The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-02-12
MARKED DOWN.

LUZ pIOlillScu, JOt, anu Wlltn Z
fellow has given his promise, it hadn't
orter to be ENTHUSIASTICALLY to his
mother"
"Wall, mebbe yer right as far as the
old woman is concerned, but them q
the boss's orders, No man leaves
these shops till this machine is finish
ed, which won't be afore leven if ii
amt higher twelve, an yer know well
'nough what'll follow: you'll be mark
ed down. and lose yer job. won't
promise you another"
And the rough middle-aged machin-
ist Joe Walton, drew his brawny
soot-begrimed bare arm across his
wrinkled forehead, whistled softly and
piled himself clorer to his task.
Jem Mather was slender youth,
aged IT, learning his trade, and re-
ceiving also a paltry stipend, little
enough for him to exist upon, but
from it he had saved enough to bring
his little pale-faced mother from the
crowed city Of New York to his west
ern home.
The world had not dealt fairly with
Jem and his mother
Walter Mather, the father, was an
honest, intelligent, Woodworking
mechanic, who had put something by
for rainy day for his family; but it
so happened that the very day the
kindly father was killed by an ex-
plosion at the mill, the bank wherein
his little saving lay was declared in
solvent.
Jem was 10 years old then, and for
four years he did what he could to
help his mother keep ''the wolf from
the door" He was like his mother,
never strong, and the lines of want
and care became engraven forever up
on his young face.
AT IA a gentleman become interest
ed enough in him to send him west,
and to give his mother place in
his house to do plain sewing.
Three years had passed.
Jem was apprenticed for four years.
lie had one more year to serve, and
then he would be earning and receiv-
ing the wages OF a man.
One year more! How Jem said it
over and over to himself. Then he
would send for his mother, and they
would be so happy.
The wife of Mr.. Hart, the gentleman
who sent Jem west, and with whom
Mrs. Mather made her home, failed in
health and died, and Mr.. Hart decided
to go abroad. To break up his home.
lie recommended the little woman to
other friends, but Just then came such
a heart-hungry letter from her one
lamb, her boy Jem, that she decided
to go to him. Mr.. Hart hardly an
proved, but he saw the mothers ach-
ing heart showing through her eyes,
and placing S1OO in her hand and
procuring a ticket for her, he saw her
safely aboard the train for the west.
Mrs. Mather had carefully saved near
ly every penny of her earnings since
Jem.s absence, so she felt quite rich
IN a small way, and oh, so rich with
with happiness to think she should
soon clasp her boy to her heart.
AS for Jem, whose every thought
and wish was for his little mother, he
was Jubilant. He, too, had saved,
somehow mill an0tb " Uoo,. SeS IN
thew would never yva,1t o,'; '''iC. O'iIii
wrote her n ,,o,, iott,'. ''C IN, ~ ne
promise 81 ,T;li ,'ot 81 iIit'liis WIN tle
at the troi, ), H. d a., ~ ilieeU you
ANYTHING to rreveo4 h;,t noS I'M Sre''Ii vi
closed 9t q o,cloni, a,,d +lIa 'o anops
train was ,ot AZ ',' eli 'i'T eastern
time was he tbo,'nh ti' eI.y oi
himself nntt;no u'i fnish;,no 90 1ie pusieu
tba two Iii pIoIii.s hllisilluS gouches 10
for thei,, f,+nre nj" ho no i'''el procured
was very sin,,llo ava,' ,,a go 'ini3
very cea1 ondp so,' 80 &c ,ilet1ser, DuI
the shon had I'D G H. ~ V,ie poys aU
in the shane of roc,;rln io% r. eSei ~;
mother saveraI 49, &C e Ilie'ln lol ms
few chean chron,pps W r 49, ''iia q
little to The br;obtnoss and '' ot5f noO
his home and yh [,1' So anu a c9illioIC Oh
and turned tba low t 10 o 49, 80 is,e uoor
in the morning If was not witbo, mei
little feeling of bride ~ '' "''i'o' ~ d
They were all in the world to ooob
other, this fond mother and Iovina
dutiful son. ms
And now this order had coroo ono
man to Ieove +ho eb ,,Vr ,'''u Gp me- NO
chine was finished. :" LENS heart aavo
a bound and he pnIned down q ST. drv
sob. 'If it had been apv Flor ,,i%ht ;,
thought Jem. cor conld in any wa,,
let mother know" but that seemed