The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-10-13

ground with a foot and looked away;
for Opehstone had sent her first son to
the war.
CHAPTER VIII.
With the fight of d few weeks came
letter from Absalom recording in la
comic language the chief items of his
interview with Mr.. Lincoln. 1.-The boss
laughed he wrote. s'Guess cause
was in such rush. Anyway he gave
me a note to recruiter, and I'm a
sergeant now and waitin' to get to the
'front.' And as time went by and the
great storm spread ard throbbed and
shook the world, Openstone poured
out her life to feed the tempest. The
courthouse park became drilling
ground, and the trains Numbered away
with hundreds of her brave fellows
toward the scene of conflict. Some
came back thin and sick, some manned,
and many never came. During those
bitter years not many letters were re-
ceived from Absalom, but now and
then rumor, sometimes grave and
sometimes laughable, came as if from
the far-off battle-smoke, telling Of his
proves and promotion. Ether worked
on at Joel Whitney's, but as Joel ex-
pressed it, their cook was less crickety
than of yore. In truth, the land was
bowed in sack-cloth and sorrow, but
outwardly at least Joers cheerfulness
was unabated. He was gathering to
himself deal of this worlds goods;
making money 'hand-over-tist," as he
occasionally told Mrs. Whitney with a
sort of gusto. This fact may have in
some sense smothered his patriotism,
if, indeed, his love of country went
much beyond his own concerns, for
acquisitiveness had grown with much
culture to be his leading trait, though
that he was misery, mean or greedy
in the lowest level of the term could
not be fairly said of him.
at isn't the destruction of the Gov
eminent that's being attempted" he
was wont to say. '.lt's partition, a
division that's trying to be struck. And
what's it aboutP Why, the internal
niger, that's all! And who wants him?
Why, the fellers down South? We
don't! Then, confound it! why can
they let 'em have emp" and he would
20 about his affairs.
But it is surmisable that Joel could
reason more cogently than this, shaving
the subject down very near to its mar
row in his mind, but doubtless, seeing
with the well-nigh abnormal keenness
of his business instinct the thousand
golden chances of the time, his finer
sympathies were dwarfed and swal-
lowed up in his opportunities. At all
events, he throve wondrously; buying
not few farms about Openstone dur
ing those years, and about the close of
the war opening bank in Openstone.
Also about this period he began to
identify himself with politics.; grad
ually working himself toward the
local leadership. 1t was a little doubt
full whom his heart was wholly with,
for principles and moral tendencies
had never chung to Joels feet suffi-
GENTLY to clog his progress much, be-
sides he was, as the term is usually
accepted, pre-eminently practical, and
aimed to be with the fellows who were
successful and had '.the sand' as he
put it.
Promptly upon the morning of his
fifteenth birthday, John Earring en-
tered Joels office, and hanging his
cap upon the wall, stated that he was
ready for business. Joel turned his
large person about and looked at him
with inquisitive surprise. ''Oh, yes, /
remember" he said. ''Well, SO you
think you want to 60 to work, do
your"
Eyes SIR" said the boy.
Joel stretched out his legs and lean
ing back with half smile looked up
at the ceiling. Lets see, what did
you say the bargain WASP"
II am to work five years, sir"
Joel looked at the boy. Don't you
want any pay?" he asked.
"Only some books, SIR
Joel poised his watch-fob between
his thumb and finger and looked at it;
the boy regarded him steadily. Five
years." said Joel, "that's one-third as
long as you've lived"
Eyes sir"
'And you don't want any thing but
some books?"
"That is all, SIR
$50 you think you are in debt to mep"
Eyes, sir, for myself entirely"
''Do you think five years of work
will pay it?'
II left that to you. sir. l will work
longer if you wish. !"
Il guess five will do. What do yoh
want to work at?''
Whatever YOU think I can do the