Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-05-06

vice. No prospect of labor could DIS
turb him as did the shadow which he
saw moving through the halls and
about the rooms of the great bulliing;
his conscience was never void { of.
fense as he developed into manhood.
There was something to be hid, there
was SOM mething to be owned his pride
was perpetually humiliated, his digni,
ty constantly impugned, his aspiration
rebuked, his honor brought into the
dust by the lie which he seemed t.
himself to be living. True, he had no,
really disowned his mother, but this
his expanding sense of manhood, the
equivalent of living in lie. Now,
there is with every temptation, way
Of escape offered.
One hot afternoon IN july, all the
clerks in the room where David was
/ employed were at work later than
usual. Reports were to be made and
items must be III readiness. By three
0 clock the floor was generally clear,
and the room in the hands Of the sub
janitress. But at half-past three the
work of the clerks was still going on.
At four Mrs. Burtis knocked at the
door and then gently pushed it open
there she stood with her brush and
pail.
The Young man who sat directly in
front of the door - it chanced to be
David-looked up and shook his head,
but she did not need the hint for she
saw what was going on and immcdi-
atelv retired.
The clerk occupying the desk next
to David had nearly completed his
task, and feeling a l:ttsle elated, per-
haps, that he had outstripped his
neIghbors, broke out, . Y on amt good
looking, and you can't come in, and
there was 4 general laugh whereupon
he used hls blotter with flourish
shut his book. cleared his desk, and
took his departure. One by one the
/ fellows went away. David had a lon
| ger task than the rest, and was much
more pains taking, fer he had an ar
tIst's eye to satisfy,
Young Stopp, his friend, fingered
about till Burtis was ready to 90, and
then, arm IN arm, they strolled out
upon the pavement and down to the
ferry-boat, Stopp proposing that they
/ should hunt up a sea-breeZe.
The breeze they found; and on
shore intelligence not less stirring. \
] telegram awaited Stopp which inform
/ ed him that his father was suddenly
/ and dangerously i'll. The summons
/ took him away at midnight; riding
/ every moment he would arrive at his
/ parents bedside III twentv-four hours.
| The excitement into which he was
/ thrown by the telegram, the grief
which rolled as a flood out of his
young heart. furnished Burtis with
matter for reflection as he walked
away from the depot after the train
had left
Though Stopp had apparently for
gotten that he was about to leave his
| place in the Office vacant at a time
when a clerk could with difficulty be
spared, David did not forget IN part
ing wr,h him to say, "Smith and /
viii divide our work between us
so don't give that thought" for he
knew that such an assurance wouId be
needed before his friend had accom-
plished half his journey.
The next morning David was up at
an earlier hour than usual and off to
the Office. Earlier, too. came young
Harkncss. lie entered the room
hastily. He was a strong, puena-
cious-lool<ing fellow, who never con
sidered more than one thing in his
life, and that was himself. OF him
self, that is, of what concerned him,
he was now thinking.
'Oh Burtis, Burtis, vou here !" he
said. Il don't believe if ! started at
davbreak for the office / could GET
here IN advance Of every body. Have
YOU seen any thing Of my sleeve-bnt-
tons? | took them off and laid them
on nv desk yesterday afternoon and
must have left them. | noticed it
when | got home, and came back, hot
as it was But the old woman had
locked up by that time. Do Won
know where she keeps herselfI'
Il don't know where she IS Just
now" said Burtis, and his counten-
ance bore witness TO the amazement
anu Utc tttst>NIC III ltlt d. iiC ltAE ms
seat and went over to Harkness.-
Have vou looked in your desk
/ There's nothing there, you see. |
wouldn't have lost those buttons for
fftv dollars. They were given TO
me- Did Won ever notice them Z
No. But Harkness almost
thought that David answered as if he
were confused by the question.
They had a diamond in the centre,
said he, l hadn't any business to
take them of here. but | got 90 work
cd up bv the heat l couldn't stand
it.
You may have pnt them some
where about you Have you looked
in ali your pockets? p
OF course I have. First thing
. Though | knew | laid them on the
desk. No-som ebody else can tell
better than I can what's become Of
+ them.
ask every body They'll turn up,
I've no doubt" said Burtis and then,
recoilecting what days workwas be-
fore him, he went back 70 his seat.
.sOf course, l shall ask every body,
answered Harkness; ..but I'd like to