The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-17

clerk or anything you please. Or You can
be Mr.. Harlow's clerk from Mlllport.
I'll get home as ] am; I'm often at
| work in my shirt-slseves, SO it won't
matter if I'm seen going indoors. I'll
dress and come to yon at the Half
Moon; and then we'll see what's 10 be
done. You can put up there for to-
night; and You shall be my clerk in
earnest if you'll give yourself just one
more chance of being a-man.
"a man, 1t was singular to see the
change that came over Dick Black
thorn's face with the change of clothes
which, by exceptional good fortune,
fitted him as though they had been
made for him. He no longer veered be-
tween SLOUGH and swagger; he even
laughed lightly, as he peered over the
bank to catch glimpse of his reflection
in the pool IA mani" repeated he.
"Why. TIM half that already. Harlow;
| it's the first time I've known the feel of
decent broadcloth for a couple of years.
The gypsies. indeed-no gypsies for me,
if YOU please. The truth is, Harlow,
I've been thinking seriously of late;
and I've come to the conclusion that,
after ALL said and done. responsibility
J the thing. Who'd ever have thought
old cock, to look at me and you now,
that YOU re the right side of the hedge
and I'm the wrong? What do girls and
horses count. so long as there's tailor
to get one strai ght again? should like
a sight of Patience again. poor lass; I've
half mind to drop in on her and make
her scream, for fun. on my way to the
| Half Moon. No-all right, old chap;
YOU nee,ln't look so queer. A bargain s
a bargain. and nobody burst say Dick
Blacklhorn isn't man of his word.
Down to-day and up to-morrow-that's
the game. Hey for the Half Moon and
a Zig for King George! Ay, come over
to the Half Moon; many's the jorum
Eve had there in the old days, and
we'll have another tonight, you and l.
/ I'll stand treat if you'll lend me the
price of a b,wl till pay you again.
Oh, I'll be man! III 90 ahead and
redeem the past, and eat the fatted calf.
and be goUd--so good that the old
mans hairs shall turn brown again for
| fun
Whether Dicks sullen desperation or
his sudden burst into high spirits was
the worse to behold, Stephen could not
tell. Itw plain the fellow had no
more ballast in him than feather in
the wind: and that, whether up or
down his good and bad spirits were
| equally capricious ana van. A mo
ment ago he was hunted brute; BOW
he was whit fairly good coat had
made him. Stephen saw work before
| him to which the restoration of Legs
Croft was mere child play. However.
it had got to be done.
Now be off with you." said he.
Mind. I'm trusting YOU: if don find
YOU at the Half Moon by the time | get
there. wash nv hands of ycu. If l
do, I'll see to it that if you break down
in life again it shall be the fault of
neither horse nor girl, but your very
own"
"Oh. that's all right" said Dick.
"Ive half a good mind to go back
| through Manchester and meet the red
coats-that would be fun, too. won't
though. I'm going to turn over new
leaf. and be a good boy for the rest of
NV DAYS. Once out of this scrape.
never W II l get into another. so sure as
nv names Dick Blackthorn. I'll so to
tie Half Moon as straight as a crow,
and wait rs long as you please"
And perhaps BY that time" thought
! Steph n. : little savagcly. lit will strike
/ him that il might be Cecent To ask after
( his father ami his sister. and that it 5
! hardly good manners to take all n fel-
( lows got to give him without so much
rs Thank YOU Well. I'm not going
20 help him through for thanks sake,
so mustn't complain. | mutt get his
father to for him: and i must get
him to Miliport. and put him 10 work
under MI own eye. lt'll be Il stiff job;
but. hang it. what n beast | am 10
crumble about doing for Patience and
her father the first thing that's like to
come hard. The harder the better.
whatever it is: they we dore len thoi-
sand times more for me. Poor D.cl-
can't think he's a bad fellow at bit ON.
It's not in the Blackthorn breed
Perhaps the Only impossible thing in
the world is TO be set on helping a man
and ut the same tine to think of him
uukindly. No doubt Dick did look a
hopeless case. but then Stephen was in
the humor tor unlimited hoping. He
waited minutes eEough Tor the coast to
be clear, and then scrambled back out
OF the copse in 4 decidedly less repu-
table plight than he had entered. Not
that there would he anyth NJ particu-
Larry out of the way in h.s crossing III
few remaining fields hatlesS and coat
less: for. a he had said. good deal o.
his recent work hal been done in his
shirt-sleeves as well as in his brain.
Moreover. the mud and moisture he
had gathered in the copsc would only
look as if his out of door work had been
anything but Il sham.
Of course he gave up his idea of going
round by way OF the church; nor wa
he part.cually ANXIOUS, for once, tC
meet Patience herself all at once; h.
had dreamed that he should never have
secret from her, and the discovery
that one was inevitable. though hr
hoped but for 4 lew hours. was nci
Agreeable, though it was for the goo.
of ali. At the price of 4 secret, eve!
from Patience, he. brother $50 at leas
!. he thought) must be kept clear of Ley
Croft till all risk was past. and ii
Dick coald com. home, not to be hid
den as a deseiter from his colors, but
as a clerk in the firm of Prestons
Harlow. For. al any cost, Patience
faith in her brother must be kept wholc
and pure: forever, if it might be-a
any rate. until the last chance of keep
ing it was gone.
"B.az IS, now. if didn't know 'twa.
in there he'd be! There. We rascal: i