The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-10-13
"Well, they need more help in the

wen, tney need more nelp IN tno
store. l guess you can go in there. "
After. John Earling had gone Joel
looked ixedly at the columns of fig
ures before him and shook his head.
"Its sand" he said, ''but Pm afraid
it's mixed with iron. Hard to handle
I'm afraid" and he shook his head
again.
Joel's Office was double and built in
the right hand front of his big retail
store. 1t had been originally a single
room, with long horizontal window
running its entire length looking iu-
ward upon the store with perpendicular
windows looking out upon the street.
but Joel's many affairs had caused him
to erect partition making private
Office for himself opening into the
book-keeper's room. Here the account
ant sat facing the interior through the
long open window, where a. any mo-
ment he might lift his eyes and witness
the workings of the place. In the store
was well nigh every thing that could be
imagined; at least every description of
merchandise demanded by the town and
surrounding country. The place gave
employment to quite a number OF
statesmen, Openstone at that period
being the terminus of the railway that
came in from the east, and large
scope Of fertile land south and north
and west making the volume of bust.
ness considerable.
One morning, when John Earling's
task had progressed year or more,
upon coming to the long window with
the proceeds of sale--the book-keeper
being also cashier-he looked up with
sort of spirit-shock as he met new
pair of eyes. Very black were the
eyes; at least there seemed a slow
black fire burning back of the pupils
giving that effect. Their owner was IL
man Of medium height, rather pale and
thin, An almost unnaturally large head
and jutting in front, small weak nose
and thin nervous lips. His person was
scrupulously clad, and about him there
was an air of indescribable quiet. 1t
did not seem, somehow, the quiet of a
peaceful self-possession, but rather Il
sort of pent-up agony, or a great pain
or rage held forever perfectly still
and motionless. His words were few
and we'll chosen. His manners gentle
manly, but not of kind to invite init
macy. He seldom smiled or stopped
to talk and was wonderfully assiluous
and careful of his trust. He looked
keenly at John Earling, and the youth
noticed that his thin white hand trem-
bled little as he took the money from
him. While the stranger ran swiftly
over the money John Earling regarded
him steadily for moment with his
clear gray eyes little wide, as if the
face before him had suddenly pressed
itself upon his attention. The man
glanced up and bowed as if asserting
to the accuracy of the amount, and
young Earling was turning away when
Joel came up and said as he went by
into the office: "This is our new book
keeper, John; Fowley, this is my
nephew, John Earling."
The stranger bowed again, and spok.
the name much as if his teeth were
tight together, and when John EARRING
bowed and turned away and went to
work, large drops of sweat were stand
ing on the new book-keeper's fore
head, and he went to a pail in cor
ner of the Office and drank some waite +,
breathing hard, and with the large
veins on either side of his throat and
upon his temples distended and per-
ceptibly throbbing He was evidently
not strong, but presently he went to
work again. Often thereafter those
spells or struggles came upon him, but
he seemingly regarded them but little,
and kept steadily at work from one
year to another. In truth he always
seemed at work, keeping wonderfully
fine set of accounts.
| ITO BE Continued