Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-11-13
The girl slightly reddened.

desk in here. You might as well
take my debating and relieve me
from the necessity of calling Miss
Bellamy from her regular duties. Be-
sides, l can give you some insight into
my way of running things. l want
Mr.. Cleghorn to know all about it.
There is nothing to conceal"
Il was quite sure of that" said the
girl. when l told you of my Grand"
Jasper handed her the letters.
KINDLY ask Mr.. Randall to mail
these" he said. THAT is ALL" And
he bent over his work.
So Anna Vernon was installed at
the extra desk in Jasper Gregg's
office, and Jasper speedily found that
her companionship did him good. 1t
drew him away from himself and it
gave him some interest in life beside
his work. And yet he was quite sure
his work wasn't at all neglected on
her account.
One day he said to her: "Miss
Vernon, you ought to know all there
is to know about me, and | fancy
there may be many details that have
escaped even the astute Mr.. Cleg-
horn"
Very well, Mr.. Gregg" said the
girl. perhaps as it is the story of
your life, it should be preserved by
the typewriter" And she leaned for
ward.
rs that the way you trife with
Mr.. Cleghorn's commission" said
Jasper with mock gravity. I'm as
tonished at your levity. You need not
perpetuate my simple history in the
way you suggest. No doubt l will tell
it to you so often that it will soon
be indelibly impressed upon the tab
let's of your ductile memory"
Proceed" she said.
81 was a poor boy, a poor coun-
try boy" he began, land a poor coun-
try boy is about the poorest kind
of boy that can be imagined. l had
come to town to find work or starve,
and | was rapidly doing the latter
when Mr.. James Carew-bless his
memory!-took me up and fed me
and clothed me, and set me on the
road to self-supporting Independence.
He took me in his workshop, and
taught me his craft, and | stood by
him, helping as l could, while he
perfected his invention. Life was not
oil ,1an-a-t fn,. NJ. C,,nr H. ,,,,r
cramped financially, and there was a
certain sun he must set aside for the
use of an invalid sister, Mrs. Blaine,
who was in Europe at certain baths
with her neice. Sometimes'we went
hungry, but I didn't mind that. ]
had caught his enthusiasm and
those inventions seemed almost as
much mine as his. 1t was slow work,
and there was always the chance that
the inventions would be stolen from
us. 1t was tedious waiting for the
patents. When they finally came my
masters old friend, Lawyer Cleghorn,
succeeded in borrowing the money
for us, and we built this factory,
And then, just as the wheels were
set in motion, my partner died." JAS
per paused and passed his hand across
his forehead He left all he had to
his neice, whose mother has since
died, and he made Mr.. Jonas Cleg-
horn executor. And he left me in
charge of the works. 1t was his
dying request. Jasper he said, you
are the only one who can set this
factory going. l have it arranged
with Cleghorn. Don't you desert it
Stick by it. See it placed on firm
ground. Do this for me, if not for
the far-away little girl. Stand by
this ship, Jasper" He half turned
as he repeated the words and looked
through the sunny window. Pres
entity he resumed: 81 was rs, a pretty
serious boy with a pretty serious
problem before him. But | stuck tc
it, night and day. In two years ]
had the debt paid. Last year we
earned some money. This year we
| shall do far better. But it requires
CloSe utieuulou. luS lHihC III uS'
only, you know. No doubt they think
Pm a hard man, but I'm only a stew.
erd here with a serious reckoning
ahead of me-" He paused suddenly
with a light laugh. "There you are
he said. "All in one chapter and dread
fully tame. No heroism, nc thrilling
climax. Just a dry and common.
place little story"
For a moment the girl did not re-
spond. She was intently studying
slips of paper that lay before her
"And how about the neice?" she
presently asked.
"Her mother died last year." JAS
per replied. 81 understand that she
will make her home abroad with
friends"
The girl looked up.
"You have been confidential witt
me, Mr.. Gregg" she said, "and 1 an
| going to repay you by reading aloud
the notes of inspection have made
for Mr.. Cleghorn. They sun up in
a disjointed way my observations for
the past three weeks"
II will not conceal the fact that
you infame my curiosity" said Jas
per with a smile. pray proceed"
The girl raised the first slip.
"T find,'" she read aloud, "'that
my task is much simpler than I antic'
ipated. Everything is done here in
an A B C order that could be un-
derstood by the g~reenest novice. The
people know their duties, and dc
them well. The discipline of the of.
flee force couldn't be better. The fac
tory is clean and neat, and l doubt
if there is a particle of waste. The
business seems to be steadily increas-
ing and I understand it is fully double
what it was up to the same period