The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-11-11
in that of bronzed stranger, whose as
pect was benevolent.

| in that of bronzed stranger, whose as.
pect was benevolent.
III.
It was an unusually bri. rht and lovely
Sunday. Trinity Church Vas thronged
at an early hour with an eaa.er crowd.
Charley. Erskine was of the nilmber-a
slender young man irreproach.sbly a.
tired. As he made his way slowly up
the aisle, he was surprised to see his
uncle Mark, far in advance, with par
ty. The party comprised a shabby old
woman, pale youth and a handsome
girl with a bouquet of viOlets in her
corsage. Mr.. Hunter whispered in the
girls ear, and soon her voice, full and
rich, joined in the opening anthem.
| Charley Erskine remarked, by
Jove"' put on his eyeglass to inspect
this group, and forgot them, until din
ner time.
"Ah, by-the-by, mamma, 1 saw our
uncle at church. He was with some
people; friends from China. perhaps"
81 do not mind, if he is happy" re-
piled Mrs. Erskine. plaintively.
| The service had been poisoned, so to
speak. by Paris bonnet worn by a
friend in the adjoining pew. Affairs
were going badly in the household, in
addition. The arch Mabel persisted in
flirting with her sisters .fance, Mr..
Scroggs.
At that hour joyous banquet was
transp ing in the small wOrkrOOm of
the young inventor--a true feast, pre-
sided over by the joyous donor, whose
spirits and appetite stimulated those of
in the open window, and on the wall
hing an illuminated text: "Thy word
shall be a lamp unto my feet" From
time to time Mrs. Davenport turned her
placid face toward this text, and direct
ed Martha's gaze in the same direction.
Martha was regaining her usual courage
in the kindly sympathy of this uneX-
pected guest. One could see that she
was destined by nature to be the prac-
tical helpmate of the inventor, the
rock of strength in the wilderness,
the Aspasia of this Pericles. MIR. Hunt
err was unrecognizable; he laughed
boisterously at his own jokes; he told
long stories to enraptured listeners; he
drank toasts in the bottle of wine
brought under his arm to the fete.
When the meal was over and darkness
subdued the radiance of the Sabbath,
his tone became graver.
81 have plan to submit to yOu,"
he said. "When Marks invention is
patented will become his business
partner. Tut! know more about bust
ness than you do, and need occupa-
ton. We will find cottage in the SUI
burbs, after the wedding, and build
modest factory near as commence
ment. Martha must take care of me
when have govt and rheumatism"
"You do it all for my advantage"
said the inventor, with emotion.
" You have already done more for
me-" replied the man who had come
home, with certain solemnity.
Martha had slipped away. She re-
turned with silver lamp lighted, and
it glowed pure star of flame.
Mrs. Erskine received letter from
her brother in the morning.
The idear' she cried. I" Mark has
found Henrv's son at a pawnbroker's,
and thinks he will yet build up our fam
lily name. He blames us dreadfully. I
am sure did not know Henry's boy
was in New York and engaged to a
shop-girl. Listen to this. children; 1
wish my nieces might have displayed
the same zeal in giving bread to their
cousin that they evinced at the charity
| bazar'''
g But that was begging money of
other people" interposed Theo, naively.
''DO not interrupt, Theo. If the
philanthropists of every city would
form league, and agree to each haunt
the door of a pawnbroker's for one day
in the year, how many lives would be
saved!' Mark always lacked practical
sense" added Mrs. Erskine.
Mabel eloped with Mr.. Scroggs that
day. She was better fitted for the po-
sition than Helena, the bride later af-
firmed. The soul of Mrs. Erskine was
tossed like shuttlecock on the storm
clouds of Helena's grief and old
Scroggs' Indignation. At midnight she
burned a package of letters never for
warded by her to the Western village.
She had acted wisely at the time, she
believed. Now she shivered and wept
little. She felt herself judged by the
dead brother Henry and the man whose
homecoming had developed such un-
foreseen results.
To-day the half-jesting boast of the
uncle that Mark was destined to build
up fame for his family has been amply
fulfilled. The mandatory of the sub
urb has become giant structure, the
cottage home spacious country resi-
dence, and wherever great centers of
industry are created in the civilized
world, the name of Htnteris associated
with them. Mrs. ErSkine is very gra-
cious to young Mrs. Hunter, and talks
of proposing Charley as third partner
in the firm. The Hunters remain I'M
moved by these suggestions, but have
left to the Erskines, without dispute,
that crest of their mothers, so highly
priced by her-the cock gazing at
lighthouse on silver ground.-Har-
per's Magazine.
The Penalty Of Greatness.
Canofor Eoir f,.oOuopt1u Hipos OF ~,