The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-12-25
fW Is" said the ironmaster, FIRST

honesty, and then pluck
those are ne things needful. Speak
ing Of pluck" He stopped to answer
the summons of the telephone, said
YES" and NO" by turns for five
minutes, and then resumed:
Speaking of pluck. as you were do
ing just now, reminds me of story,
the beginning and end of which is
that one word"
We settled ourselves in our chairs.
We were sitting in the Office Of the
iron works, and the air was full of
the sound of great hammers, crashing
and pounding; of the sharp hiss of
molten metal, and the clear ring of
smitten steel.
~ was sitting here in this very
chair" the ironmaster began, zone
day about seven years ago, or maybe
eight. Time goes so fast hardly try
to keep count of it in these days. At
any rate. here l was sitting, reading
the newspaper, when there came a
knock at the door.
Come inn l said; and in walked a
81 A4t vas a , man. oOO1b
25 years old, dressed like a gentleman.
though his clothes had seen a good
deal of service. Tall, with his head
held up, and gray eyes that met mine
fair and square.
Always look first at mans eyes,
my boyl If he looks you IN the eye,
he is worth trying. If his eyes shift
about here and there, as If they didn't
know where to look. or were afraid of
seeing something they didn't like
have nothing TO do with him. That's
my experienced
well, this young man came up TO
my desk, and spoke without waiting
for me; yet 1t was no want of man
ners, for his manners were good.
Good morning, sirl' ne said; and
his voice had a clear ring to it that /
liked I want work Can you give
me anyg
81 shook my head. We never took
strangers in that way. and don't
recommend the practice at any time.
"'No, sirl' said. We have no work
here. Sorry can't accommodate
you l took up my paper again, and
looked to see him go out without more
words. but he stood still. / must have
work. he said. 4 would try to give
you satisfaction, sir, and tell you
must have it,
my good sir I said. putting the
paper down, there is no vacancy in
the place. If you will give me your
name and references, / will make a
note of them, and some day when we
do have a job to dispose of l will re
member you That is the best car
do for you to-day
THE young man shook his head
That won't dol he said Think
again, sir. Surely in this great place
/ there must be something a strong
willing man can do. 1t is useless L
talk of waiting till a vacancy occurs
l must have work now, to-uayl 1t i.
absolutely necessary
ut was on the tip of my tongue tC
/ tell him that it was absolutely neces
sary for him to leave that Office anc
shut the door after him; but looked
at him again, and didn't say it.
II saw that he was telling tn,
truth, and that he must have work
1t wasn't that he looked shabby Of
that there was any suspicion of whin
ing or snivelling about him. If there
had been. out he would have gone il
pretty quick time. But there was
look in his eyes-well. l hardly know
how to describe it, but the man wa
desperate, and had some reason TO
being so.
"'What kind of work do you want
said. putting down the paper again
"'Any kind
"'You mean that?'
AZ do. Anything that will pu
bread in the mouths Of he choke,
little. and stopped. Then, L cam
from Canada two days ago, with m
wife and three children. and wa
robbed in the train of my wallet.
have not pennyl'
"'Come with met 1 said. And h
followed me out of the works. Hi
story might be true, or it might not
but had thought of way TO ties
the metal of which he was made.
'The Stark mill. in which 1 ha
some interest. had been partl
burned few days before. and l 'ha
a gang at work. clearing away tn
rubbish. A dirty job it was; the me
were up to their waists half the tim
in mud and water, and the Who'll
place was a muddle of rusty iron an
burnt timbers and what not-looke
like the end of the world, and til
wrong end at that.
THE gang 1 had on were mostl
Italians-it was too dirty work for
Yankee to touch, and even the Iris
were shy of it. They were littl
dark. monkey-looking fellows. worl
ing away. and chsttering in their nj
earthly gibberish. glanced froi
them to my gentleman. with his elea
white skin. and hands which Shove
that. whatever trade he had worke
at. clearing away wreckage hadn
been part of it-though he looked liz
one who might have taken a good de;