Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-11-18
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALVA MILTON KERR.
CoPYRIGHT, 1885, By THE A. N. KE1Iocc
NEWSPAPER CoMPANY1
CHAPTER xvII.-cosr1s,rrn.

n"o al" ays heio tnat TO acquire even a
thousand times more than he could
ever personally use, fencing vast
quantities away from his needy fellows.
drawing with his finger about large
parts OF natures common Gift the
flaming sacred circle of ownership,
and making it forbidden ground for
common feet and a milestone about
his own neck, was thing to invite the
energies of manhood and fulfill the OBJ
Ject OF creation. 1t is curious world.
and perhaps he had encompassed the
truth. or at least, the seemingly nat
ural outcome of our condition, and
perhaps he had put his arms about a
shadow, or even an able-bodied lie.
At any rate, his big house was fin
lshcd, his head was bald and gray, and
he had deal of property, but his I'M
happy eye often dwelt longingly upon
picture of big-domed building, that
ornamented the corner of map upon
his inner office wall, with something
OF the expression that one might have
who looked upon the gates of Paradise.
He often caught himself wondering in
what bright particular part of that
stupendous pile the halls of Congress
lay, and once he called the still book
keeper, and under cover of an inquiry
as to the Capitol buildings dimensions,
asked him in which wing of the edifice
our great Assembly sat. The still
book-keeper snapped one of his black
eyes at the columns of figures he re-
turned to, after satisfying Joel, and
the corners O. his thin mouth twitched.
Joel thereafter seldom entered his
off III l..
eye caressingly against the pict-
ure upon the map. Sometimes,
too, he would stand before it when
alone and try to fancy time when he
should ascend the great marble flight
of steps into the great structure with
the great men of the Nation, and
again, when closeted with a politician.
he would sometimes cast his eye up at
the picture and forget their planning
for moment as he felt himself in
fancy coming down the massive steps
with some great man on his arm. But
he astutely said nothing touching this;
he was always helping others; guiding,
directing, advising, providing, shaping,
serving and protesting against receiv-
ing any thing in return beyond good
will and fellowship. Indeed, he was
very generous there, Enthusiastically a
good fellow. Then he went to church
oftener than in other years. and, per-
haps, a little oftener touched hurried
glass against some other in the liquor
ing halls of Openstone.
Now Harry was coming home from
college, and that event, coupled with
the completion of the big Whitney
house, was to be hit off in a crushing
social event 1t would not be truthful
to pretend that Joel suggested to Mrs
Whitney the making of a big party
purely for display or entertainment or
an offering to society; for, while he Sc
cretly gloated at having his large pos
sessions stuck well into the world 5
eve. he vet had a kind of horror of the
light and finery and perfumery of an
evenings social show. 1t was so per-
sonal, so open. so near upon one, that
out of necessity nothing could be said
in earnest; a sort of meaningless play
ing of tag with the tongue in the midst
of display and inspection. he some
how never liked it. But in this case il
seemed fitting; besides--and with Joel
it was the main incentive-if the polit-
ical map of the district was ere long
changed, with himself stuck solidly in
its center like a golden pin, some lit
might hasten the wandering moth OF
fortune, or would at least assist the
eyesight of his fellows. To this end
he wished that the selection of theil
guests might be very impartial
leaving no strata of respectable
Openstone unrepresented. But here
he collided violently with Mrs. Whit
news desires, for Mrs. Whitney cared
very much indeed who were and who
were not invited, while Joel cared only
that the selection comprised every
body, OF at least as much OF every
body as the house would hold. In the
end he had his way, but with the pro
vision that the first party being gen
eral in its compass, should be followed
by Mrs. Whitney giving other parties
as she chose, and of quite as elegantly
swollen a character as she desired
Mrs. Whitney insisted that the hnel
portion at least of the furniture should
he purchased in Chicago, but Joel. will
an eve on the political armament
wisely insisted on buying every thing
in Openstone. In this he had his way
as he did i'm most things touching thu
single secret ambition OF his, out II
not much else. For Mrs. Whitney, a:
her ewes and nose indicated, was Well
nigh infinitely fertile in ways Tor the
pleasing of her own heart, and usually
succeeded in firing the ponderous Joe
into acquiesccnce.
At length the day dawned-a pleas
ant one in September-which shoult
bring Harry Whitney with it from tn
East. In honor of the event Joel ar
rayed himself in clean linen, though n
occasion could be conceived OF sum
Gent magnitude to make him ores
we'll. or divest him of n certain lnerad
icable horror of fine clothes, while Mrs
Whitney did herself up in her lates
finery. But Joel was imperatlvei
called into the country by something
that occurred upon one of his farms
and Mrs. Whitney drove alone AM
with a fluttering pulse to meet the trall
that should bring her son INTO open
stone. As she neared the depot, amon
n good many other people, she noticed
John Earring walking up and DOW,
one end of the platform with his manu-
behind him, and exchanging an occa
sional word with Absalom Hea,
or who. in his mealy mill
er's clothes, was leaning agalns
the building. At that moment Tn
train came rushing from behino ION
string of grain-houses and elevator
and her horse SHE'D and began to pach
but Absalom sprang out and caugnI
and John EARRING helped her to angn
As She smiled and thanked then
Jnl;ns Popp, with twirling cane an
hat on one side, came sprlngiiy a,on
the platform with the moist-mou1n u.
l. Gil