The Parasite.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Parasite.

■ -■ .. - —■ "Don't you think you are making a mistake 0 " she asked. "In making lovo to such a wonderful creature as you?" I replied. "I i should say not!" j "But papa " I "Have you been telling him about ■ me ?_'' | "i-Te has been asking." I "That shows that I am making an .impression even upon him!" "I. am afraid " i "Look here, dear," I said, inadver- | tenilj- and yet positively taking her | hand. "What is the matter? Do you i doubt that I can take care of you?" "That isn't it. Papa is such a i martinet. He declares that I shall never marry a man who has not some regular business." "But I have a regular business." She opened her eyes. •'AVhat is it?" "Jinking love to you." "Don't be silly! He will never consent. Really, it is quite serious. Besides you must know that I never under any circumstances would marry anybody that he did not approve of." I reflected. "Have you said anything about me?" "lie has inquired slightly, but I have not told him —everything." • "I hope not. Does he know that I am an idle person?" "Ho suspects it. What else could you he? AYhy, you couldn't stay on hero if you were not. Besides, you look liko one." "Thank you kindly. And why, pray, couldn't I he here? This is a pleasureresort. Isn't it tho hardest work in the world to be two weeks at any American pleasure-resort?" "AVell, yes—but you know what I mean." At this point in the conversation I suddenly thought of Tom Brinton. I don't know why I thought of Torn Brinton, Strange, isn't it, how an idea liko that will come floating aim- . lessly across one's consciousness at .; critical moment! Perhaps it was bj contrast; perhaps because Tom hac always been such a tremendous worker I wondered if by any possibility he . coul.l licbi mo; and I promised myself i ; there and then, that I would take ur ■ | the idea again the instant I had the • , time. i . "Of course T know what you mean,' | I replied ; "but how do you know thai I haven't work of rev own?" ; i "You've never spoken of it." , ' ""Men don't speak of the thing tha" - is closest to them". J lied so glibh that ; t seemed second nature. "Are you rcv.liv a wrirng man?' - . she asked crrvnsly. "Tf you are, yc; , : '''iVnnt' ri-T-t -n ~y leaf 1 . - ■ "Wh" net'' J ''"f r !'"r; enh i two weeks. Business men often

iway for that length of time. But if you doubt it," 1 vent on, with a I higher voice—a voice into which I; managed to infuse a measure of in-1 jured innocence—"if you doubt it, you I should see me at homo in the city I" I "You never told me this before. I ; supposed that you did nothing. Why j you talk of Europe as if it were your regular playground. And oh, you wouldn't—you wouldn't have had time!" I had struck an idea, and it was life, or death for mo to carry it out. "We are all gamblers in this world. It is the man who obeys his impulse, and who has the courage to carry it out, who wins. __ "Believe me," I said, "it is true. Now your father—l judge from what you say that he is on the point of making an inquiry " "Well, yes." "Did he say that he was going to look mo up?" "Do you want to know what he really said?" "I most certainly do." She turned her wonderful eyes upon me. It is all very well to say, friends, that those little moments in life in which a man and woman stand to- | gotlier, and talk idly about love, are not freighted with destiny. "Why, many : a time, an empire has turned on the uplift of n woman's eyes. And here wo were disposing of our combined : futures as if the matter were of no ' more consequence than an engagement for a dance. "He said," she went on, "that he had noticed you were burins: an effort upon me. Yon couldn't delude him, at his age, ho declared. Tie had been through the mill. He said there was one tiling that ho wouldn't tolerate in his family—an idle young man. It did not make any diii'ceruco how much ■ money you had : you were a parasite on S the body politic—those were tho very words he used. They made a. terrible impression on me. Think of calling you a parasite!" "No doubt I deserved it," I replied humbly. "Go on!" "Ho said he knew yen. meant to get me if you could. He could see it in your eye; hut ho wouldn't stand it. He said you were a young man of determination, whatever else could be said of you, and he thought the thing had gone far enough. He would take me away instantly, and shut off the whole affair, unless you could satisfy him. He was going to write to someone in the city, I believe, and find out j about you." [ My mind was made up. I sow that ' something desperate