Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-24
PAUL AND HIS PROMISE.

She was such wee fairy, this dainty
eacher that held up the card before the
zig, awkward school-boy, that it seemed
o him it would be cowardly to refuse
Ter request. Then the card itself was
Iuch a beauty; with her own fingers
Mss Lilith had painted the border OF
railing arbutus and lilies of the valley
md had traced in her pretty German
script these lines:
II, Paul Eldred. do promise myself that:
III will read no bad books.
ca will keep no bad company.
7 t3I will use no Intoxicating liquors
tsl will not use tobacco in any form.
March LIST. 1880"
II have written it, 4 promise myself,
Paul, because I do not wish you to think.
after am gone, that I have fettered
you in any way. Iwant you to remem-
Der that it is because you know that
it is for your own highest good that you
have made the pledge, and not simply
to crafty me. Below the lines are
spaces where you can make your re-
ports for several years. When they are
all full, if live, send me copy, how
ever the record may stand"
Paul took the card home and hung it
up by its blue loop in a conspicuous
|place in his room. He was proud of
the ornament, and the pledge had not
yet had time to annoy him. he had
always prided himself on beinga pretty
good sort Of a boy and did not realize,
as did his watchful teacher, that he had
reached IN age when the world begins
to test boy to see what stuff he IS
made Of The first trial came That very
night.
Come down street with u.s. called
Fred Joyce over the garden wall an
hour later. s.Jesse and [ and two or
three others are going down to the river
% re if the ice will hold
Paul put both hands on the fence to
ap over, when suddenly a thought
zuek him.
who else are going?" he called.
Jim Bates and the Rafferty, boys"
answered Fred, running up the steps
alter his scarf.
The RAFFERTY, boys were the worst
boys 1.-THE place, as Paul well knew.
He stood for moment irresolutely,
Kicking the hard bits of snow against
he vail
No. thank you;" he cried, at last
tnlning away, For said he to him.
In 81 don't mean to break my promise
fhe Yery first day. I'll stay at home
md get Fay to travel with me'
This travelling" consisted in going
ymeans of maps and pictures over a
(ronte which his elder sister had pursued
III Europe several years before. AS Fay
had travelled with her eyes open she
found so much of interest to relate
hat bedtime came while they were
still lingering in the recesses of the
ryrolean Alps, and Paul demanded
md received his sisters promise to
pursue their wanderings the following
before he could be persuaded
10 retire.
.sYou missed lots of fun last night"
aid Fred the next morning, in a trium-
,hant manner. eve got all the loose
boards and stuff around the warehouses
Ind made a splendid bonfire. Then
here was the biggest kind of fight
between Patsy Ratferty's dog Flash and
linn Bates Ponto. The boys got mad
md had bit of knockdown among
themselves. tell YOU it was rich; and
never got home till eleven o'clock.
Bridget was out to dance and had left
he door unlocked SO l slid in and got
o my room without any one being the
wiser. What did you do with yourself
III the EVENING"
For answer Paul gave SO enthusiastic
report of his travels that Fred was
prevailed upon to spend the next even
NO with him, which resulted in his beg
ring leave to spend his evenings with
linn until the tour was finished, to which
cay gladly consented.
It was very fortunate for Fred, as it
proved, that something had occurred to
dissolve his connection with the Raj
erty boys; for two or three evenings
alter, not content with the huge bonfire
hey had built, they took it into their
reads to set fire to a small empty build
ng which stood near, Ito make a big
,laze and see the engines rum" they
aid. The flames communicated to the
warehouse near by, and had made such
leadwaye by the time the engines
lrrived that it was soon reduced to
lshes, and it was only with great diff
.ulty that that part of the city was kept
rom burning: After this exploit the
Rafferty, brothers were provided with
at the city's expense and
Tred was freed from their dangerous
A year went by, and with real pride
PAUL took his card and wrote in the
pace beneath:
March /. 1881. Kept"
There had been times when his pas
ion for reading had tempted him to
indulge in the hashy literature which
circulated so freely among the other
'oys; but the memory of his promise
estrained him. Then, too, he had at
lis disposal library of choice books
or boys selected by a jndicious father,
nd Fay had a pretty fashion of getting
i'm interested in books she wished him
o read. by reading aloud to him the
most striking passages and leaving him
D complete them.
Shortly after Paul made his second
ntry he obtained place in a large
tore in a neighboring town. Near by
7as a boarding house where, number
f the clerks lodged and wnere he Sc
ured room and decorated it with the
retty trifes Fay had given him at va
ious times.
In few weeks he learned that the
ledge which it had been so easy to
eep when surrounded by the restrain
no influences of home now required
II his watchfulness and strength of
haracter to preserve. He was sur
onnded by company of young men
rho were not actuated by high moral
rinciple. and who thought it fine
to sneer at the boy whose
onduct was . constant reproach to
themselves. Une of their number,
ertain Jerome Brent, made himself
conspicuous in holding
'aul up to his comrades in every pos
ible ridiculous light, contemptuously
hristening him 1.-THE young dominic, 2
nd Offering him every species OF small