The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-10
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
Bi ALVA MILTON KERR.
ECoPYRIsHT, 1886, BY THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPANY1
CHAPTER XII.-CoNTINUEp.

CHAPTER XIL-CoNTINUEp
John Earring got up and stood look
ing down at him with gall-like con-
tempt. "You have acted dishonor-
ably" he said, in low voice, as if
striving not to break out into angry
words; you have been dark where you
should have been clear, secret where
you should have been open. and you
have imposed upon me by keeping me
ignorant! | have been grateful without
cause; be good enough to write me
check FOR the original amount that we
may be done with each other at once"
Joel twisted himself around in his
chair facing the young man. ~
should think had stood about enough
of your internal censure," he began,
but John Earring stopped him with
gesture. Write the check" he said.
'1he words we had before were over
another mans wrongs. This is per-
sonal to myself, and decline to quar-
rel with you" ana he turned away to
the window with his back to Joel.
The big man looked at his back with
red face. WELL" he said, with an
angry puff, "Tll write the check, and
cursed if we don't quit! / don't have
to, though. young teller, want you to
understand that. | could keep the
money until you are twenty-one, just
the samer'
John Earring did not look around.
Joel wrote the check with his sW eaty
brows drawn into a pucker. Here,
sign this receipt" he growled, present.
ly. John EARRING turned about and
signed the receipt calmly, took up the
check, and said: "You do not return
to the owner that which is not your
own very gracefully, do youp / hope
you will not consider me under any
further obligation to you. Good
afternoon, SIR and he walked out,
The silent book-keeper glanced up
and flash of heat seemed to pass over
him. When John Earling had gone
the book-keeper wiped his forehead,
and Joel, in the little office, got up
and kicked the waste-basket of papers
over and slammed the safe door shut.
"Coufound him! he sets me on fire
like so much strawr' he fumed. "He's
honorable! yes, too cursed honorable
TO sleep well! Anti just as good as
he is? Course he's smart, course he
can talk, but I've got more now than
ne will ever have if he lives to be as
old as pelicanr'
The book-keeper in the outer room
heard him muttering, and the corners
OF his nervous mouth twitched with a
smile. As the years had advanced
With Joel, and the little puffs beneath
his eyes darkened and sagged little,
and his girth grew greater, he fretted
nioTo than formerly, and dealt with
resistance in others less good-natured-
~. Still, in the main, he was over
flowing with rather unsavory humor,
and adroit enough in using those about
NM But with this tine-grained, scru-
Pnious youth, he always seemed at sea.
This made him angry. perhaps, in the
very soul of the fact, more with HIM
sell than with the rather austere young
fellow who seemed to see through him
as II he were so much glass. Joel
perhaps unconsciously magni6ed the
others perceptions, but he could not
Dnt ieel when in contact with him, as
every selfish and ignoble nature must
IN presence of clear intellect and a
Clean heart, that he was more or
less an open and unworthy book.
That John Earling went forward
on plane above him he felt, but
would not even confess in a whisper to
himself. He could not 60 up to him,
or bring him down that he might man
age him; hence he was less chafed
when he had washed himself entirely
Of the youth, as he thought; but inside
mat living time-piece which was tick
Ing Off his life's seconds within his bo-
som the trouble remained, and over
MIN the impalpable altitude which the
other had attained
CHAPTER XIII.
Just what provision or disposition
would have been made by Joel, had
sohn Earring remained passive until
MS majority, could at the best be only
guessed at. In view of his fat and
rather inoffensiye avarice, and his
sometime streaks of generosity, the
Thought must needs be folded in and
forwarded by the fancy. Certain it is
lat whosoeyer sets up no higher
ideal than he, who sees out before him
no guiding-stars of brighter light than
'ne quagmire CLINT of dollars, must in
some sense deteriorate and go down
ward. Joel of late, since his other pos
sessions were so large, had begun to
soVet honor; not that silent light within
me bosom which is infinitely above APP
pause, but preferment at the hands OF
NOSE who knew him. To this end, by
move here and withdrawal there.