The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-19

and from force of habit began to clear
away the Dishes. -
Joel, the deacon said, trying to ap-
pear natural and at ease, although in
ing ring in his voice. "Supposin' you
walk down to the barn with me tor a
moment. I've got somethin' I'd Ike to
talk over with you this mornin'.'
Joel had picked up his hat and had
started toward the door, Better put it
off till dinner time, William" he re-
piled, carelessly. I'm an hour late now
getting to the creamery, an -
Then the creamery can wait! want
you should do what I say! D'you
hear?"
"All right, then; must be somethin'
terrible pressin'. What's on your mind?''
kJoel detected a stern look on his
fsbrother's face, and sensibly concluded
that argument was a. waste of time.
The deacon did not wait to make fur
Their reply, but started out of the house
nlotioning for his brother to follow him.
Silently leading the way, he sought the
seclusion of the store room, where a
nondescript collection of sleighs and
bObSleds stood, covered and festooned
with summers accumulation of dust
and cobwebs. The silence of the place
was impressive, and in it's selection the
good man prided himself ON the exer-
else of a neat bit of strategy. Further
more it removed the most remote dan
ger of interruption.
For some time the deacon sat in 81
lence, his cold eyes sharply fixed upon
his brothers face. Then, when the sus-
penSe had begun to grow painful, he
cleared his throat with evident effort,
and spoke, carefully weighing every
word.
Joel he said, I've come down here
to talk to you man to man, an I'm in
earnest. It's hard, but it's got to be
done. It's been on my mind for a long
time
Il hope there amt any trouble, Will
liam" The shadow of an impending ca
lamity had gradually formed before
Joers eyes, and his face wore pale and
anxious look. ="
Trouble? Yes, there is trouble, and
plenty of it. The truth is, I've BEEN
mother and I've been-watchin' you
now this last six months, an what
you've been dom is as clear to US as
an open book"
Instantly sheepish, self conscious
expression spread itself over Joels face,
and his eyes sought the floor in embar-
rassment. The deacon noted the quick
change, and his last lingering doubt
instantly vanished. His course was now
clearly defined.
Yes, JOEL" he continued with
greater earnestness, there's no use de-
nyih' it now. Mother an me-
Il amt denyin' nothin', William"
The deacon started suddenly, and bit
his lips with anger. The last thing he
had anticipated with a. frank acknowl-
alignment of guilt. 1t came SO unex-
pectedly that he hardly knew how to go
on, yet he realized that the best way to
approach the crisis was by successive
steps. The culprit exhibited no further
Willingness to speak in self-defense, SO
the deacon plunged IN again.
Yes" he repeated, we've knowed
all about you right along. We sus-
picioned you when you took to high
tangled notions and stand-up collars
and gay neckties; we was surer of it
when you got to spendin your money
on tail coats an such, an then" drop
ping his voice to an insinuating whis-
per, and punctuating each word with a
pause, I'VE finally saw through the
whole thing, when you got to goin' out
late nights.
Before such an accumulation of evil
dence Joel hung his head. His express
sion changed gradually from embar-
raised confusion to guilty assurance,
while with the heel of his boot he I'M
consciously drew parallel lines on the
dusty barn floor.
well, what of it, Wflliam?" he
asked, with a faint smile. What if
you have?'
What of it?" The deacon repeated
the words with angry surprise.
Yes, what of it? l don't see the good
of maxim a fuss about it, anyway"
The deacon swallowed something that
seemed to rise in his throat to choke
his words. What of it?" he repeated
again, angrily. why, man, you have
gone clean mad. Can't you see that if
you keep on it's goin' to make your
life regular hell ON earth?'
Even the unpleasant prospect of i'm
mediate earthly perdition seemed to
have no effect upon the culprit. His
confusion did not diminish, but his
smile broadened to a faint laugh. Then
he looked thoughtful and said:
Il shouldn't hardly think you'd like
to say that, William
Say it, man alive! Why, don't 1
know it? Do you think I've been livin'
all these years for nothin'? Amt it al
ways that way?"
The deacon spoke the words in an
angry treble, accompanied by an impa-
tient and deprecating gesture. An
besides, JOEL" he went on, his voice ris-
ing to still higher key, look at it this
way, if it amt too late. You've got a
little money put by in the savins bank.
How long do you suppose it's goin' to
last if you keep on?'
To a financial consideration of the
question Joel made no immediate an
swer. He seemed to be actually reck-
oning up the costs. After meditating
quietly for little while, he composed
ly replied:
"We5l, suppose it does cost little
more? [ guess it's worth the differ
ence.'
The calm reduction of moral deprav-
ity to matter of dollars ana cents
brought the deacon to his feet with an
impatient start.
AN your friends-your new friends!"
he exclaimed, what do you suppose
they'll do when your moneys gone!
Are they goin to stand by You them"
Come, William, you talk as if I was
goin' to commit a crime instead of just
followin' out a mans natural way.
There amt much danger of starvin'
anyhow" Joel's Impotence, too, was
beginning to show itself. IF you're
goln' to go back on me now, well,
suppose there's other places [ can go
to. ! wasn't expectin to stay in the
old house much longer, anyhow. But L
didn't think this Of you, William 1t
amt deserved for you to get mad
"Tryin' to play reproachful, Ell! Just
look back over the last thirty years or
more. Amt L always been all a brother
could be? Amt Martha been more'n a
flesh an blood sister could be? An how
about your home? Amt it been all a
reasonable man could Want?"
The deacon's voice trembled little
as he rapidly summed UP the list of
unaDpreciated kindneSSeS
We'll, William, 1 amt forgettin' all
that-not a bit of it. But what if a
man, after a while, gets tired of Twin
day in an day out in a rut? What if
he wants to get out into bigger, bet
ter life? l suppose l wouldn't thought