The Van Buren press., 1898-01-08
THE CAMEO RING.
BY BERT FOSTER.
Sseeeeeeeeeeeeseseeeeeee<

hT'vE told Joe Hall to come over and
help you tomorrow, Leonard"
remarked Mr. Ashton one evening at
the tea table. He'll be here by five
O'clock" he said.
what did you do that for, pa?' de-
manded Leonard, with a whine, not at
all pleased by the information. I'VE
don't want any towns poor helping US.
And anyway, we can do it all our
sel.es, | promise you"
oh, | know you youngsters, and
Just about how much huskin' you'll
do said good-natured Mr.. Ashton,
with a ehuckle. You'll get tired Of
II ,,'fore the evenings half over And
as for Joe's bein' towns poor, con-
tinned the farmer, what II be is2 He's
a smart youngster and knows how to
work. He'll do twice as much as any
of the rest of you, I'll warrant"
"It'll just spoil the whole thing!"
cried Len, almost whimpering. II
don't want him. I'd rather not have d
huskin' al all on my birthday than
hare Panper Joe bangin' round"
"There, that'n dol" interrupted Mr..
Ashton, sternly. Don't begin 10
SWIVEL, nor don't you let me hear you
talkin' that way no more" be added,
with more force than elegance Of ex-
preston. Joe is comm TO help to-
morrow, and he is goin' 10 be treated
just as well as anybody else. II he
isn't, you'll hear from me-"
Mr.. Ashton was a well-to-do farmer
lin fact, he was the wealthiest man in
the township-and Len did about as he
pleased in most things. He had more
pocket money at circus time than any
other boy who attended the Five Forks
school, and wore better clothing.
Five Forks was well off the railroad
and far from any city. The township
possessed no poorhouse, and when,
some seven years before, n wandering
emigrant family had been oyertaken
by yfeyerwhile passing through the town
ship and had all succumbed to the raw
ages of the disease but one youngster OF
eight years, the town fathers were per-
picked to know what to do with the lit
lie charge thus left upon their hands.
Finally one neighbor agreed to take
the boy and give him his keep" for
what chores he could do.
But little Joe proved to be able to
learn his keep" from the first There
was not lazy bone in his body, and the
farmer who had at first taken the waif
in doubt found that he had made an ex-
eellent bargain.
The farmers had taken a good deal of
interest in Joe, looking upon him as n
sort Of protege Of the entire township.
and nobody had thought Of calling him
pauper until after the school was
established in the log schoolhouse at
Five Forks. Joe's guardian sent him
regularly, and the boy was as quick at
his lessons as he was at work. Before
long it became apparent that he was
the smartest child on the prairie. rapid
iy oyertaking and passing even the old
er scholars in bis studies.
Then il was that the finger Of scorn
began TO be pointed at the waif. The
boys and girls who found themselves
his interiors in mental powers soothed
their wounded pride by calling him
''pauper" and towns poor"
But Mr.. Ashton was one Of these who
appreciated young Joe Hairs good dual.
tiles too highly to allow his anxiety for
his own ehildren's well-being to dull his
kindness to the waif. During the years
which had passed since Joe's coming fo
Five Forks two or three. other needy
bodies had come upon the township for
their support, and had been sent t.
live with does master. But the place
was seldom called the poorhouse, nor
were the old people who here found
pleasant home in their old age called
paupers.
II was Leonard Ashton who had real
~ first applied the term "Pauper Joe"
TO young Hall.
Lens father was a most indulgent
parent. He allowed the boy 10 have
altogether too much spending money
for boy Of his age, and Len scarcely nj
tered a wish that was within the range
81 possibility that Mr.. Ashton did not