Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-03

OHe morning he 1OuOu Ills let
tiers one from latham, offering. in the
name OF the Whitehaven & Lancaster
Railway Company, twenty thousand
pounds for his cottages-the land on
which they stood having become abso-
lutely necessary for 4 depot. Tom
asked thirty thousand pounds. and got
it Strangely enough, no sooner was
the transaction completed than Dykes
wrote. offering to sell Sweetheart back
again for thirty thousand pounds.
The old rascal has got the railway
fever; it will be your Nemesis, Tom.
VIII you accept his offer? Don't you
think you could do better with the thir-
ty thousand pounds"
Tom hesitated. and his uncle w atched
him ileenly Bat it was only for a mo-
ment. His eyes fell upon the ring, and
he said:
1T NAV be a foolish sentiment to
YOU, uncle, but to me it is the redemp-
ton of my word and honor. l shall go
and buy Sweetheart back to-mo rrow."
Good, lad. You viii be none the
worse merchant for being a gentleman;
and they keep money best who keep
truth and honor first. But why not GO
to-day?"
Il must see Mr. Broadbent about
Nellie: they are in trouble, and Nellie
will feel every hours delay a wrong
s'You will get nothing there now,
lad"
'-All want is Nellie. A gentleman
values truth and honor and love above
money, uncle"
Josiah laughed heartily.
You have me there, Tom. Nellie is
a good girl, and welcome to thee"
Mr. Broadbent's losses had inclined
him to listen respectfully to Toms
offer.
cit is wonderful" he replied, chow
often we lift the broken threads in
life's warp. Nellie is not my daughter;
she is my niece: but no daughter could
be dearer; and she was born at Sweet
heart. Now you ask her back there
it is strange enough.
Nellie born at Sweetheart
Yes. My sister married the steward
| 1t was very unhappy match; but Wei
let the past alone. She left him when
her daughter was five years old and
came to me- With all her faults she
was my twin sister, and | loved her.
Tom was almost staggered. He
knew that Dykes wife had left him
and he had heard that Dykes haC
a daughter. But it was the one
subject the steward allowed no one tC
| speak about, and Tom never dreamed
that Eleanor Broadbent could be thai
daughter 1t cost him a few minutes
| fierce struggle to accept the clrcum
stances but he did it: and, before h(
| L h
self to believe that the fathers deb
was cancelled in the love and lowell
ness of the daughter.
He went to Sweetheart the next day
and found both house and gardens i'll
such beautiful keeping that he re
| joiced over and over in the prospect OF
being its master again. Dykes Offered
him his hand as he diSmounted at the
garden gate, and this time Tom tool
it. The old mans eyes were full O.
happy tears as he said:
THANK God, you took my hand thi
time. sir
Yes, Dykes, and am come to asl
you, also. for the hand of your daugh
ter. | shall be a miserable baron o
Sweetheart unless Eleanor Dykes is it
lady"
My daughter! My daughter! oh
! Master Tom, where is she?"
Then Tom told Dykes all about hi
love, and this time the listener wa
eager as the lover; before the sale o
Sweetheart was mentioned Dykes an
Tom were clasping each others hand
and promising to be eternally true t
| each other.
| ~ 111
lor, Tom said:
Now, father, will buy back Sweet
heart again.
''My dear Lad, it has never been real
ly mine. l told you that Sweetheal
was ruined that l might save you.
nearly broke my heart when you lei
me Won black day, and it has been n
light thing to bear my neighbors' il
, will and scorning; but you'll forgiv
me, Tom. l never would have bee
: false, save that / might be the MOI
t true to you, and 1 had your father
) blessing on the plan"
. And your plan, my second fathe
has made a man of me, won me tt
? dearest friends, and the best and Low
t lest of wives. l can make money ;
| well as spend it now, and together W
, will make Sweetheart the most beaut
/ full barony in Cum berland.
e ''For six hundred years there has q
+ ways been Il Dykes to stand by
e Sweetheart.
''And now always they will ow
2 Sweetheart together"
People call Tom cotton lord, al
d men who stick strictly to their Lane
r and dignities affect to look down upC
e him. But to-day there is not rich
a or happier man in the North countr
and in his vast works and enterpris
t thousands take their daily bread fro
his hands, and bless him as the best
:; we'll as the noblest of masters.
: Dykes and L ncle Josiah We're equal
l proud of him, though sometimes the
: did not quite agree as to which of the
5 had the greatest share in saving t
ruined house of Sweetheart.-A
o E. Barr, in \. Y. Ledger
i Life Made Comfortable.
It Borem-Still living in Jersey, eh?
r Hustler-Yes: / have no thought
" coming back to the city.