by correspondence, is not absolutely correct. Write us for. information about these loans and give your money a chance to earn you 8 per cent net interest, instead of 3 or 4 per cent. Write ns for list of farms f<»r sale. A. C. FARMER & CQ., Oklahoma City, Okla. 206-8 N. Robinson St.