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Show The Upward Path By WALTER JOSEPH DELANEY (Copyright. 1919. y th. Wcst.rn Nw- A gentlemanly appearing Individual of middle age slipped slightly on the wet pavement aud the Impact of his body nearly carried Bayne Ellers off his feet. The latter was In no frame of mind for courtesy or consideration. Quite roughly he gave the other a i push. "Why don't you bump Into somebody?" some-body?" demanded Ellers surlily, at that moment out of patience with himself him-self and all of the world besides. Then he noticed that one arm of the man was in a sling. He saw him nurse it, a spasm of pain traversing his face. In an Instant Ellers was again his better self. "I am sorry," he said quickly, and sincerely. "A dislocated arm, only," observed the other quietly, "but we must remember re-member the deeper sufferings of one greater exemplar and use patience. We should be Indulgent, very kind when we remember Judas and Pilate." ' Ellers stared strangely at the owner of the calm, pleasant face. "I am ashamed of myself, sir," he began, but just then there was press In the throng, and the subject of his Impatience and roughness was carried beyond him In the crowding current of humanity. Ellers, Indeed, felt his abasement. He was a victim of ill fortune and had bees going down hill financially for many months. He could not secure se-cure regular and profitable employment employ-ment and was homeless and he felt friendless. He judged the world harshly and was ready to resent trivial Imposition or indifference with bitterness. bitter-ness. Ellers did not sleep well that night. The gentle reproach of the man he had treated so rudely haunted him. He felt its justice, for he had not forgotten for-gotten th Enlightenment of early moral training. There was a mild condemnation con-demnation In the last words of the man he had Jostled that humiliated him, censured him and caused him to think. The personality of the stranger remained with him us a strong memory. mem-ory. He wondered why he could not forget the circumstance and took hi? leasuu to heart. He was careful not to show rudeness to anyone, he even went out of his way to lift a crippled dog from the street and carry him for the child who was mourning over the accident. It was about a week later that Ellers, proceeding down a busy thoroughfare, thor-oughfare, turned sharply at the echo of a tumult. At a glance he made out a great hook and ladder truck dashing dash-ing along at reckleas speed. It was a serious runaway, for the driver had evidently been thrown off the seat and the furious steeds, nn-guided, nn-guided, swung from side to side. The truck struck a wagon and reduced It to kindling wood. About thirty yards from the crossing, Ellers realized, If not hulted the swaying, darting fire truck was likely to create havoc along the curb of the next square. Just ahead of him a white haired gentleman was seated In an automobile automo-bile awaiting the chauffeur. With a spring Ellers reached the rnachlDe and seized the wheel. In s flashing second he cleared the curb, speeded half a block and darted Into an alley. As he entered it, looking back he discerned the Are truck upset up-set and wrecked at the Identical spot where the automobile hud stood. His startled passenger guessed only half of what had occurred until his chauffeur came hurrying to the spot. Then he comprehended that but for timely action of Ellers he might have met his doom. "I owe you my Ufa, young man." he said calmly, but his face was pale. Ellers, too. was shaken. He had recognized rec-ognized the old man. At last he hnd again met the person who had become a haunting memory with him. His soul swelled with relief and surprise. Surely he had now atoned for that episode of rudeness which had tauglif him a salutary lesson! "Come Into the buck seat here, will you?" spoke the old gentleman, and his eyes scanned Ellers closely. 'Tell me something about yourself, will you?" continued Daniel Worth. "1 have reason to be Interested In you." It all came nut. Thi're was something some-thing In the face of Daniel Worth that Invited confidence. He was deeply stirred with emotion as Ellers told nf his constant thought of the man who had so strangely met him. There wa a fatherly searching into the depths of Ellers' soul by hi new friend. Without With-out pretene Mr. Worth went direct to the root of Ellers' necessities. Fate, coincidence seemed to have lined up circumstances for his fall benefit at last, tor Daniel Worth was a person of mean and Influence. Then, once more firmly upon his feet, Ellers was Invited to the home of his benefactor. To meet his daughter Alice, to feel a new and powerful Influence come Into his life, to blens the day his better bet-ter self had started him on the upward up-ward path. "I can trust fully In such lore as yonrs," Mr. Worth told Ellers the day he Informed him of his new found devotion; "you have always told me you hoped and believed Unit somewhere, some-where, some time your dream of home and love and happiness would come true. Lei the somewhere be here, and tht,om Uiue naifi" |