Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-02

| 81 know you re not bad sort, Har.
/ low, fer all you look so confounded
| ffourishing. lis enough to make a
trooper swear Ike an angel to see YOU
and to see me; and it was I ALWAYS had
the headpiece, not YOU. Well, It's a
mighty queer world. Sometimes ]
think I'll hang myself; and | would
too. if wasn't sure somebody would
come by and cut me down. Somebody
always spoils whatever 1 want to do. -
whats to be done with a fellow
| like this?n Stephen asked himself But
he only asked Dick, ..Well?"
| Il can't even remember what the old
| rumpus was about" said he. Twas
either about a horse or a girl; but
. then everything's a horse or a gi1L
| Anyhow, l meant to be my own master.
as who wouldn't? So joined circus
| company at Manchester. and took a
new name. As long as I'd my pockets
full twas all right: but when they run
out, there was a row. think it was
about girl or a horse ANYHOW. I'd
had enough of the circus, and got a
place as postboy at a house on the
North Road
And which happened that time.
horse or grip
..Oh, sure enough, it was horse that
time. They said famed him through
being drunk; of course twas a lie, tor
the brute was going at a hand-galop
when | was thrown. But there was a
pair of baronets in the chaiSe; and. be-
ing as drunk as owls themselves, they
said it was me-"
And then?"
well. nobody can put it against me
1 haven't tried. Talk of father, If
he'd been through what l have, instead
of living at home at ease. he'd have
some call to talk of gray hairs. l forget
what came next-whether twas wash
ing bottles. or whether twas gypsying.
| think twas gypsying: and | got on
well enough at that if there hadn't been
something about rise. No-the
horse got into the bottles; it was the
girl that time. You wouldn't tn nix, to
look at me, I've been in quod? have,
though. No; You needn't look like
that. never 90 after mischief. 1t
always mischief comes after me. If
was on Crusoe's island | should be in
somebody else's scrape. If ever I'm
hanged twill be in somebody else's
shoes
And after the gypsying9' Stephen
chose to ignore the jail.
Then / went to sea-
Anyhow, there are no girls or horses
there
NO. But somehow or other twas
all one as if there were. You can't call
it my fault, | suppose, that the coaster
ran on the sands. They said it was of
course: that was another of their lies.
But what's the good of going through
the whole confounded things all over
again2 I've been twenty things forty.
for aught | know. And by Somebody
COMPOUNDED fault or another they We all
gone wrong. / can't even have forty
winks in a wood. where nobody comes.
but somebody else tumbles over me. |
can't drink glass of ale but what it
makes somebody else drunk, and then
| get the blame"
But that red jacket
..Ay. That's the Kings. He gave
me guinea. too: but that's gone"
Dick. listen to me. You can't go to
Your father as GU are
Il must. Thoughts I am. Needs
must when the devil drives"
Then you must pull the reins out of
his hands. | won't say its all your
fault. but at this moment he hasn't a
penny he can call his own. Patience
believes in YOU still; don't believe in
you-much: but | can't believe you re
such scamp that you'd come back to
quarter yourself on him just when you
ought to be putting your shoulder to
the wheel. Come, be a man. | sup
pose You belong to the regiment whose
drums | heard to-day As you are a
soldier, be a good one. Write Patience
letter which your father shall read at
the right time: and the minute one can
get Your discharge III see to it. and put
you in the way of work under my own
eve. For your fathers and your sis
ter's sake there's nothing too much |
can do for you"
Dick hung his head and again turned
sullen.
No" said he: Il suppose You want
me to 90 and ge: killed. No such luck
for YOU. nor for me. I'm going to see
Patience. She won't want me to be
killed. She IS good girl; and there
may be one good horse somewhere, as
WELL
You shall do what's right-there
I'll 90 back with YOU to Manchester
Who ought one TO see about your dis
charge? They won't want to keep. L
suppose. respectable yeoman's only
son. that enlisted out of some stupid
folly and wants to be free, and can pay
to b. free
What's the good? If fathers got
no money
Il have. then-I can get it, any way
Think of Your father. your sister: think
of right and manhood, and come with
ME.
There. That's just my luck all round,
again. Its too late. now
Too late, Wen see about that. It's
never too late to try
1T is. though. I've discharged my
self. That's what I've done"
Discharged yourself? What do YOU
mean?"
Taken French leave"
And what
I'm Il deserter. That's what am"
s'You wretched fool,'
Stephen could no more help speaking
out his anger than he could help feel
ing it-thiS. Patience's brother Dick,
this irreieemable scamp. if not worse
than a scamp, as he seemed to be. What
was to be done? ANYTHING. anything
rather than that Farmer Blackthorn's
reviving self-respect should receive the
fatal blow of learning that his son was
unworthy even of the living of common
soldier; the proud old man would walk
straight into his grave. Anything
rather than that Patience's stubborn
faith in her brother should be shattered
in so sudden way. Anything rather
than that Dick the Deserter should
crawl for hiding into the Legs Crofts
lofts and harms