The Argosy for May — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TIME FOR every day by the magnitude of the pos- sibilities offered to ambition by the great metropolis. Moreover, Mr. Ramsey did not lose sight of him, but, having taken a strong fancy to the quick-witted, energetic young fellow, watched over his progress, and advanced him as fast as conditions permitted. He also not infrequently invited the lonely country lad to his house for a Sunday dinner, or on some similar occa- sion; for there was not a trace of snob- bishness in Ramsey’s composition, and he believed thoroughly in the good, old- fashioned idea of an employer keeping in touch with his help. And after one of these visits Harry Rock would return to his dingy little hall-room on the fourth floor back of a boarding-house, and, stretched out upon its narrow cot, would dream of the time when he, too, should be a rich and pow- erful banker, living in a palatial mansion filled with all sorts of beautiful things. In these ambitious visions there was also another character always introduced —a sprightly lady who appeared to be the mistress of ‘this home, and whose hair was dark, and her eyes sparkling, while the color in her cheeks was like the ripe blush on the side of a nectarine. For, although he had seen many beau- tiful women since coming to New York, and had met some of them as he began to go about more in a social way, he had never once faltered in his opinion reached the first time he had ever seen her, that Anita Ramsey was the most beautiful, exquisite, fascinating, and wholly desira- ble creature who ever breathed the breath of life. So he would go on building his airy castles in Spain, and instafling her in them to do the honors, until—suddenly the alarm-clock would go rattling off beside his ear, and he would start awake to realize that a trial balance was waiting to be struck off down at the bank, and that as yet his income was hardly suffi- cient to maintain himself. However, that state of affairs did not last long. With his successive promo- tions, each accompanied by a substantial raise in salary, Rock was presently able to live comfortably, to send something home to his mother, and even to lay aside \ ACTION, 197 certain sums—small at first, but gradual- ly increasing in size—as a nucleus for that fortune he intended some day pos- sessing. Under Mr, Ramsey’s advice, too, he invested his savings, when they grew large enough—invested them so _ judi- ciously that by the time he was twenty- five and had become the paying-teller of the bank his personal account at the insti- tution was one by no means to be sneezed at. : | His habits remained economical, though, and he indulged in no splurging. His one idea was to become a master in the world of finance, and some day to win Anita Ramsey for his wife. Toward that goal he concentrated all his ener- gies. Anita, who was now twenty - chee. had been abroad for the last two years, finishing up her education by a round of travel; but Harry could see no difference in her when she returned, except that she was, if anything, lovelier than ever. She greeted him with the old, frank friendli- ness, and seemed to be fully as intere&ted in his plans and his career as ever; sr he noticed that she spoke a good deal of a certain Mr. Arthur Corning, whom she had met on the other side, and who had paid her a good deal of attention on the score of having been at college with her brother George. This Mr. Corning, he also learned, had inherited considerable money from his ‘father, but, not content to live a life solely of leisure, was shortly coming to New York to engage in business, and had signified his intention of opening an office on Wall Street. In due time, accordingly, he arrived, and was introduced to Rock at Miss Ram- sey’s one evening. The country boy—for, despite his long residence in thé city, a good deal of hayseed still clung to the paying-teller’s hair—thought him the most interesting man he had ever met, fluent, polished, magnetic, graceful, and was deeply flattered when, upon leaving the house, the newcomer hooked an arm within his elbow and took him for quite a long walk, ending up with a charm- ing little supper at one of the swell restaurants. But that painfully gathered bank ac- count, if it had any prophetic instinct CORMICLOO© S (C@ im