Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-10-21
IN THE MIDDLEWEST
q Story Of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
By AIvA MILTON KERR.
NOPfRIGHr, 1885, BY THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER COMPASY1
CHAPTER xIL-coxr,xrv,

aoiy, ne said, in a low voice, as If
surviving 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
cncck 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. Il
should think 1 had stood about enough
OF your internal censure." he began,
out John Earring stopped him with a
gesture Write the Cheek he said.
The words we had before were over
another mans wrongs. This is per-
sonai to myself, and decline to quar-
rsl with you," ana he turned away to
the window with his back to Joel.
The big man looked at his back with
red face. ..Wen," he said, with an
aagry puff, s.I'n write the cheek. and
cursed if we don't quit! I don't have
to. though. young Teller, / want you to
understand that. | could keep the
money until you are twenty-one, just
the same.''
John Earling did not look around.
Joel wrote the check with his sveaty
brows drawn into a pucker. :. Here,
sign this receipt he growled, present
~. John Earling 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 you? / 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
end flash of heat seemed to pass over
him. When John Earring 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.
'Confound him! he sets me on fire
like so much straw" he fumed. He 5
honorable, yes, too cursed honorable
to sleep well, Amt just rs good as
he is? Course he's smart, course he
can talk, but I've got more now than
he will ever have if he lives to be as
old as pelican
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 puf1s beneath
his eyes darkened and sagged a little,
and his girth grew greater, he fretted
more than formerly, and dealt with
resistance in others less good-natured-
II. Still, in the main, he was over
flowing with rather unsavory humOr.
and adroit enough in using those about
him. But with this fine-grained. scru-
pulous youth, he always seemed ut sea
This made him angry, perhaps. in the
very soul of the fact, more with him.
self than with the rather austere young
fellow who seemed to see through him
as if he were so much glass. joel
perhaps unconsciously magnified the
others perceptions, but he. could not
but feel 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 OF
less an open and unworthy book.
That John Earling went forward
on a plane above him he felt, but
would not even confess in a whisper to
himself. He could not go 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
that living time-piece which was tick
ing off his life's seconds within his bo
som the trouble remained. and over
him the impalpable altitude which the
other had attained.
CHAPTER XIII.
Just what provision or disposition
would have been made by Joel, haC
John Earring remained passive unit
his majority, could at the best be only
guessed at. In view of his fat and
rather inoffensive avarice, and his
sometime streaks of generosity, the
thought must needs be folded in and
forw arded by the fancy. Certain it i
that whosoeyer sets up no higher
ideal than he, who sees out before him
no puiding-stars of brighter light than
the ouacmire CLINT of dollars, must in
some sense deteriorate and 60 down
ward. Joel of late. since his other pos
sessions were so large, had begun to
eoyet honor; not that silent light within
the bosom which is infinitely above APP
nlause, but preferment at the hands OF
those who knew him. To this end, by
a move here and a withdrawal there,
praise in this corner and detraction IN
that, the supplanting of a scrupuIous
enemy by an inscriptions friend, al
least pretended allegiance on his Own
mart to the interests of those who
acknowledged him. and the keeping
of his own claims well under cover
since he had no desire to accept and
fulfill the rather mental duties of a
comfy official, unless that should con-
tr;bute to a more fortuitous end-he
came at length to be the secret dicta-
tor of local political affairs. Also a
growing reputation throughout the
Eonsressional district was coming to
be his for timely and munificent gifts
TO his party, when at elections ii
seemed most in need OF succor.
Perhaps Joers thirst was rather fol
Glory than good fame AT any rate,
his aim at reputation seemed some
THING not bounded by the circle of his
ne,ohbors; forgetting evidently that the
love and respect of those in and about
ones own home is something to be
more sensibly enjoyed even than a con.
t;nent full of notoriety. Of course joel
did not hope for any thing so extensive
90 that. but he thought. and foolishly
enouch. that it would be exceedingly
sweet to know that his name was going
about on the unfeeling winds to thou
sands of people he never heard OF. and
who indeed might contribute quite a
little perhaps as those far-of unfeeing
winds to his own personal JOY or bet
terment However, many another
heart in the worlds life has fed upon
the delusiye honey of this same expec.
cation. this idea that to be known. OIL
r.ther widely heard of, is grateful