| Show lu 1 ik ls huntr HOMM moy W NV THE STORY THUS FAR amos croy settled on a farm arm in missouri where he married and a son homer was born sunday meant church company for or dinner and steer weight guessing dehorn deborn ing of 0 the calves sausage making and helping newt break the mules were all part of 0 his work he won a prize for or writing his most unusual dream the cloys attended the omaha exposition where homer saw his first horseless carriage hula dancers and first motion picture homer asked to go to high school no croy ever had his rather lather gave homer his own pants and drove him in for or the first day and waited and brought him home at night it was au all lew to homer CHAPTER XIV ii the secrecy of youth I 1 said ag to anyone even when ma asked me how I 1 liked the city boys and girls I 1 said all right I 1 had no friends yet I 1 liked people and yearned desperately to make friends I 1 wore shoes except in stormy weather when I 1 wore boots as I 1 did on the farm one morning as I 1 was saddling dave he bumped my foot that day at school my foot was sore and I 1 quietly slipped off my boot colonel cox who sat behind me saw that I 1 had it off and got it away from me in a few minutes the teacher told me to come to the board and explain something I 1 said I 1 know how but she told me to come and try I 1 limped up one boot on one boot off a humiliating moment people were fascinating to me but I 1 had seen very few only our relatives and neighbors now suddenly there was a whole new world I 1 listened to the students recite intrigued far more by them than by what they were saying I 1 would discover some item of interest about one of the students the next day I 1 would discover something else every day I 1 added to my collection of facts about each student no longer were they a formless horde all lined up against me each was an individual each had traits and characteristics te a good deal like my knabb neighbors the discovery just about floored me I 1 began to feel a bit more at home and made a few shy advances so stimulating were people to me lit tl if little I 1 accumulated a few 1 like a tree making rings I 1 pulled up out of the areaway and began taking my lunch to the schoolyard and eating it on a bench sometimes some of the very boys I 1 had slid down the areaway to avoid would rush through their lunch at home to come and sit on the bench with me A change had taken place but I 1 did not know why I 1 became acquainted with a farm girl from another part of the county it seemed to me she was wonderful and I 1 began to go with her I 1 knew her father owned more land than mine but I 1 realize how important this was going to be one day when I 1 happened to mention that my father owned a qu arter section she said all 1 I know th 14 r A I 1 af surprised as I 1 knew I 1 mentioned it before so I 1 asked her how she knew it 1 I looked it up in the plat book my ardor fell off and a young man inan whose father owned far more land than mine succeeded later in winning her another example of the aristocracy of land As I 1 plowed and harrowed and hayed bayed I 1 thought how wonderful it would be to go to st joseph and get a job as a reporter the same feeling of doubt and lack of self confidence laid hold of me that I 1 had had bad when I 1 had first decided to go to high school what if I 1 should faill yet I 1 did want desperately to work on a city paper I 1 had graduated from high school but the world I 1 knew was the croy farm and our town but how thoroughly I 1 knew then our neighbors and the people I 1 came in contact with I 1 had been out of the county but once and that was when I 1 had gone to the omaha exposition but I 1 thought nothing of that none of the other boys or girls had been any farther one day one of the boys told me he was going to oregon on a visit I 1 thought of it all the way back on dave when I 1 told ma about it in an awed tone she laughed and said he means oregon missouri and that was what he had meant a distance of about thirty miles it hurt my father when I 1 told him I 1 wanted to go to st joseph and try to get a job why did I 1 want to 9 go 0 off and leave our good farm far in it pained me to insist but there was that inner urge to do the kind of work I 1 wanted to do and pa was pained too never had a croy or a sewell for that matter wanted to leave the land but finally he said he would not hold out when we went to get the family telescope there was a hole in the corner A telescope I 1 must explain was made of two pieces the top of one fitted over the other like a pillbox lid around the middle was a single leather strap and there was a handle some way or other a mouse had been trapped and had gnawed its way to freedom 1 I wish you have to go off