Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-10-14

buI q stronger, SW6eAcE CAUSE th1A
either of these lay at the bottom
love that filed this old human-eagle
for his only child and daughter, Mam.
A girl like dark, hot sunshine, she was,
| whom the gift of all things beautiful
that ever were would not, in the eyes
of the fond old lawyer, have seemed
over-lavish. His life had been an an
CRY one; sixty years of strife, pain.
loss. luck, defeat. victory, and time
only knows what else of fateful fever
Gus matter. 1t had come out of pow
erty somewhere in the Mohawk valley,
| with possibly q touch of the Red Man
in it, and had gone forward through
the Lake Superior region on into the
great, grinding. roaring West, and
doubling back from California half
score years before, had lodged in Open
stone. The little girl and pocket
full of gold was what he broug ht
with him, and erelong he
built the house in a kind of
worship of the child, and
employed the most capable persons he
could find to care for and instruct her.
The mother had been of Spanish blood,
and rumor had it she was dead, at least
unto her husband, and the old mans
| heart was wholly given to the child.
John Earring had sometimes seen her
| going to and fro, but since his life
| pressed so closely on him that he did
not much heed strange faces, and since
! the old attorney would not permit his
daughter to attend the common school,
he had not known her. But that she
was comely, willful and prone to curl
| Gus bursts of love and hate, had often
| fallen within the circle of his hearing
as he worked. For it was one of the
| old lawyer habits, so full was he of
this growing girl, to lean back from
| his writing by times and give his part
| ner some scrap or other that had to do
with her. Now and then John Earl
| ing felt an inclination cross him to
meet and know this daughter
of his curious old employer, but with
the moment it would pass away into
his work and be forgotten. He seldom
/ TESTED or considered any fiippant thing;
/ not that his blood was else than sweet
and wholesome, but for the reason that
| he was earnestly intent upon his own
! self-education and the earliest possible
completion of his task. Harry Whit
ney dropped in upon him often, and
| oCCdSlOuaIiN lcll DOOh Will LIS o44-
| time digestive joke. Joel greeted him
| hale and hearty openness of the years
| before. This upright, resolute young
| fellow seemed to trouble him. He
| often stared before him and murmured:
.'Consarn the youngster. he will make
| me look like fool yet-or something
worser' But what John Earring had
| done to him was not so clear. Certain
| " he had never whispered of him to any
one save in grateful. generous way,
and that he should keep his agreement
with Joel seemed the most probable
/ thing in the world. But the heart OF
| the trouble that followed Joel was laid
( open at the end of the year when John
| Earring came into his office and wished
/ to settle with him for the time which
| had elapsed since his withdrawal from
/ the store. Joel colored and fidgeted
| little, unusual things with him, and
| got up and went into his private den.
| For den it was in the sense of having
witnessed the weaving of many little
| business webs about the feet of those
who entered it, and sundry well-nigh
| impalpable schemes that had to do
| with politics. Indeed. in this latter
| connection JoeIs little private office
was coming by slow and natural gra-
| dations, since his wealth and moral
looseness made it fitting. to be the I'M
seen center of the ring" that squeezed
and Slapped the town and county.
John Earring sat down and took
an account book and pencil from
| his pocket, but Joel remained standing
| and pushed the papers about upon his
desk in curious way. John Earring
| leaned back in his chair and looked at
| him. what do YOU consider the
proper amount that | should pay you
| for the year l have been with Bower
& Woodman?" he asked. Il shall be
guided entirely by your Judgment
since | wish to make my agreement
perfectly good
Joel turned about and opened
small safe and took out some papers
and sat down at the desk and opened a
check book. Il ought to told YOU !
spose long time ago." he said. that
| l have some money belonging to you.'
He looked flushed and somehow could
not be easy under the steady ewes OF
this young fellow. u don know how
it will look TO you," he went on. Il
s'pose you viii think it another evil
dence of nv want of moral heft, but
ticular excuse for it. I'll Just say that ]
thought may be you d be easier-easier
managed. you know. if you didn't
know it -
John Earnings dark gray eyes lit up
with Joers first sentence, but they
seemed darker when he finished
Your idea was to keep me under
obligation that you might the more
easily use me?" he asked. Joel did
not look at him save with glance.
The youth eyes were burning against
his face in a fashion that none but a
very clear-hearted or a very brazen
person could meet.
mo, not-well, of course not exact
" that said Joel. Il didn't aim to
set you to any thing mean. of course.
| don't know that l aimed at any
thing particular. but of course you
would be less likely to want your own
way if you thought there was nothing
comm to you" He glanced at the
eyes beside him and added quickly:
.'Of course, you can manage yourself
now; you got to it quicker than most
people; quicker than l expected"
John Earnings eyes turned little
cold What is the amount of the
money you speak off" he asked.
Two thousand dollars"
How long have you had it?"
sixteen years"
The use of it would be worth some |
thing like two hundred dollars a
year,"
something like that"
about four thousand for the entire |
&