Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-22

cneck DOOk. OuSuI 10 IOlu you L
s'pose long time ago." he said, ''that
have some money belonging to you.
He looked flushed and somehow could
not be easy under the steady eyes of
this young fellow. II don't know how
it will look to you," he went on, Z"
s'pose you will think it another evil
dence of my want of moral heft, but
while don't intend maxim any par
| ticular excuse for it, I'll just say that
thought may be you d be easier-easier
managed, you know, if you didn't
know it.
John Earrings dark gray eyes lit up
| with Joers first sentence, but they
seemed darker when he finished.
Your idea was to keep me under
obligation that you might the more
easily use meP" he asked. Joel did
not look at him save with glance.
The youth eyes were burning against
his face in fashion that none but a
very clear-hearted or very braZen
person could meet.
"No, not-well, of course not exact
ly that" said Joel. Il didn't aim to
set you to any thing mean, of course.
l don't know that 1 aimed at any
thing particular, but of course you
would be less likely to want your own
way if you thought there was nothing
comm to YOU" He glanced at the
| eyes beside him and added quickly:
''Of course, you can manage yourself
people; quicker than | expected"
John Earnings eyes turned little
cold. What is the amount of the
money you speak OFF" he asked.
1.-Two thousand dollars"
GLOW long have you had it?"
"SiXtocn years."
1.-The use of it would be worth some-
thing like two hundred dollars
year?"
Something like that"
"About four thousand for the entire
time, counting the use of the interest. ".
al expect something like that"
Joel answered, in a kind of mingled
business-like logged way. with his pro-
file to the youth, who sat with his chin
drawn in toward his chest and his eyes
lifted against the others face with an
expression of rather stormy contempt.
'1n addition to that you were going
to allow me to work five years for you,
which would be equivalent to about
three thousand more, or nine thousand
dollars?'
alt looks that way" said Joel, with
angry impotence.
John Earring looked at him silently
moment in white rage. "Where
did you get the money you speak OFF"
IA man named Snaer, who bought
your fathers place, give it to me for
the furniture in the house and some
other traps"
John Earling got up and stood look
ing down at him with gall-like con-
knS ~ IL,
ably" he said, in low voice, as if
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
a 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
char facing the young man. -
should think had stood about enough
of your Internal ccnsure," he began,
but John Earling stopped him with a
gesture. "Write the check" he said.
1.-The 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 a
red face. WELL" he said, with an
angry puff, "Tll write the check, and
cursed if we don't quit! / don't have
to, slough. young Teller, want you to
understand that. I could keep the
money until you are twenty-one, just
the same!'
John Earling did not look around.
t. IL, 1,
brows drawn into a quicker. Here,
ly. John Earling turned about and
signed the receipt calmly, took up the
check, and said: You do not ruturn
to the owner that which is not your
own very gracefully, do youP 1 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
'Confound him! he sets me on fire
like so much straw!' he fumed. 'He's
honorable! yes, too cursed honorable
to sleep we'll! Amt 1 just as 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 a 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 puffs beneath
his eyes darkened and sagged little,
and his girth grew greater, he fretted
more than formerly, and dealt with
resistance in others less good-natured-
ly. 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 at 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
nS hn