Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-04-02

"Weel, guidbs and guild luck to yen
always telt We about discriminating
between the guild and the bad. Night
and day the de'l's abroad on the high
way, yell mind"
"And no one knows it better than
you, Stewart, for you have met Lin oft
en- and succumbed," said Imrie, with a
laugh.
IF he don meet him tonight, l don
know" began Cusack, with the coin
in his pocket an his bowels cryin' out
SO you can hear their sufferin' cries, for
little drop that they have n had since
last pay, an the beautifur'- He con-
tinued OH In u low humble, getting no
attention to his words and expecting
none and perfectly satisfied thus.
"Weel, guidby and guild luck to ye,"
he blurted out at last, pumping Imrie's
arm again.
"I'm not going for five or six days,
Stewart" said Imrie.
$50 ye're not. Weel. guidby if All
don't see We again" Considering that
he was liable to see the superintendent
every time he cared to look up from his
work during the ten hours of work
Ing day, the remark was superfluous.
Taking their cue from Stewart
Brough, the rest of those who were
hanging around stepped up and shook
hands with Imrie, with word or two
or saying nothing at all. Other en-
ployees, as they came in and fingered
for n minute, caught the gist of the
proceeding, and they also shufiled up
to the young man and added their well
wishes to what had already been eS-
pressed. The transient hands, not un-
Outstanding. looked on in wonder.
This your reception day?" queried
the bookkeeper.
In fact, the assistant superintendent
was holding levee in the little office
and in quiet, good natured way re-
turned the kindly and sincere good
wishes of the uncouth but good hearted
workers. 1t is not an everyday occur
renee for n mans popularity among
his workmen TO be shown so unmis-
takably, and Nixon felt proud both
OF his protege and of the fact that such
sentiment was possible on job in his
charge.
But. though outwardly Imrie was
pleased and gratified at the kind felici-
tations, there was ever running through
his mind u current OF thought that
tainted the sweetness of the occasion.
And what TO Il young man should have
been welcome and agreeable was all
the more bitter and ironical by Its or
der In the succession of events.
A matter of two weeks ago he had
stood at the gate of an old fashioned
homestead in the neighboring village
Of Lemont and had asked the girl he
loved to be his wife. 1t was in the
cleaning of summers evening, in the
shadow of the house which, set back
but few feet from the picket fence,
nesting in cluster of half grown
elms, was the home of Barbara Ell
well. You can see from the top of the
cantilever conveyOrs on the canal, or
from the crest of the spoil bank, its
white walls cleaning among the green
of its surroundings. There, trembling
ly, but with confidence born of hope, he
had whispered the words that had lain
on his tongue for n long time.
And she had given him his answer.
He was forewarned bya laugh-alaugh
apparently sincere, but what there was
to afford merriment is beyond mans
capacity for guessing. She was no
more th,.a child, and it was the an
swer. of child, and of n spoiled child.
She drew away quickly in teetlng
moment of surprise at the Unexpected
ness of 1t, and then a ripping laugh
sounded the deathknell of his hopes.
He had better taken that as final. cut