to the city with a hole in your telescope ma said but I 1 was not thinking of the hole I 1 would make good I 1 would get that jobi pa and ma and I 1 got in the hack and started to town along the road I 1 had traveled four years on old dave As we drove along pa told me how I 1 must guard myself in the city st joe was full of men who would steal every penny they could see everybody would try to take advantage of me but he never mentioned women and ma did only once and that was when we were alone for a moment on the depot platform homer I 1 am going to pray you wont have anything to do with bad girls pa stood holding the telescope and ma stood with her arm around me the train thundered in ma kissed me and whispered dont forget what I 1 said pa handed up the telescope write whenever you can homer I 1 leaned over and looked back and there they stood as far as I 1 could see my problem began as soon as I 1 arrived what was I 1 going to do with my telescope while I 1 went to look tor for a job there must have been a checkroom but I 1 did not know what it was for foi I 1 solved this problem which had suddenly jumped up before me by looking around for a grocery store for a grocery store was a sort of club for farmers where they met and visited and lefi left their packages and parcels and children I 1 found one and asked a man who seemed to be the owner if I 1 could leave my telescope he stud led me a moment then said I 1 could if I 1 wanted to I 1 marched to the rear as we always did in our own grocery store and left it among the boxes and barrels then I 1 started up the street to get my job I 1 had never read a horatio alger jr story and so far as I 1 know I 1 had never heard beard the pime pame so I 1 had bad no false ideas of what a young man must face all I 1 knew was that I 1 was going to get a job and nothing was going to keep me from it I 1 asked the direction of the newspaper offices and started north up the street I 1 saw a streetcar but I 1 surprised I 1 seen one in omaha I 1 found the office of the paper which is now the st joseph news press and walked boldly in for I 1 had that all studied out and asked very businesslike where I 1 could find the city editor pretty soon I 1 found myself standing by the desk of a man wearing a green eyeshade it seemed to me that every man in the office was staring at me and burning with curiosity not very far from the truth as I 1 can now believe tor for I 1 was tall and lanky and thin as a rail six feet two inches with an upper jaw and a large nose I 1 what is it you want he asked when I 1 finished and I 1 was painfully ill at ease I 1 edged closer for I 1 want all the staring people to hear and told the man with the green eyeshade that I 1 wanted a job what is it you want he asked when I 1 finished I 1 again imparted the confidential information then he cupped his hand behind his ear and I 1 realized he was hard of hearing so I 1 had to shout at the top of my voice he took his hand down dont need anybody got too many now I 1 could hardly believe my ears but I 1 had come for that job and i I 1 wa was s going to have it so I 1 started all over again telling him how good I 1 was he took his hand down again and calmly started to read copy pretty soon I 1 was out on the street shocked and unbelieving that it could have happened to me there was another paper there the st joseph gazette the paper eugene field had worked on and henry M stanley and walter hines page it was not as good a paper and I 1 knew little about it but it was a newspaper I 1 inquired where its office was and started determinedly down the street I 1 would show old green eyeshade I 1 licked not only that but I 1 would scoop his paper A man was sorting letters and shoving them into boxes my first glimpse of want ad answers where will I 1 find the city editor I 1 asked professionally the city editor he repeated the city editor I 1 said firmly his office is upstairs I 1 stared in astonishment when I 1 got there for there were only two persons in the office no green eyeshade but I 1 know whether I 1 wanted to work on such a small paper or not for the other office had been h humming um ming w with 1 th activity 1 I want to speak to the city editor A man stopped running his typewriter and looked at me curiously do you want a job yes sir come back at one thirty I 1 crept down the stairs beginning to get the hang bang of the thing I 1 had known there were evening papers and morning papers but only vaguely I 1 wandered around the streets feeling lonely but confident no one spoke to anyone else hardly any horses on the street at one thirty I 1 climbed the stairs again the place seemed alive with people the man who had been running the typewriter silently pointed a finger at a man sitting