The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-11-14

best-a decent black gown, long gold or
gOld-plated earrings, q bright plaid
bandana kerchief bound about her
| brow.
81 is goin' ter Mas'r Phil" she told
Helen. 81 knows he wants me, though
he hab not sent fur me. Reckon he
studied it, and thought it wud be OncOn-
venient fur me ter come. But, laws! I
mus be wild my chile. An thought
likely you all-you and Miss Amy-wud
hab . message ter send, seein' you was
all SIGH frens."
"Thank you for coming" Helen re-
sp0nded, in her pleasant way. 81 hope
you'll have comfortable journey. No
no message at all"
Here Amy came forward. "But I
have a message least if my love is 3
message. Be sure to give him my
love.''
"In preference, MISS" Nanny Jones
rejoined, gravely. And Amy nodded,
as if she understood her meaning, which
was, however, that nanny thereby en-
gagged herself to deliver that message
before all others. Alas! not many
friendly greetings were sent to the poor
convict; but, ut all events, that word of
Amy's was the best of all. It did him
good. He was not an entirely dishOn-
Ored man if that sweet, pure girl con-
sidered him worthy of her remembrance.
Certainly that message sweetened his
life-a life that was not an unworthy
one in spite of his shOrn head and blue
uniform. There is in some natures a
capacity and a determined will which
are emphasized all the more distinctly
by failure and disaster. 81 will not be
beaten" was the cry of Philips soul.
He had run against what Goethe calls
somewhere the iron law of nature. And
nature had dealt him sharp blow in re-
turn. But there was power of rebound
in him. He would prove himself fit to
live yet.
Yes, fit to live. He was by no means
equipped for life yet. But he would
forge the weapons he would require af-
terward right here in his prison. In the
intervals of the labor that was required
of him he did so. He studied and he
read. He acquired Latin and Greek,
and three modern languages. He &C
quired the profession of the law. Mann
my Jones was his middle-wOman in buy
ing books. The small sum she had
scraped together from the sale of his
household goods befriended him in this.
The 10 long years of his imprisonment
dragged by. They we're short years to
Nanny Jones, however. All this time
she was working hard, SO that when
"Mas'r Phil got off :" he and she might
have laid up ga leetle sumthin =" on
which to begin housekeeping. She be-
came accustomed to his situation. She
had always looked upon it consistently
as the result of the malice of his enc
mics, and upon himself as an injured
man. 1t was in vain that Philip had
tried to explain matters to her. "What's
de use?" she would say. "Don't tell
me. You didn't wont ter keep no mon
ey dat warn't yOur'n, honey. You
meant ter pay it back. 1t all dat darned
old Gray's fault in de fust place. Didn't
you throw away fifteen hundred dollar
clar de day arter you war rested? Oh
curse. Did dat look like you war in need
OBJ money?''
He had told her of his gift to the Lees.
Poor honest sOuli she was his only
lie
that when he forged his uncle's name he
had done so from ne selfish motives.
sob CURSE" Nanny Jones had said.
She was apt to say cob curse " whether
things were of course or not.
Philip made up his mind that he would
90 to the far West when his time was
up. He hoped to begin life all over
again there.
He was even more fortunate than he
had expected. Fortune befriended him.
His 10 years of Incarceration had paid
the debt to outraged Law. Now he was
permitted to employ the gold he had
coined out of his disgrace. Is there any
proof of a noble mind greater than such
alchemy? Philip deserved the success
which Immediately attended him. He
made his mark without delay. In that
part of the world it is not usual to gues-
on his present merits.
Philip devoted himself especially to
professional success. From the time
that he was admitted to the bar he was
lawyer of repute. He
made few acguaintances, however; he
society. Gradually he acquired |
. reputation for misanthropy. But we
are not sure that this did not make him |
all the more interesting, especially |
among the female portion of his world.
Women love romance. They conjectured
4 romance here to account for the indif-
ference of handsome man, still in the
50 midday and flourish" of his years.
There was nothing of the Lara type, I'M
about Philips Saxon good
looks and open face. The mystery, if
mystery there were about him, could
not be dark one.
In the course of time Philip made
money enough to create for himself
lovely home. His secret heart still cher
shed an ideal, and in every detail of his
home he consciously or unconsciously
studied Henlen Gray's tastes. HeloOked
forward to meeting her again. He
must. They belonged together. He did
not long to do more, hope to do more,
han just to touch her hand, to look into
ler eyes. In spite of spiritual aflinities,
the was the wife of another man.
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