o fall.
There's so many of them they have to fight harder to get those that fall
to the ground than the game fellow that climbs the tree. Men will pull
you down, tramp on you, in their endeavors to climb over you. It's the
selfish idea of many men they can build up more rapidly if they tear
down. They'll block your game, they'll lie about you, they'll not only
throw you down but they'll sit on you, and hold you down, until you
gather force to squirm from under. You'll never suffer as much when you
have the least as you do when the grit has leaked out of you. The man
who climbs the tree from the bottom to the top is never licked. If they
pull him down he will start from the bottom again. Poverty cannot ruin
him. It's only a check. He has less fear than those who have had a
ladder placed against the tree for them to climb up. Believe in
yourself. Take everything that belongs to you. Take your licking but
don't sell out to cowardice. When your grit's gone you're done for."

A thin, a very thin partition between the room he occupied and that of
two of his principal people, Alfred was compelled to play the role of
eavesdropper again.

"He won't pull through. I am sorry I joined the show, I throwed away a
good engagement to accept this one. I'm stuck again. This thing won't
last a week. I'm going to get away at the first opportunity." It was one
of a talented team of musicians. They not only did a fine specialty but
doubled in the band. The one talking was the manager of the act. Alfred
held a contract with the trio. He had fulfilled all the requirements of
it and they owed him considerable money, advanced for hotel bills during
rehearsals, railroad fares, etc. He lay on the bed debating with himself
what to do, enter the room and throw the talker out of the window, or
have him arrested.

"I heard Field tell his treasurer he had no money. I'm going to skip.
Take my word for it, we're all up against it."

The other replied: "Well, I owe the company a lot of money. I'll stick
until I see how it goes."

Alfred was on fire. He would die rather than fail. The following day was
Sunday. This would entail extra expense. Basing his calculations upon
receipts in other cities, he feared he would not have funds to carry the
company to Akron, the next exhibition point.

He accidently met a Columbus man, a minister, Reverend Messie, the
pastor of the church where Alfred's family worshipped. He had recently
officiated at the wedding