The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-10-07

pocket, did not care to open the subject
again.
"Ain't you ever goin' to sell, Colonel
JayG" asked 10.
He had padded across the creek
which separated the glass works from
the old mans house, and was
sitting on his porch with him in the
twilight.
"No, sir. Nor amt ever going to
accommodate again, neither. told
those Dixes they might bury their little
babby there, and what did they do9
Laid it right on great -grandaunt Liza.
l went and told them they'd got
to take that babby of. But it
warn't pleasant. won't accommodate
again"
"And you amt ever COINS to sell,
Colonel Jayl"
"Look here, Jo," said the colonel,
testify, show old are you9 Eighteen
years. Well, guess you remember me
as soon as you remember anything. Did
you ever know me to change my
mindl That ground ain't-ever-to-be-
disturbedp
Joe turned his full blue eyes on the
colonel.
"How about when you die, Colonel
Jay2" he asked in his most deliberate
speech.
The colonel was staggered and
showed it.
"If were you," 10 went on, now
looking over the water, "rc fix that
while was able. There's whole acre
there, and there amt but one end of it
in graves. I'd sell 1t all under deed
that would make the man who bought 1t
keep the grave end nice and clean, aud
the grass cut--and perhaps flowers"
Colonel Jay rose from his chair.
"Boy," he cried, ''you're rightl Why
didn't think of thatG"
Then his face fell suddenly.
"But who'd be fool enough to buyH"
al would" answered 10, stolidly; and
il don't pay you hundred dollars for
it in years time, you can take the
ground back and all the improvements on
it."
What the improvement meant, the
whole works soon knew.
"Jo Tolly's store" was the talk of the
place. 1t was little more than a shanty,
but the laborers soon learned that the
shanty had goods of better quality and
lower prices on its shelves than the CON-
pany's handsome storehouse had on
theirs.
1T amt very pretty outside, but
tried to have it good in" said Jo, mod
estly, looking at the well-stocked walls.
"I spent all my money there"
The money referred to was small
sum which he had gotten by auctioning
off the worn off roof which covered him
and the bit of land on which he stood
The rest of the tract had been sold al
most to the very door step long before
There had been no one to interfere IL
his reinvestment, his father having per
formed the first graceful act in hi
worthless life by stepping out of it al
this opportune time.
"Don't spend it all in shoestrings and
rock candy, Tolly," the superintendent
had said. "Put it in bank and try to
keep adding to your handbook. That's
the way"
eyes, sir" said 10, submissively; bu
at the same time it was not his way, no
did he follow it.
At first the Tolly store was only opeI
at night, and 10 waited on the customer
after hours, but as the business grew
small boy kept store by day and was as
sistant to the proprietor at night.
az shouldn't think you'd dare, 10;
, shouldn't, indeed" said the weak-knee'
|, clerk, who came to inspect his enterprise
|, by stealth and after nightfall. "Why,
wouldn't even like the chief to see mi
come in here. And how can you sleeI
right next to those gravesl"
az like them" said 10, showing tn
first sign of interest. "I'm getting rea
! fond Of them. 1 like Aunt Liza, and
! feel like / knew Aunt Jane.
"'Dear friends, repent; no more delay,
For death will come to take no nay;
Q Be always ready, night and day,
lsuddenly was snatched away
a I feel just like she was saying it to N
e every time read it."
The head clerk-he of the ''peele
t eyes"-also paid 10 visit; but he cam,
4 in by broad daylight aud examines
I. everything.
He laughed a good deal, aud looked
$ at JOS placid face curiously.
4 "You're bucking against big con
cern, boy" he said. ''I tell you you'll
> have to work like an OK and kick like
l steer"
D Jo, smiling his usual rather stupid
3 slow smile, listened to each one and sale
nothing.
( As yet the superintendent had saic
nothing either, but that came.
a One day, as Jo was passing througl
3 his office, he stopped him.
, "Tolly," he said, earelessly, "hoV
much do you hold your land at2"
!, "What do you think it's worth sir,
T inquired 10, respectfully.
1 ''Not much"
e "Ive got my store built aud paid TO
. out of it," 10 went on, as though calcu
q lating aloud. 'I've paid for my land
$ the business is growing, aud
C ''You take a week to think it over in,
said the superintendent, hastily.
a On that day week 10 entered tn
P supenntendent's Office aud stood befor
= his desk.
5 "Well, Tolly," said the superintennd
r ent, "what is it,"
y ats ten thousand dollars" said 10
. When the superintendent had littl
recovered he knew that he was a yer
n angry man, aud at the sam
time that it behooved him to wal
y carefully.