Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-19

nc stood leaning on one elbow hour art ar hour, with no apparent fatigue As for the three younger men, they were serted at more or less ornate roll-top dCsl;S; two of these clerks were Mir. Downs and Mir. Hathaway, reliable ac- cCuntants and both in the later twcnttes of their age. At the least elegant of the desks with his face toward the street sat Jonas Dyer, a young, good looking country fellow, whose round face had never known m anxious fur row until he came to his junior clerk ship few weeks before.
 ne was poor lad himself as to this worlds wealth, and of late had been forwarded in life by an old uncle who was sonior director of the bank. Jonas Dyer's mother was perfectly confident that he would be this uncle's heir, but old MT. Dyer was of that spirit and tenn per of mind which sometimes results in large gifts to impersonal tract societies, and Jonas knew that n great deal might depend upon his own diligence and ac- curacy in accounts. He was slow at figures and slow with his pen and he had by nature no gift for saving. It was fortunate that he had little to spend, otherwise there might have been clearer revelations of his generous traits. Everybody gave him congratu- lations enough on his good chance in the county savings bank, but nobody wasted sympathy on the cagcd heart of poor Jonas who loved free life and out of door aic; he sometimes felt as if the new bank fittings and especially the handsome iron frct-worll behind which he stood, all savorcd of the prison, and that during bank hours, at least, he was n sorrowful captive. The other clerks were fond of their surroundings, and recognized, aS time went on, a different spirit in their young associate. By some
 mysterious insight they were aware of the tone that Jonas mother always took in laying his duty before him. She was devoted mother, but she loved the eX- horting sound of her own voice and talked so much to her growing boy that he had become stolidly reticent Per haps Downs and Hathaway had found their example in one of Mrs. Dyer's rare visits to the bank, when it may be suspected that she had come in merely to look upon her only son at his desk, trusted as he was with untold gold and on the highroad to fortune. There was nobody else there that day on the GUS toner's side when Jones timidly pre- scented his mother to his three companions. Old Mir. Pendell be- haved with courteous dignity, inviting Mrs. Eyer to come in and sit down, while Jonas unfastcned the wicket gate for her, and blushing red gave her his own chair. How fast the good woman did talk without knowing it.! Jonas went ostentatiously into the great safe to divert her mind and show her how completely he felt at home trying by the way to escape a direct look at Downs and Hathaway. To tell the truth, he was just twenty years old and hardly felt as if he were six teen.
 ''I tell Jonas" Mrs, Dyer was saying
 that there is good deal to be proud of and grateful for in this situation. l know he's good boy, if not so quick as some, and l advise him to be attentive and biddable to you, MT. Pendell, and l want him to be constant at meetin' and to avoid worthless associates. I felt very anxious about him when he come away from home. He aint no judgment what to eat"
 Jonas came bursting out of the safe
 with an expression of agony.
 "I guess Mir. Pendcn will let you come in and sec where he keeps all his money" the poor boy told his mother, trying to behave as if there was a great | joke going on. He did not look at the | other fellows.
 Il tell 'em up our way that there's nothing to prevent your filling your pockets unless 'tis your own honestly '' the visitor said, and then happily be- came speeches. as Jonas let her take
 one hurried look into the gold and silver | drawers. He was fond of his mother | but she insisted upon treating him like
 a boy, and since he had lived in town
 among strangers he had begun to feel | as if he were a man. The call was | abruptly ended by the appearance of 6 | friend who had brought Mrs. Dyer tC
 town shopping. Downs and Hathaway shook hands politely with the good woman and seemed to take pleasure ir | accepting her kind invitation to come up with Jonas and stop awhile when
 ever they got leave. But alas! from thi: call much misery did rise; it was tho | delight of the elder clerks to treat Jonas as if he were both touchingly \ young and delicate of constitution | They never went so far as to show tho
 slightest disrespect in allusion to ol | quotation from the anxious mother
 they simply adopted her solicitudC
 about Jonas, who was seldom allowed
 in their presence to put on manly be
 havior. But if they did not chaR hin
 about this they would be sure to fine
 something else, and so, as they ex
 plained his bank work with unfailinl
 patience, our hero bore their chaffinG
 and moclSery as best he might and witl
 whatever bravery and unconcern h. | could muster.
 | TnnENU ,.aWa011 10@1I-==-