Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-15

mOtner. ne said. II went 10 tne
store Mr.. Norton told me Of and
they've pretty well settled to take
me ON. The wages don't seem fabu
lous, TO be sure, but they'll be some
thing, and then there's the prospect
Of a rise"
"Oh, Zedr The darning fell into
Mrs Barnes lap. "You poor boy
Yes, the wages are something and
no mistake, but / cant bear to
think of you, your poor fathers son,
Just a common errand boy in a
grocery storef'
Zedekiah's sallow cheek flushed.
II don't see whyr' he said stoutly.
"Groceries are honest enough, and
they're clean, too-a great deal nicer
than good many other things,
think. Besides, errand boys always
make their fortunes right away.
Did you ever hear of millionaire in
book who didn't begin by sweep
ing out q Atorei"
"Ah, if your Uncle Zedekiah had
only left you all his money, as he
promised p sighed the widow. taking
up the tattered sock again.
Instead of only his name and the
old clock, eh, mother7"
"Oh, yes! 1t was too bad of uncle.
He ought to have been ashamed
and after making us give you his
horrid name toor'
Never mind, mother It's an
honest name, even though the first
man that owned it wasn't much in
the way Of king. He's been dead
SO long that the name ought to have
grown respectable again by now"
"And then to leave you nothing
after allr
II don't believe, do you know, that
he had anything to leave. Folks say
he was really very poor"
"Poor7 Not her Mrs. Barnes
was reused to indignation. Il guess
he wasn'tl But he was an awful
miser for years before he died, and
he lived for all the world like a beg
garl We fancied he'd have left you
hundreds-and there was nothing"
Don't forgetthe clockr'
1.-THE clock |" .scornfully. "Ah by
the way, that reminds me; there
was a peddler here this morning
not that it is much good for anybody
with anything to sell to come here
he saw the old clock and seemed to
fancy it somehow. He said he'd
give you a couple of dollars for it if
you liked, and I thought you'd be
glad enough to let him have it."
Zed looked rather taken aback.
'"The old clocki Why, no, mother.
/ guess ! wouldn't"
"You wouldn't2" echoed his mother
in surprise, mingled with reproach.
1.-THE children are badly off for
boots, and 90 are 90. Besides, it'll
have to go next week with all the
other things. and maybe it won't
bring as much as that at the sale"
This with a little sigh.
Perhaps l shall not sell it, said
Zedekiah slowly.
"Zed, you must be crazy"
mo, I'm not" He had risen and
was wandering about the low ceiled
room, his hands deep in his pockets.
"At least. ! don't think am. But
somehow it goes against me to
part with Uncle Zed's legacy Hasn't
1t been in the family as long as
there's any record, and didn't my
great-grandfather, generations back,
bring 1t with him when he came to
$50 I've heard tell, Zed."
His wanderings became more en-
ergetic;,
"Well, then, he said, II don't be-
lieve we ought to let it go while we
can stick to it. 1t isn't just because
it is the only thing we shall have
left when we leave here to let the
children know that we came of a
family that was well to do once. If
they don't make people respect them
for themselves, it isn't much use hav-
ing tail of grandfathers behind
them, but when l think of the poor
old great-grandfather bringing that
big clock across the sea to his home
In the new country, because he
priced it more than anything he had,
and when think of all the genera.
tons it has ticked for can't find the
heart to let it go into strangers
hands" He brought himself up short
before the tall old clock in the corner.
No, the clock shan't GO" he said.
'Zed. you're the Queeresti" said
his mother, with an unspeakable
"Queerer even than
your poor father, and l never could
make him out.
But Zedekiah was contemplating
lhe old timepiece, with its once
stately carving of black oak and its
iial of polished brass, where, be
heath the ''Giles Hen best me fecit
London, i709," ran half obliterated
egend and the name Jacob Barnes.
Exeter, l7si."
II believe it's worth ever so much
more than S. he said, examining
he quaint engraving with care.
ANYWAY. it's not going for that