must be done at once, 1 remembered Tom Brinton's letter, reposing in my pocket—the letter ' in which he said that ho thought ho might have to quit for a week or so. I "Very well, my dear," I said, "I un- ' derstand. Now, let me tell you that I . nm only too eager to have you father ' look me up. Here is my address." I : tore off the top of Tom's business let- i tor. "Ho will find me there any time he wants me. I am going back there at once—by the first train. And if your father wants to look mc up there, ! I shall only be too happy to have him. But I warn him that if he doesn't show up w'tbin a reasonable length of time, I shall consider that silence gives consent, and that I have n perfect right to continue our —our " j I put my arms around her sternly, and Ir'rsed her before she could prevent me. "Our l^ve-c^cry!" I whlrc-ero-'l. Then, leaving the cler>r girl. all n?np-»"-rnt. with Tom's address hj» b--r hand, I imir-.-V-d off to r.;vk up. T nas certainly wo.'di ir.'-orpstod in ':' r—n!ore so than I h~ 1 thought possible. I entered Tom's effk'e r.r.-.nmfiy next wor-onr at ninr oVloek. He whis'Vd v."': ; -:i he saw ire. h?f. : rr ; o« here?'' be ench!-.. ,1. I . !d: r ie h".:;d. I i' ' ! rv.'d !e--Th"v .i n. to r.-------' 1-. I J-o'v ;\ uetteyU'r b ii.V'f:'.- - V. go ir b ;■! 1 r-yr.-.n in. J w \. ;-'r w liim that T m a hi ~ '-ru. Tf he sees mo sitt:rig here in your ylace, be T.-iM l-.rre to bo'v-re me. lie won't knew the difference." "But. my dear Jack, what do you know about this business ?" "Nothing. I don't have to. I've got common sense, haven't I ? I am a gentleman, am I not? I can read and write. You have clerks. I have tact. Why, my dear fellow, you can run any business on earth if you have tact enough !" "And nerve," added Tom, smiling. "Well, yes. What do you say?" Tom. in reply, touched a hell. A boy appeared. "Ask Mr Smith, to come here. Smith is my right-hand man. Jack." Smith appeared. Tom got up. "Smith, this is my confidential friend. Mr. Trayna. He will run the business until I return, and you will give him all the help he needs. I will have a power of attorney made out at once, and leave him in entire charge."

"Very well, sir/' said Smith. "And Mr. Smith." I said, li;flitin:» a cigarette, "if, within the lioxt week so, a fine old gentleman calls and ask> for me, please give him to understand that I am the whole thing—and have always heeii here." "You understand," repeated Smith, departing. Tom turned to me. 1 "Old man," he said. "I wouldn't be I surprised if you ruined me—but I supi pose I'll have to see you through." j "I'll never forget it, old chap!" I [ replied, with difficulty restraining my tears. I 111. J I had to wait a week; but at length i the important moment arrived. The | old. gentleman dropped in to ses mo. 1 "So this is where you hang out?" he said, dropping into a chair. "Well, young man, I had no idea that you were doing work like this." "Never can tell —never can toll," I repeated, rustling a handful of mail. "Modern young man, you know, very versatile chap. Excuss me a moment, must get this wire off." I rang a hell, and Smith appeared. Smith was a wizard of intuition. "How are the collections, Mr Smith?" "Fair, sir, fair. Sixty thousand so far to-day." "Well drop a. line to Pinger and Co., and tell them we will consider their | offer. I want this mail to catch to- : day's steamer. Send a wireless to this | London house. Better start suit i against that Chicago concern. That's all for the present—oh, Smith, I fori pot. You might ring up the First | National and ask them for the exact amount of the collateral deposited i there last month. I can't remember | whether it is a thousand or twelve j hundred shares of Beading. And now, sir, lam with you"— turning to her father. "Sorry to have kept you I waiting." "That's all right, young man. Busi- . j ness is business. How long have you , j heen doing this sort of thing!" I. smiled. . ! "Oh, for years. We move fast in . i these days, sir. I manage to run off ■ ; every once in a while to freshen up a !j bit: but it,keens me pretty well tied , ! down. You' see"—l grew confidential i , —"the trouble is that you never can , ; ret anybody else to do it for you. I Smith is nil excellent man, hut T can't i ' pot very far away for any length of j time." ' ! "No, sir! You are ri r dit. ; oIr" r, an do one's own work." The old , gentleman got up. "I won't detain i you ; ' 7 am to pp* t ' vou. Take luncheon ■"••"•Hi me. T wP' ' droo in and --ee vou t-rs O'-Tlm. i' ' . yfm sav p.o. Ft t'ie way " T fount 1 1 . j-nvs.elF nrowi'"' n- n<->: —' '\- in of a** . e:--"cHr:n- rnrtr."] -,-W.i, 7 "'■v.?. 11 -' rr ~ l^' ' w:\-r. F.[r, is—cr —your daughter ir t; town ?" i

