Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-09-21
CHAPTER I.

anu AOOAAu6 OII61AAL USAUE0 Ill., 11oIS
there Is nothing for me, and, as you
say. there Is nothing to keep me here
It was her wish besides; and yet-yet
X hate leaving IT.
/ II can we'll understand It, lad.
was the same It is just in US Scotch
men. this love Of the land. And I Rad
Joan, too. to keep me here; and 50 I've
Just stuck on and made q precarfous
living, and I've but STAYED OF the evil
days, for now my boys will have to
30. We can't make living in the
old country. and there's no Joan, is
there?" asked the old man, kindly.
No. No woman has ever been any
thing to me except my mother" said
the lad. ~ 's
Well, well, time enough; there's
sure to be-" said Macpherson. "A hne
lad like you'll" As matter of fact, the
old man said, "Weel. weel." but that
did not take away from the kindliness
of his speech. You've always got
friend in me. wish I could help you
substantially; but that isn't easy. Still,
II you need it. can make push as
well as my neighbors."
Thank you kindly" said Alan Mac
kenzie, .but there will be no need Of
it. The sale of my poor little sticks
will pay my passage money and there's
a good place waiting for me when get
cut, so that there will be no need for
me to go borrowing. l wish I felt a
little more enthusiasm about making
money. It's said to be in Scots blood,
but it isn't in me. l would fain stop
here and watch the clouds settling
round the hilltops all the rest Of my
life than 60 to South America, and
make my fortune. Yet because my
moth6 wished it. and because she was
SO oVerjoyed when the offer came to
me, I feel it is Just my duty to do It,,
neither more nor less"
It did not take long for Alan Mac
kenzie to sell his few possessions, and
to turn his back upon the little Scotch
town. He was going as far as Glas-
gov, to take steamer to South Am
erica. His story was simply this: A
lad to whom his father had once given
free passage to South America had
done 50 well at Rio that he was now
one Of the foremost merchants there.
He had remembered his benefactor and
when he heard of the captains death,
J had written and offered good place
W his counting house to Alan Macken-
p Mrs. Mackenzie was dying Of q
u AinfuI disease. and she saw In this
4offer future for her son who she so
tenderly loved, and she was keen that
the Should accept it, SO that when she
A1ied there seemed nothiDg for the Lad
o do but to 60. s '..-
He was q good looking lad, standing
about six feet in his stockings. He
had passed his twenty-first birthday,
but no was younger than lads gener-
ally are at 81, having no experience in
the world, and none Of men and WON
Ell. He had worked at school always,
having been fopd Of his books, and he
had played outdoor games, SO that he
had very little knowledge Of either the
usual amusements or the perplexities
of life. .--
When he had finally said good-by to
his native place his spirits began to
rise within him. The world and ad-
venture were before him. He had said
eood-by to the old life, but the new
was there. He had never been so far
as Glasgow before, and the big town,
with its lighted streets and the ships
in the river, attracted him. After all,
there was something pleasing in big
things. Large enterprises and wealtA
attracted and had charms after an. SO
that it was with a lighter heart that
Alan Mackenzie embarked finally.
He loved the voyage. Heredity conats
for something and his father had lovsd
the sea. He felt 1t was his own ele-
mont. When hs reached RE it was
with high hopes and resolves to make
his mark. He had kind reception
from Richard Dempster, and here again
Alan felt the charm Of riches and
power. Dempster's house was one Of
the best in Rio. his clerks were we'll
paid. and his wife and daughters occu-
MED a place second to none in society.
Dempster wanted Alan to become &C
customed to the work, ana then to
found another branch Of the house in
"a mining town some hundred miles
away.
n Dempster had two daughters, fine,
fresh. handsome girls, but no sons.
The obvious thing would have been
FOR Alan Mackenzie to have fallen in
love with one of the girls to have set
tied down comfortably and prosper
ously in Rio; but there was one thing
I against it. There was little vein Of
romance in Alan's nature, and he dis
liked the obvious. Besides, he had the
independent mans dislike to being be-
holden to his wife for his advance
ment. So that although he was on
4 terms Of perfect friendship with Ina
and Eleanor Dempster. yet he neither
sought nor wished for any stronger
4 feeling.
The girls looked with favor on the