The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-08-14

BY JENNIE DAVIS BURTON.


though the things do grow SMALL he
decided. appiovingly, when the waste
of his efforts was pointed out to him.
II would appear that the Mulligans
had drifted all over the West in an
aimless fashion, "salting health and
bettherment," as It'd expressed 1t, till
the death of the father left his mother
free to return for the making Of me-"
he conflded to Mr.. Kane.
Sure, n Lad nades to be looking up
to good man. me mother says, and
it's power of t'achin' I'll made to
come up to ME name, | DO be think
in"
The amusement that Mr.. Kane de-
rived from the glorified ideal upon
which Tid was basing the formation
Of his character gave way sometimes
to a fleeting wish that he had culti-
waited more of the virtues which It'd
credited him with possessing. There
are drawbacks to being held as little
less than saint by even an ignorant
Irish boy Suppose, now. that It'd
could look beneath the surface and see
the true state of the man within him,
how would the revelation affect the
lads moral growth?
Mr. Kane shrugged his shoulders
and threw off his uneasiness. 1t was
by no choice of mo that he had been
held up as a model. Let the effects of
the disbursement fall where they be-
longej. It was not likely that he was
going to change his business methods,
his sharp dealing, his keen seizure of
apparent advantages. simply to spare
the tender susceptibiities of this small
vagrant; nevertheless the thought OF
Tid was at the bottom OF more than
one reform that he made In these
days.
Meantime It'd was cultivating ten.
der heart among other things. and
when he had the misfortune to set
his foot unawares Cn toad one lay,
he was the more hurt Of the two.
"Td no more scrunch the crature,
and it sitting by TO DO me a good turn,
than you'd squeeze tenant, SIR he
protested, remorsefully.
There are some tenants that need
tl,e thumbscrews put on them. It'd"
"Of course. just as there are pertaty-
bugs and cutworms and squash beetles
to clane out. It's fine thing to have
the head TO pick ami choose amongst
them as | weed out the docks and lave
the cabbages, to hould the helpin'
hand to tl,e wake and nadey, and turn
the cowld back on the un1esarvln." D."
I'm feared I'll be long learnin' all that
from you, SIR
oh, you aspire to a share in the
management of the tenants, too?" in
quirel Mr. Kane, with that sarcastic
accent which was quite thrown away
upon It'd.
I'm studying hard to be fit to SO in
the Office come fall. when you'll not
be nading me in the garling," admit
ted It'd, modestly. "I'll be worth me
keep there outside CT me schoolin',
will that. yen see"
"Hum-um- That It'd was acting
like a prickly bur on his conscience,
the real estate man knew. and the far
reaching consequences of this pro-
posed move rather alarmed him.
Haln't he closed up the typhoid we'll
AMI drained Ague Alley and given a
contract for rebuilding Ramshackle
Row-all good-paying investments, to
be sure. and much-needed reforms
simply ana solely through the quick
ened moral responsibility that the boy
had reused in him?
"lf this thing goes on he said to
himself. I'll be renewing the Taft
mortgage and letting the Hope farm
slip through my fingers. It's sheer i'm
becility on my part. Who wants an
inconveniently active conscience in
these days? I'll throw off the yoke be-
fore it fastens tighter. I'll discharge
It'd and send the Mulligans packing.
But to look into tbs trustful eyes
and make this decision known was
more than Mr.. Kane cared to do at
that moment 1t might be better tc
| talk the matter out with lids mother
he concluded A little bribe. now, to
persuade her TO move on. say. without
betraying his part IN the transaction
would make everything smooth ana
easy.
Mr.. Kane had not seen Mrs. Null
| gan. It'd had caught his fancy, but he
had felt sure that the mother would
be bore, ana had avoided the house
Well, they had Transformed the desc
late shanty into rather q picturesque
spot by the vines they had trained
over it. and the woman displayed some
of Tids own confidence in receiving
him.
Sure, felt yez comm, sir" she ex
planned. "Be stated, PLACE III pass
the chair If | could step foot nlel
me, but 1t was the Lords mercy tha
kept on me legs till We r'ached ye
that it was. and I've some use of m'
hands still, so that | do a dale wiz
them, and | can hitch me chair abou
while ! do me chores quite nate an'
convenient. 'Tis honored am to hav'
ye come saldn' me-regardin' It'd Il
it, then? He's a credit to yez, that h
Is, sir. He couldn't take afther yol