The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-10

ohS.,. SHt S1duCeu dI Joel, DQG rear
She did not notice how worn he looked
for the matter that covered her mind.
joel, she said at length, as she lay
back in her easy chair running her eye
up and down the kind of thread Jacobs
Ladder that she held up before her;
"Joel, don't you think it about time
that Harry was going away to col
legeP"
now" said Joel, gruffly, without tax
ing his eyes from the paper. He was
evidently in that condition of wear-
ness where man contemplates almost
any thing but Ia good bed with displeas-
ure.
Mrs. Whitney frowned at the Jacobs
Ladder. Not much had been said Of
HarrYs future of late, and nothing
touching John Earnings, as Mrs.
Whitney curiously enough disliked
him all the more since he had freed
himself from their begrudging bounty.
She said nothing for time. Joel held
the paper up with his head back lit
tie, slightly showing his third chin in
side his big collar, though evidently
not getting much out of his reading.
In a moment he laid the paper down
and looked at Mrs. Whitney. Her men
tai eye had been too much under cover
to see before that it was not favora-
BILE moment for soft proposals. Mrs.
Whitney remained silent with her
mouth working little; Joel took up
his paper and went to reading again.
But she could not hold out in her re-
solve not to say more.
''How can you expect him to ever
amount to any thing when you stand
in his way!" she queried, with asperity.
Joel looked at her with ineffable
scorn. "Standing in his way?'' he
snorted, ''hasn't he had every con-
founded thing under the sun but the
one he ought to have-that is the dis
position to work? Most people with
good sense would have put it into him
with a CAD if nature left it outr' Joel
was not so helpless here as when he
came against the steel-gray anger of
John Earring.
why, l suppose you know the boy
has got to be educated according to his
position?" said Mrs. Whitney, a little
frightened, for it was not Joel's won't
to be so bitter. A joke or some eva
sive sarcasm was his usual way, but in
his heart he was having it out with
John Earling.
"Fiddlet' he said, "have I ever seen
the inside of a school-house since l was
twelve years old? No; and he's not
likely to come out much better, vent
ure, than have if you iced him on
paint and books the rest of his days.
What he wants is samd' and Joel
brought his big fist down on the velvet
table scarf with such force the bric-a-
brac jumped.
"Well," said Mrs. Whitney. irri-
tably, 'you needn't call in the neigh
bors! You know very well that he has
finer tastes than common folks"
"Finer foolishness! You're making a
perfect mess of veal OF him. What in
creation, would like to ask, is all this
daubin' that he's been dom ever goin'
to mount top"
"Why-why-it's clearly his inclina-
ton. It's great thing; nothing is sc
fine and great as art. -
''Pooh!' and Joel blew the subject
and his paper from him and went tc
bed.
But the next day, when he was leav.
ing the house after dinner, he handed
Mrs. Whitney check for six hundred
dollars, and said, looking into her face
rather unsteadily: 81 guess you'd best
send the boy away to school awhile
both of you will be better satisfied,
expect, but understand it's to be solid
business now and no daubin'!''
Mrs. Whitney squeezed his arm in
ecstasy and swung him around with
his face to the open door. "We'n at
tend to that" she laughed, and Joe
went away in brighter mood. Wher
he had gone Mrs. Whitney pursed up
her lips and rocked her head with {
smile. II knew he couldn't stand il
long" she simpered. Joel, indeed
was very adverse to GOODNESS in hi
family, or in others for that matter
and had often purchased Mrs. Whit
ney's warmth with the golden banefu
root of all evil.
So Harry Whitney went away to col
lege '.down East" and Joel the mex
spring broke ground for his new house
which grew through the two followin!
years ere it felt the last stroke of tn
raint-brush. 1t was a huge affair 0
wood with mansard-roof, square ant
round bays, tower crowned with varie
gated shingles, and endless ginger
bread" trimmings. In Joels eyes
was lordly and fair beyond the figh
of adiectives, and Mrs. Whitney, as i
drew toward completion, often swep
up and down in front of ii with nue.
the air of peacock. There wer
many rooms in it and unnumbere'
closets. Of these latter Mrs. Whitne,
had insisted that there could not b
any possible arrangement or conceiva
BILE accident be too many Joel ha
planned the house, despite Mrs, Whit
ney's protest that he would ruin it, an
insisted upon bringing an architect on
from Chicago to give the matter tone
But Joel blew the architects from hir
singly and in body with one of hi
old-time "poohs,' and continue
sweating aud drafting of evening
through the entire winter precedin
the buildings commencement. Mrs
Whitney stood faithfully by him, toe
and talked forever of closets.
CHAPTER XIV.
When John Earring walked ava
} from Joel's office that autumn after
noon, he put the check for two thor
sand dollars in his pocket and wer