"No ,air. I left her down at tho Springs. Just ran up for a day or so. Sorry that I can't accept your invitation; but I'm going right back." He held out his hand. There was a new note of cordiality in his voice. I saw that I had won. 1 began, even then to plan all the details of tho wedding in my mind. "If you can get away," he said, ''l . would like to see you there again. Possibly you can run down for a weekend?" "Thanks, sir, I " He put the tips of both hands on tho desk and leaned over. "My boy," he said, "it does me good to seo ci young follow liko you. making good No parasites on the body politic ior mo! All must l>a doing something to make the world move. And so 1 say that I shall always bo glad to welcome you; and Helen will be glad to seo you, I am sure." Onco more lie held out a, hand. I took_ it with a freling—well, I can't say just how I felt, but it wasn't altogether pleasant. Yet the stake was so p-ont that I felt justified. "I hone to seo you soon sir," I said, as lie went out. Thou I culled in Smith. 'OJr. Smith," I said, "do you think it would be wise for me to get away over Sunday—on a matter of considerable importance ''Tsuf.ine?s. sir? ;; '*V. ell, perhaps not strictly business, but rather necessary." iv.mth shook his head. I lieaded him nil beiore ho could sueak. l 'xYi:ukl ?i)r. Brinbon gOj as things look nowr" I asked. ° i "Xovor. sir! He wouldn't dare leave —no. sir, not for one hour. And besides sir" —Smith, looked at me admiringly—"perhaps I ought not to say it, but your arc doing so well—whv, you run things right up to Mr, Briiitiiu s marie, sir—and he's a wonder. I should not like to have you break away now I wouldn't dare do anything without you, sir." Smith was one of those timid, faithful souis that you can't do without, but who never rise above a certain level. "I'll stay," I said briefly. I wouldn't have disappointed Smith for worlds. I'esides, I was obliged to confess that, in spite of myself, I was becoming absorbed in the work. I had never known, before the supreme delight of actually workinir —of doing important things, I found, to my amazement, that I could do them well. My idle, life had really been a benefit to me —it was an asset of no mean proportions. It enabled me to handle 'he various men with whom I came in contact; and after all, is that not tho great secret of business success? 1 have come to believe so. I sat down and wrote her a letter—told her the situation—that I wanted to come more than ever I could say—but duty held me. In tho meantime, where was Tom? I had been so busy that I hadn't even stopped to inquire. liut vrould it not be advisable lor me to drop him a'line, I stopped and thought. The moment lie came back, I should have to give it all up. There was the girl on the one side, and on the other side this tremendous new idea, which somehow bad aroused nil the latent enerry in mc. I was between two fire-!. The moment Tom appeared, T could go to her. I longed for her. in flashes, between the stresses of b'T-'iK'-s. so tn speak but when I •IVi:;rM rf g'ing back to that wo'-kl of io' cit was intolerable. I hated ivy- for it. .'el so I put off the fntnl day until one mormw. a week lat-r. S-"i+h app p-ed with a paper in b : s h-nicl. "Wire fr. -l"! Mr. Brinton, sir. He'll h** mr "! TV, -n»«-icr was bein:r decided for me by -"-c '*stes. S, bcV»*d Sir :i h. armored r..j- ... --p.' ■ "r i-•- J- > 0 ible?—tho old : : V:'!: ~, ... an ! ret "'ith e sl"-bT '.hew <■' ■ , -:'.rv"«"-:ent. "Whet on yrU T here b-r-n to? by e— id'-'ut. T »•: nt down to the pia-e yon left —the S'-rin'-s—and T iuet her. and hero's her m.ther, and I am going to marrv her!'' The eld gentleman advanced. "Young man," he said, "you lied to me. But in view of the way in which this little matter lias turned out, I am going to forgive you." "I am afraid you will never fcririve 1 me," said Tom humbly. "I couldn't hel" it. old chap. How is it?" "I'll forgive you on one condition," I I said sternly. "Kindly get out of this office, go off on your old honeymoon. and for the rest of your natural lives leive me to run this business, My [ dear bey. T have been making tove to ; prettv yirls all my life at pb-asure- ! resorts, and lem n d to have ;m ocj cunetion that is ready interesting!" I "Will you he my host man, Jaol:?" pleaded Tom. i I rang the bell for Smith. [• "Sorry old fellow," I replied, "but I i can't snare the time. Here, Smith, .this wireless off at. once!" —Thomas Ji. i Masson, in "The Munsey."