The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-01-13

<S He ose promptly,
W lifted his straw hat
from the floor and put it on, and
walked through the front gate to the
pike.
Through the long village street and
a half-mile along the dusty pike he
trudged; then, turning aside into a
narrow by-road that branched off at
the foot OF a steep hill, he came to a
rude saw-mill. A stalwart man sat
upon a large moving log, from which a
perpendicular saw was rasping q
board.
"Good afternoon, Neighbor Gray"
said Jared.
Gray eyed him keenly from under
his shaggy b:ows; then rising, he walk
ed to O. lever, pulled it aside, and stop
ped the saw.
"Sit down on the log, Jared" he
said. 1--WE can't hear each other when
the saws going. I see by your face
that something has happened.
"I've got a letter from Joe. "He's
in trouble"
"Just as I supposed. Bankrupt,
I'll warrant?"
"That's about it,"
"And he has written to you to get
me to help him?"
"That's true; but, John, don't be
angry. This matter must be consid.
cred with u coolest judgment"
"Pll not consider it with cool judg-
ment nor any other kind. He'll get
no help from me. Jared"
Every well, John, very well; but
you'll hear what the trouble is, won't
your"
"Oh, I suppose I a listen," replied
the father, taking a piece of bacon
from a shelf and proceeding to grease
the saw.
"Well, Gray, it's a bad embarass.
ment. A customer bought a thous.
and dollars worth of Joe's patent
machines, promising to order twice
as many more o Joe supposed
he was perfectly good for it, and on
the strength of this ordered two
thousand dollars worth from the
man that manufactures them. Well,
the customer turned out bad; he
didn't pay the thousand dollars, nor
order more. Joe lost the machines,
and owes the manufacturer two thous.
and dollars, which he is unable to
pay;
"Joe writes that he might have
stood this if a fire hadn't broken out,
and burnt up his two thousand dol.
lars worth OF machines"
He glanced up quickly, and caught a
shade of sympathy upon the sawyer's
face.
"The manufacturer is unluckily in a
tight fix himself, and he is pushing the
boy. Joe writes that this will ruin
him and just when his business was
most promising. tell you, Gray, it's
hard on your boy"
"Well, l don't pity him a blt-not q
bit. He was determined to go to the
city; now let him dig for himself. ]
gave him O thousand dollars to start
his crazy business, m%ortgaging our lit.
tie place here, and that's enough
Mother IA pinched herself and worked
her fingers almost to the bone, and J
have shaved early and late to pay il
of, and now that it's paid, do yor
think I'm going right back into that
struggle again?
"No, Jared, not for a boy that for
gets his old mother, as Joe has done
Why, he hasn't written q line-not .
line-to mother or me for a year, .ant
now, when he wants help, he writes t,
you, Jared.
"Does he deserve help? Just answe
me that; does he deserve it2 / don'
want to hurry you away, but Pm 20
ing to start the saw"
He turned decisively, and pullin
the lever, set the saw rasping again.
every we'll, john" said, Jared
coming nearer. "If that's your decis
ion, I've nothing more to say. I.sha
have to write to Joe that you refuse
It does seem a pity to leave him in hi
trouble. He's not a bad boy, bu
dear knows where this will drive hin
Good afternoon, john"
At home he sat down upon til
porch again to think it out. He kne'
well the character of this father an
son. Since Joe had been old enoug
to assert himself there had been ant,
gonism between them. The father We
arbitrary i his ideas Of right; the SO
obstinate, and inclined to waywart
ness.
Jared's relation to the family We
almost that of q son. He was t
have married Sallie, the daughter fly
years before, but she had been take
i'll three weeks before the appointe
day, and died ten days later. III
last request to Jared had been t
watch over Joe as an older bro he
and to help to keep him from ey
ways.
aFathsr is growing old" she ha
said, land y ever you have q chant
to bring him and Joe to 4 good ii