Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-06-10

than the majority, even of those bet
ter born. She had. met them often,
sometimes coming with string of fish
from the river, sometimes with berries
from the pastures, and felt certain that,
bad as they might be, they were the
scapeg0ats for many not vet suspected.
The boys eyed her suspiciously in their
first talks, their brilliant, dark eyes an
swering hers with less of real human
feeling than came from Phil the point
er's. But Ruth had been content to go
slowly, and welcome the smallest change
as evidence there was something to
work upon. She felt an envious draw
ing toward both. as if, in spite of every
thing against them, something might
still be done to make men of them. At
thirteen and fourteen they could not be
hopeless cases, yet who was there to
give them chance?
Captain Rushmore, passing by the
garden, stopped and leaned over the
fence-with him the usual fashion of
calling. To have asked him in would
have sent him away at once, and
Ruth, having learned this, sat down
on the steps and waited for what she
saw was coming. As she stood the
Dunning boys passed, but without look
ing up, and Ruth's eyes followed them
wistfully.
"Captain Rushmore," she said, "are
those boys past helping?"
The Captain looked up uneasily.
Helping?'' he said. why should
they be helped?'
"Only on the same ground we all
have to be-because we and they need
it,
II was goin' to tell you,'' the Cap
tain said, after a moments silence.
. The fact is, they've just been to my
house, an I was more beat than I've
been in long spell. What do you
s'pose they wantedp Wanted should
take 'em ON my boat! I SEE to 'em.
You must think I'm crazy, KNOWN
the name you've got. Don't you know
you amt to be trusted further one kin
see youp What you thinkin' about to
suppose anybody'd have you where you
could pick up as fast's they laid DOWN.
Antoine spoke up. He's got the quick
est tongue. I'm worse'n Pierre he
says, but if got chance to 60
on your boat, or anybody's, I'd
promise there'd be no trouble with
US, an we'd keep it too what
put it into your heads?' SEE 1. We've
been watchin' for chance saws An
tome, AN soon as heard 'em say in
the store Johnny Hanson was dead, an
you were goin' to have two instead O.
one, Pierre said now was the time. /
could take Johnny's place in the cabin,
for we was just a size. and Pierre said
you wanted good-lookin' boys to match
your boat, an we could ask anyhow
We'll, you've asked seq l, an now
you can 60. I don't take boys for their
faces, for amt fool. Boys that want
to 60 into the company's service can't
be thieves known all over the
township for thieves, them and their
father before 'em. The place amt for
such, an never will be-
81 will say I felt bad. That An
tome, straight as dart, and kind of
look about him that you feel just as if
you'd got to look out for him, but, mas
sy sakes! I can't take no such boys.
There half dozen after the place now.
1t amt bad berth for boy with any
go in him. I've said NO to plenty,
and there amt any call for feelin' bad
that I've said No now, an yet seem
to. Somebody has to go bail for their
SoOo DCHdNlo1 Dill AoW slAO CNCu IL 4
was fool enough to take 'em, there amt
anybody fool enough to trust 'em. The
folks know 'em too well. There's plen-
of it again. But Antoine looked at me
for fear he'd draw Yes, out O me in
spite O. myself. They amt as bad as
they're made out, for there's boys
right here that'd never think O. doin'
what they did last winter, an found
it out yesterday. You know old RAN
dy Ripley out on the Swanton
road, that won't go to the poor
farm because she's got trifie Of her
own? Well, them boys-for all they're
lazier'n toad in the sun-they kept
her in wood last winter, an they helped
her fix her garden this spring. An she
coaxed 'em to learn to read. They
wouldn't go to school, but she's learned
'em somehow, an when said to-day:
You can't read, an you amt fit for no
place, Pierre says: Yes we can, for
we learned last winter Well, there
amt no use in sayin' more about it. I
must be goin' on
''Do you mean, Captain, if anybody
were willing to sign for these boys you'd
take them?' Ruth said.
Its ten to one but that might, just
as an experiment" the Captain an
swered. 1.-The signin's form, any
how, just to show they've got some
body to back 'em. If l don't they'll
most likely take to the bad altogether,
and I'll be taxed along with the rest O.
the town to keep 'em in Jail. I've as
good a mind as ever was, but you see,
faint RATIONAL"
''Then we will be irrational togeth-
err" Ruth said, smiling. Il wanted
chance for them, and here it is. I'll
sign. and we will give them a fair trial.
I'm property-holder and a taxpayer;
won it do?"
"You don't mean it," said the Cap
tain. ''Folks'll say we're crazy I
reckon. we are. It's bad blood.''
g 1t will be worse if we let it run in
the same old channels" Ruth said.
Try them awhile, and if it fails, we
will let it 60 as something beyond u.s.
81 can't say will, ali in a minute
this way said the Captain. "I've got
Al L