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The Great Gatsby — Chapter 9 — Page 11

He come out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now. Of course we was broke up when he run off from home, but I see now there was a reason for it. He knew he had a big future in front of him. And ever since he made a success he was very generous with me. He seemed reluctant to put away the picture, held it for another minute, lingeringly, before my eyes. Then he returned the wallet and pulled from his pocket a ragged old copy of a book called Hopalong Cassidy. Look here, this is a book he had when he was a boy. It just shows you. He opened it at the back cover and turned it around for me to see. On the last flyleaf was printed the word schedule, and the date September 12, 1906. And underneath: Rise from bed 6:00 a.m. Dumbell exercise and wall-scaling 6:156:30 Study electricity, etc. 7:158:15 Work 8:304:30 p.m. Baseball and sports 4:305:00 Practise elocution, poise and how to attain it 5:006:00 Study needed inventions 7:009:00 General Resolves No wasting time at Shafters or [a name, indecipherable] No more smokeing or chewing. Bath every other day Read one improving book or magazine per week Save $5.00 [crossed out] $3.00 per week Be better to parents I came across this book by accident, said the old man. It just shows you, dont it? It just shows you.