at a desk and I 1 marched over and told him I 1 wanted to go to work for him thank god he could hearl hear finally when I 1 was through he said how much money do you want I 1 said ill leave that to you in maryville markville Mar that would have been a challenge for the man to be generous but I 1 was to find city ways were different diff erent ali 1 I can pay you 9 a week I 1 told him I 1 would take it when can you go to work As soon as I 1 can get a place to live eve I 1 found a rooming house and got on a streetcar and started for my grocery store the telescope was there I 1 been in the city long enough to realize pa knew what he was talking about I 1 took my telescope to my room I 1 was shocked after I 1 had made all arrangements to find there was a toilet inside the house instead of being in the place I 1 was accustomed to what a terrible roaring it made it seemed vulgar and I 1 felt ashamed every time I 1 slunk into it well id have to make up my mind to get used to city ways I 1 was given a run of the undertakers and the YMCA which was the first I 1 knew about that organization A place for young men but they were playing pool I 1 was beginning to see pa was right As exciting and thrilling as it was it seemed to me that first nights work would never end city hours all my life I 1 had got up early and gone to bed early now I 1 must not only stay up but work the first chance I 1 had I 1 went to see the house where jesse jess e james was shot and stared strangely affected at the hole in the tha wall and looked at the spot on the floor where his lifeblood had drained away then to the red stables where the pony express had started I 1 thought to myself now I 1 am really seeing things but also I 1 had seen things at omaha when I 1 had seen general nelson A miles with his gold sword once you have your foot planted firmly on the soil a little of that soil sticks I 1 missed the old farm I 1 missed the people I 1 knew I 1 liked pa and ma more now than I 1 ever had I 1 thought of many things I 1 had done that I 1 wished I 1 I 1 made resolves id do better when I 1 saw them again show them more appreciation tell them I 1 liked them which had never been easy for me to do no one in our neighborhood ever said he loved anybody that was mushy you liked people and you had regard for them it if you said you had high regard for a girl that was just about the same as an engagement ma wrote twice a week was I 1 sleeping well was I 1 getting plenty of good wholesome food what kind of bed did I 1 have was I 1 being a good boy then she would tell the family news the price of eggs who was sick uncle will sewell had come up in the cart because the roads were muddy the kennedys Kenn edys had hog hoe cholera ma hoped it get down our way they mas letters always ended the same way your father sends regards one day after I 1 had been working about a month I 1 came to my desk and there on my oliver typewriter was an envelope with my name written in heavy pencil inside was a sheet of copy paper typewritten with this sentence on it As of thursday the gazette win will have to dispense with your services the bitterness was almost overwhelming wh elming I 1 went out on an the street to be alone when I 1 came back I 1 went to the tha city editor and asked why I 1 found then that it had not been my work after all the star reporter had had a better offer and to hold him they would have to pay him more money and cut down elsewhere I 1 was the elsewhere I 1 went to the press now the st joseph news press and succeeded in getting a job I 1 wrote home that I 1 was now working on another paper and received a letter from ma which said pa says he is glad you could better yourself one day I 1 brought in a copy of puck with a piece of mine in it and proudly pro adly showed it to the city editor he read it and said well I 1 must get around to writing one of those I 1 looked at the girls tripping along and wished I 1 knew one sometimes I 1 tried to strike up acquaintance but I 1 was so shy I 1 was usually put off at the first rebuff at last the lonesome summer was over and I 1 got on the train faithful pa was at the depot shook hands with me and said ill carry your grip and picked up the telescope with the mouse hole in the corner As we jogged bogged home I 1 told him about my work now and then he hinted was I 1 satisfied with that way of earning a living he had turned the hogs 0 he said and told how much he had got there had been plenty of rain farming conditions condition were good but things gone so well with mr air knabb he had hoot hoof rot it was all interesting to me every detail ma came out to meet us looking fraller frailer than when I 1 had seen her last one shoulder blade turned out TO BE CONTINUED A A Z 2 TF fr |
