Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-10-27
A STORY OF
TWO CIPHERS
When the Old Nan Wrote his
Cheek Ho Got Mixed with
His Figures.
BY w. r. ROSE.

&S3S23S3S@3N398% %&3S33@.21
Obed Jarrett was n hard man. He
rather gloried In his hardness. A hard
man was a man who couldn't be fool
ed. Obed Jarrett never was fooled.
In his private opinion the world was
made up of a few honest men and n
great many fools and knaves. An
honest man was one who paid his way
and neither asked nor gave favors.
Fools might call him hard, and knavcs
might snar because he wasn't gullible.
But what cared Obed Jarrett2
The honest man sat at his desk that
June afternoon with his pen loosely
dangling in his fingers and his check
book open before him. He was in no
hurry. To give away money was so
new n sensation that he felt justified
IN ~prolonging it-nOt but that he could
amply afford to give the sum he had
fixed upon; 1t was the principle of the
thing that held him lrresolute.
He was worth close to $4,000. There
was a memorandum slip in the upper
right hand drawer that showed this
total In round figures. lie could have
told h noun within n dollar or two.
1t was n gilt edged property-stocks,
mortgages, cash and n little real es-
tate.
"If I was sold out tomorrow" said
obed, smiling grimly, at would bring
every penny that I've totaled 1t at"
He had won this comfortable prop.
erty by shrewdness rather than hard
work. For more than 20 years he had
bought mortgages and loaned money
and snapped up uneonsidered finan-
clal tri1es In that same old office. He
slept in the rooms above 1t, and some
times for days together he didn't leave
the building. There had been few
episodes to enllven the dullness Of this
money grubbing life, but tomorrow
n of them was to take place. To
morrow his son, his only child, was to
be married.
instinctlvely his eyes turned to the
portrait above his desk-the portrait
OF q brown haired young woman. with
smiling eyes and slightly parted lips.
AS he looked upon the gentle face he
felt n little tightening about the heart.
Dead four and twenty years. Their
son was four and twenty. and he mar
ricd tomorrow. Their son. Had he
done his duty by their son? He
thought so. He had certainly given
him n good schooling. The boy had
gone through college with credit to
himself and his father and had helped
to pay his way too. Obed had wanted
him to study law, but he had n love
for chemistry and, In company with a
HQllOVu ctudauf hod cat ~ n ~ oO3o. "a
his own. They started In ms consult
ing chemists and assayers and were
from all Obed could learn-buildlng up
a fairly remunerative business. He
was certainly a good boy, though per-
haps a little lacking In that respect
for his father which begets confidence.
1t seemed but a day or two ago that
he had come to him and said:
Father, l am going to marry"
1t was like a blow to Obed.
We'll, we'll" he presently said In his
testy way, "slnce it's all settled, why
do you come to met"
Because | think you should know
about It," said Arthur stoutly.
You didn't think to consult me be-
fore you took this step" said the old
man grimly.
You couldn't expect that, father"
said the son. I'll am no longer a
boy. Besides, you can't help but ap-
prove OF her. She's the dearest girl.
Her name Is Alma Truman, and her IA
Their Is chief accountant with Fancher
4 Co. She's the eldest Of six. and
they're awfully broken I'D at the idea
OF her going. That's the kind Of girl
70 marry, father--the kind that Is miss
ed at home. But you must see her"
How do you expect to support her?'
inquired Obed dryly.
with these two hands and the ex-
eellent education you have given me-"
replied Arthur.
The boy had taken him around To
tho Trumans' house one evening. Int
there were 80 many Trumans, and II
was only a short call, and he had
scarcely caught n glimpse OF the girl
And now the boy was going to marry
and leave him, he felt, forever.
Their boyl Had he always pemem-
bered that Arthur was their boy7
Would things have been different IL
she had liyed1 Would he himself have
become the dry, old. money making
machine he was7 God only knew.
How happy they had peer that brief
year. How ambitious he was for her
sake How he toIled and planned.
And be remembered how she would