Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-17

change, and his last lingering doubt in
stantly vanished. His course was now
clearly defined.
eyes, Joel" he continued, with great
er earnestness, there's no use denyiD
1t now. Mother an me-
81 amt denyin nothin, William"
The deacon started suddenly and bit
his lips with anger. The last thing he
had anticipated was a frank aclSnowl-
edgmcnt 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." be repeated; we've knowed
all about you right along. We suspi-
cicned you when you took to high fam
glcd notions about stand up collars an
gay neckties. We was surer OF 1t when
you got to spendin your money on tail
coats an such, an then" dropping his
voice to an insinuating whisper and
punctuating each word with pause,
1--WE finally saw through the whole
thing when you took 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 un-
consciously drew parallel lines on the
dusty balm floor.
well. what of 1t. William" he ask
ed. with faint smile. What if you
have?"
What of It'll" The deacon repeated
the words. with angry surprise.
Eyes; what of it? ! don't see the
good of maxim q fuss about it. any
way"
The deacon swallowed something
that seemed to rise in his throat to
choke his words. what of it?" he re-
peated 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 a 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 faint laugh. Then
he looked thoughtful and said:
81 shouldn't hardly think you'd like
to say that, William"
"Say 1t, man alive! Why. don't
know 1t? Do you think I've been liyin
all these years for nothin? Amt 1t al.
ways that way?'
The deacon spoke the words in an
angry treble, accompanied by an i'm
patient and deprecating gesture. "Ar
besides, JOEL" he went on, his voice
rising to a still higher key, 'look at II
this way, If it amt too late: You've
got a little money put up in the saw
ms bank. How long do you suppose
it's goin to last If you keep on?"
To 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:
"Well, suppose it does cost little
more? I guess it's worth the differ.
ence."
The calm reduction of moral depray.
ity to matter of dollars and 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 then?"s
"Come, William, you talk as If l was
goin to commit crime instead of just
followin out mans natural way
There amt much danger of starvir
anyhow" Joels impatience, too, was
beginning to show itself. 'If you're
goin to go back on me now, well,
suppose there's other places can &C
to. / wasn't eXpectin to stay in the
old house much longer anyhow. But
didn't think this of you, William. II
amt deserved for you to get mad"
'Tryin to play reproachful, eli? JUS
look back over the last 30 years Of
more. Amt Railways been all broth
er could be? Amt Martha been more'I
q flesh an blood sister could be? Al
how about your home? Amt it beef
all reasonable man could want?'
The deacon's voice trembled a littl,
as he rapidly summed up the list O
unappreclated klndnesses.
"Well, William, amt forgettin al
that, not n bit of 1t. But what If ,
man after awhile gets tired of livil
day in an day out in rut? What i
he wants to get out into n bigger, bet
ter life? suppose wouldn't though
of 1t If the railroad hadn't been pu
through. l got to goln there frs
when they was layin the tracks. We'll
that was all right enough, an them
"That'll do! Enough Of that! 1 won
hear 1t from your lips"
can them
"Stop, mani say stop, in the nam
of what little regard for decency you'v
| got leftl l won't hear from you!
didn't come out here to listen to you
boastin an plumin yourself about you
reckless, senseless goin on"
The deacon's bloodless lips tremble
as he fairly Numbered the comman,
and shook his clinched fist in unbridle,
wrath. II won't have it made an
worse by your goin into all the detail
of what you did," he went on holly.
wanted you to listen to reason, an
wanted to talk to you like brother
But there amt any reason left in yor
It's gone too far, an Martha an Pm to
late. You're proud of that broader lif
| you talk about, are you? All right
then. Now listen to what I've got t
say. The ways still open for you t
turn over new leaf an come back a.
be one Of us as you was before tn
Lowdens an their tavern came t
| Quaker Church. It's got to be one o
the other, an you've got to decide RICH
now. Either you quit this new, broad
er life that you've been harpin on O
you must get along without Martha a
me from this day for'ard!"
The deacon pronounced the sentenc
In excited, impassioned tones. 9Th
ways open. Which do you takeY h