The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-11


for the three younger men, they were
seated at more or less ornate roll-top
desks; two of these clerks were Mr..
Downs and Mr.. Hathaway, reliable ac-
countants and both in the later twenties
of their age At the least elegant of
the desks with his face toward the
street sat Jonas Dyer, young, good
looking country fellow, whose round
face had never known an anxious fur
row until he came to his junior clerk
ship few weeks before.
He was poor lad himself as to this
worlds wealth, and of late had been
forwarded in life by an old uncle who
was senior director of the bank. Jonas
Dyers mother was perfectly confident
that he would be this uncle's heir, but
old Mr.. Dyer was of that spirit and tenn
per of mind which sometimes results in
large gifts to impersonal tract societies,
and Jonas knew that great deal might
depend upon his own diligence and &C.
curacy in accounts. He was slow at
figures and slow with his pen and he
had by nature no gift for saving. 1t
was fortunate that he had little to
spend, otherwise there might have been
clearer revelations of his generous
traits. Everybody gave him congratu-
lations enough on his good chance in
the county savings bank, but nobody
wasted sympathy on the Gagged heart of
poor Jonas who loved free life and
out of door air; he sometimes felt as if
the new bank fittings and especially the
handsome iron fret-work behind which
he Stood all savored of the prison, and
that during bank hours, at least, he was
a sorrowful captive. The other clerks
were fond of their surroundings, and
recognized, as time went on different
spirit in their young associate. By some
mysterious insight they were aware of
the tone that Jonas mother always took
in laying his duty before him. She was
a devoted mother, but she loved the eX-
horting sound of her own voice and
talked so much to her growing boy that
he had become stolidly reticent Per-
haps Downs and Hathaway had found
their example in one of Mrs Dyer's
rare visits to the bank, when it may be
suspected that she had come in merely
to look upon her only son at his desk,
trusted as he was with untold gold and
on the highroad to fortune There was
nobody else there that day on the Gus
toners side when Jones timidly pre-
scented his mother to his three
companions. Old MIR. Pendell be-
haved with courteous dignity, inviting
| Mrs. Dyer to come in and sit down,
while Jonas unfastened the wicket
gate for her, and blushing red gave
| her his own chair. How fast the good
woman did talk without knowing it,!
Jonas went ostentatiously into the
great safe to divert her mind and show
her how completely he felt at home,
trying by the way to escape direct
look at Downs and Hathaway. To tell
the truth, he was just twenty years
old and hardly felt as if he We're six
| teen.
81 tell Jonas" Mrs. Dyer was saying,
''that there is good deal to be proud
of and grateful for in this situation.
know he's good boy, if not so quick as
some, and | advise him to be attentive
and biddable to you, Mr. Pendell, and
want him to be constant at meetin and
to avoid worthless associates. | felt
very anxious about him when he come
away from home He amt no Judgment
what to eat
Jonas came bursting out of the safe
with an expression of agony.
81 guess Mr.. Pendell will let you
come in and see where he keeps all his
money" the poor boy told his mother.
trying to behave as if there was great
joke going on. He did not look at the
| other fellows.
st tell 'em up our way that there's
nothing to prevent your filling your
pockets, unless tits your own honesty"
the visitor said, and then happily be-
came speechless as Jonas let her take
one hurried look into the gold and silver
drawers. He was fond of his mother,
but she insisted upon treating him like
boy, and since he had lived in town
among strangers he had begun to feel
as if he were a man. The call was
abruptly ended by the appearance of a
friend who had brought Mrs. Dyer to
town shopping. Downs and Hathaway
shook hands politely with the good
woman and seemed to take pleasure in
accepting her kind invitation to come
up with Jonas and stop awhile when.
ever they got leave. But alas! from this
call much misery did rise; it was the
delight of the elder clerks to treat
Jonas as if he were both touchingly
young and delicate of constitution
They never went SO far as to show the
slightest disrespect in allusion to OF
quotation from the anxious mother
they simply adopted her solicitude
about Jonas, who was seldom allowed
in their presence to put on manly be
havior. But if they did not chaff him
about this they would be sure to find
something else, and so, as they ex
planned his bank work with unfailing
patience, our hero bore their chatting
and mockery as best he might and with
whatever bravery and unconcern he
could muster.