The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-11

Mr.. GerriSh considered the matter 1Or
a day or two, and came to the conclusion
that he couldn't get along without
Hiram.
''But it'll seem queer to pay nm
wages he said to his wife. 81 don't
believe he'll know how to use money
when he gets it"
So Hiram received seventy dollars
for his work that summer, and in the
fall he went to live with Miss Fanny
Gregg. a maiden lady of sixty agreeing
to work for his board if allowed to at
tend school.
Miss Gregg was somewhat eccentric
person herself. and the villagers said
that two queer ones had met when
Hiram went to live with her: but her
eccentricity was valuable to Hiram, for
she gave him sympathy and encourage
ment in his fixed determination to ''be
somebody"
/ He spent twenty of his hard-earned
dollars for the first whole suit of new
clothes he had ever owned in his life.
and he felt his self-respect rise good
many degrees when he arrayed himself
in his purchase and started off to school
with sachel Miss Fanny had made for
him. filled with the first new books he
had ever had.
The remainder of his money had been
given into Miss Gregg's keeping, but
Hiram had weildefined idea of what
he intended doing with it and the
savings he intended adding to it.
Decently dressed, he did not look nor
act like the Hiram the villagers had
always known. but he still had an
original way of speaking and acting
that distinguished him from other boys,
and the villagers still thought him
queer"
Some of his teachers began to see in
him degree of shrewdness and keen
ness of perception unnoticed by others.
The second summer he demanded and
received fifteen dollars per month of
Farmer Gerrish. and the second winter
he staid with Miss Gregg and attended
school.
In the spring the ''town fool" an
nounced his intention of going West to
seek his fortune. and the villagers shook
their heads and prophesied all sorts of
u1odSUtI dS UIt ICSulU VI SuCn d fOH UuIC.
you'd better stay here, Hi, and try
to get you little piece of ground and
settle down to farming" counseled Mr..
Gerrish. But to his wife he said: 1.-THE
boy hasn't wit enough to go off among
strangers that way. He'd better stay
here among his friends"
But Hiram put his few belongings into
satchel and departed-''to come to no
good end as his acquaintances predict
ed; and it was not long before he was
forgotten, or, if his name was mentioned
it was in tone of cOmmiseration.
''Poor Iii Curry!'' some one said occa-
sionally. Il wonder what ever became
of him? He went to the bad, | reckon
Meanwhile, the boys who had gone to
school with Hiram, and who had laughed
at what they were pleased to call his
''greenness' boys, most of them.
grew to be men, and left the school to
engage in various occupations.
The most successful one of them all
became clerk, and then part owner of
small dry goods store in the town.
About this time the first railroad it
! had ever had ran into WendOm and the
town began to have what would be called
''boom' in the West.
Soon after the arrival of the railroad
there came into the town number of
capitalists. who had heard of the >u-
perior advantages the town offered for
the establishment of large manufac-
tory, now that it bad railroad facilities,
and the result of their visit was that
within ten days more than hundred
men were at work on the river bank,
excavating for an immense mandatory.
that wOufa give employment to hun
dreds of families, and add greatly to the
Importance and population of the town.
A house, han 1somer than any in the
village. was erected for the Superintend-
ent of the works. who. it was said, would
arrive some weeks before the manufac-
tory was completed, and all applications
for situations must be made to him.
He would be the most important per-
sonage in the town on his arrival, and
there was great curiosity in regard to
the kind of parsonage he was likely to
be.
"He's going to have house fine enough
IOI SuOeH N1COOIy, Sdlu OIl EdflQ0f
Gerrish to his family, one evening.
Every things finer'n fiddle, and /
reckon none of us II be good enough for
such highan d-mighty gentleman to
look att
He was not, however, too good nor too
august parsonage for more than half
the male population of Wendom to look
at when he arrived the next day, on the
noon train.
Nothing so mighty high-falutin'
about him." whispered old Mr.. Gerrish
to neighbor, as a pleasant-faced, full
bearded man stepped from the train.
Looks pretty young to be boss over
such big concern as that, don't hep
said some one.
eyes, but he's probably got an old
head" replied Mr.. Gerrish ''He's full
of snap and-Hey?"
He stopped short and stood in open
mouthed wonder at the trim-looking
young man of twenty-seven or eight
who came briskly forward, holding out
his hand and saying:
''Iiow do you do, Mr.. Gerrish? Don t
you remember me? And here's Uncle
Tommy Simpson and Nate Wardner. and
Mink this is Frank Woodson, and I'm
sure this is my old friend, Mr. Mallon,
isn't it?''
Sand who in creation are you?" asked
Mr.. Gerrish. peering sharply at the
young man over his green spectacles.
Il? Why, don't you remember me?
Manys the night I've slept under your
roof when | was just Hi Curry to you
and
Something like shout went up from
the crowd. and when it died away old
Mr. Gerrish gasped out:
..H; C,,,r,y' Y..t II; Wy,