Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-16
IN THE MIDDLEW WEST,
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY kLVA MILTON KERR.
CoPIRIGHr, 1885, By THE A. N KyIIooc
NEWSPAPER CoMPANY1
CHAPTER Xxx


with SUBTRACTION as the result of their
deliberations was blown about. But
Joel looked very sour; this effort of
John Earrings, coupled with the en-
comlums which it elected, filled him
Win bitterness; besides some political
ana private loadstones which he had
secretly put into position to draw
the jury back. had been overcome
Dy John Earrings ..froth and raw
lngs- as he called it He said little.
however. as he went about with the
corners OF his big mouth drawn down
ana IFS under lip drawn up until his
little cellar stairway Of cbins was quite
drawn away from its moorinns inside
MS eighteen-inch collar. Only one
thing seemed magical enough to turn
the Vlnegary edge of his feelings. and
that was the pictured pile of marble
and granite on the left hand corner of
the map within his private office.
Standing before that just after the
verdict. leaping from mouth to mouth
down the street from the courthouse.
had come by the same swift mode of
carriage in at the door of his bic store
and his big hairy aural openings. he
uttered an explefive and muttered;
~ onng teller. don't YOU ever try to
come inside of it, don't YOU now or
you II get hurt" and he gave his huge
INST a sweep that seemed to make a
kind OF inviolable circle of ownership
about the pile. Then he gazed at it a
long time and the darkness died out of
his face and Il sort of sunrise took
place IN that fat expanse: he was going
up the marble steps with greatness
again.
He sat down to his desk and began
writing, but in moment the cloud
was in his face again and he pushed
the paper away from him impatiently
and sat looking at the back of his hairy
hand After Il time he took long
breath and muttcred: Its no use: he's
Young man that's got to be set down
on He's smart and II go right to the
front if he amt tiattened out OF
course he'll not come into the ring
confound it!' and he got up and went
to the window and stood there por-
ing sourly on the opposite block
For some time he remained thinking
thinking with his hrows drawn into a
knot and the sacks under his ewes
looking almost black. All that passed
through his mind could not well be
enumerated. but something of the
nature of his cogitating may be con-
jectured when We say that by noon the
next day it came TO be known that
Judge Ashman, through the influence
mainly of Joel as represented in his
council. had granted Fowler upon
pretended technical error rehearing.
Judge Ashman felt Joefs hand upon
him. Joel had potently kept him upon
IL, 8,
gifted member OF the bar might sue
ceed to that rather elevated vantage
ground and from it take his flight to
Congress. Joel did not wish any one
from OpenstOne County to represent
the Congressional district at Washing
ton, until the county claim upon the
nominating convention should be very
strong. and he himself should step for
ward as its chosen citizen. Joel did
not see Judge Ashman in person. he
was too keen for that. but he sent a
political friend. and Ashman. with his
eve upon the future. succumbed.
With the advent of the information
that new trial had been ordered. 4
portentious murmur ran through all
the stores. blacksmith shops, livery
stables. mills and factories of Open
stone, and ere the nightfall it had
spread 20 OIL the rich outlying lands
that neighbored it. The people were
becoming very weary, SO thev said
though the fact of their exhaustion did
not come through their teeth quite as
gently as 1t here goes to paper-and it
seemed very hard to always pay for
and bear the demOra!IZing effects OF a
kind of tragic criminal farce 1t was
Interestingly expensive and exceeding
" long between scenes. Sometimes
they almost forgot, they said. what the
first acts had been: and when the
fourth or fifth scene was reached. aft
er the lapse of as many years. perhaps.
and Justice drew her sword and with
forbidding visage fourished
it about the culprit's head, then
wiped it with her silk hand
kerchief. and placed it in its
sheath and kissed the offender and let
him 90. they really were SO bewildered
bv the fiourishing and kissing, and
lanse of time since the farce began.
they could hardly say if it were right
or wrong. and sometimes they were so
weary thew didn't even care. But
nearly ALWAYS at the end of the first
or second act they were very much Of
Tended that Justice should lift her
sword and Just when she was going to
strike would wink at them and laugh
and 90 off the boards to change her
CO st1me for the next scene, ana
in this case they were so cross
and tired it seemed as though
they couldn't bear to see the play pro-
coed OF course they were not eonsld-
crate. nav. were actually mean,- per-
haps. but a performance should not
last too long or be unduly similar IN
scenes: and they were very, very tired
of the old. long plays, they SAID, ana
sorry enough. too, let us hope, since IL
seemed so d:srespectful. and the man
aUers were thriving SO finely on the
Did, long plays. ;. &c
Judga asbman came something like
shock; for, though conscious or ne was
not vet accustomed to, the fact that
thing at law must often oe 1ouSnt ior
and won a great many Tunes peio.e
what seems The law will permit one W
carry his own away
Immediately on the morning that the
verdict eonvicting Fowler was reacneu,
John Earring had gone out to see Ine
old attorney But the news hau pre-
ceded him. and though the Old man
was weak and palsied and proppeu up
in bed under the big moose nean' ms
ewes cleaned with gladness, ana ne ieit
shout and got hold of the young man
hand. and. gazing approvingiy into ms
face exclaiIned. in his broken voice.
"What hair, what hair! L kne" you
fetch it away! Snum! snum. !
but yo,, fatcbed itn' and he rocked his