Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-11

took the package of letters from the table,
and shuddered rs his fingers came in con-
tact with the black band that held them
together; his brow contracted with q sud-
den spasm of pain IS he saw the name
Charles Howard, ESQ.," traced in the
same delicate characters that had so often
written his own. When he spoke, his
voice had harsh and unfamiliar sound.
/ will take these, Joe, and read them"
Then he turned, and with q feeble, uncer-
tain step made his way toward the door.
But before he reached it his eyes caught
the uneasy, anxious look with which Joe
regarded HIM, and turning back he laid
one hand on his friend's shoulder, and
leaning his head upon it said, in a
broken, faltering voice:
Don't worry, Joe. You couldn't help
it, will be all right in the morning."
Joe's grasp frightened On Hsrry's arm as
II to detain him, but the boy pushed his
hand gently aside.
No; am better alone. Let me 60
now.n
Then he went slowly down stairs, and
the door of his room closed tightly, shut.
ting him mall alone with his sorrow.
But Joe's door remained open all night,
while the wakeful ears of the faithful friend
listened anxiously during the long hours
for any sound that might reach him from
| the room below.
When morning came, Harry was the
first to appear. However severe the strug
| gle, twas ended; however fierce the bat
! tie, il was won. There was a sterner look
about his brow, the frolicsome laugh was
silenced forever; but there was calm,
steady light in the blue eyes, and a quiet
manliness in his bearing that had never
been there before.
The eager words of sympathy with
which Joe was prepared to greet him died
before they were spoken, and Harry was
| the first 10 break the silence.
90 could not write her, joe" he said,
| passing his hand quickly across his fore
head. II have inclosed the letters have
received from her, together with the last
one she wrote Charles Howard She will
receive them this morning. think she
will understand what they mean. One
| question, Joe, and we will never recur to
the subject again. Who paid Charles
Howard's debts of which he speaks in his
letter To your"
Joe made no reply.
Who takes care of the widowed moth
er he lefts Where is she?"
"In Connecticut"
| "Who takes care of herr"
she is under the impression that
Charley left some money behind him, of
which she receives the interest"
Through your"
Again Joe made no reply.
If Joe had looked at Harry that moment
he would have seen in the glance of the
| younger man, as il rested on his clumsy
frame and uncouth features, an expression
of admiration that amounted almost 10
| reverence.
| And out of your meager salary as
tutor at the college you have for years sup
| ported that poor old woman. joe" said
Harry, relapsing for moment into his
old boyish simplicity of manner, "what
makes you SO goodr"
With far of, earnest look in his home
ly eyes the older man replied:
:" am, rs you know, Harry, no relig-
| iOnist; | have no creed; | never attend
church. But hundreds Of years ago there
wandered about on the shores of the
Mediterranean Sea a Jewish carpenters
son, and the words that fell from His lips
possessed such wonderful power and
sweetness that the people who listened TO
Him said He was divine. Once, in adj:
dressing His disciples as they assisted
Him in His efforts TO succor the sick and
helpless, He said: "Inasmuch as We have
| done it unto one Of the least Of these, We
have done 1t unto Me- If there be an
other world beyond this, where we shall
! find each other again, l would like 10
meet and know Him there"
For few minutes there was no other
unrd gpnEsu Then loo lnnla1 Of Harrvia
sad features and weary frame as he rested
against the mantel-piece, and looking up
at the little face above them said:
christmas is coming. Let us 90 and
spend it with the mother and Mabel"
And they did so. And Mabel cried bitterly
when she heard Harry's story from Joe's
lips, and the tears were half for Harry and
half for herself
Then the little girl set herself resolutely
to work to coax back the old smiles to the
stern and gloomy countenance. And she
did 1t, too-did IL so well that when the
flowers bloomed in the following summer
there was a wedding, and the bride was
given away by gigantic professor OF
mathematics, with unkempt hair and pom.
derous feet.
Joe's rough mustache scratched Mabcls
sweet lips most ferociously when he said
good by" to the little wife and surTen-
dered his darling forever into Harrys
keeping.
Then, with carpetbag In one hand
and volume of Leibnitz under his other
arm, he took his solitary way up TO little
cottage among the hills Of Connecticut
where little old woman received him
with loving arms, and kissed him and
blessed him in the place of the son she had
lost. -Uarper's Weekly.