The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-11

sharp attention.
The neighbors all crowded around
him when he appeared, and Peter re-
turned their greetings politely; but
their delight at his return evoked no
pleasure in his breast He was glad
when he reached his house and could
ESCAPE them.
There he was met by the old stew
ard, who still survived from his faith
er's time. The old man tried to en-
brace Peter, whom he had carried in
his arms when he was a baby. But
Peter stepped aside and waited impa-
tiently while the old man welcomed
him home.
Very well, very WE'LL" said he at
last, ais the old steward wiped his
eyes. But let us get at the accounts"
They went at the accounts and Pc
ter demanded proofs of everything
and criticised the expenditures, until
the old man stole sadly from the room.
II can see.'' said Peter to himself,
that a strong hand is needed here"
All the land around him soon felt
the strong hand. Tenants who were
in arrears were dispossessed. All who
were in debt to him were prosecuted.
The country, which had been smiling
and lovely as a garden in his fathers
time, became a barren waste, filled
with smoking engines and derricks and
railroad tracks, for Peter had found
coal and iron on his land and was
growing richer every day.
He felt no rgret for the destruction
that he was causing in the scenes of
his Youth The iron heart in his
breast took care of that.
Richer and richer grew Peter, till
the papers printed pictures of him and
told how many thousands of dollars
went into his pockets with every
breath that he drew. They told, too,
about his steam yacht and his horses
and his palaces. They told about his
wonderful entertainments and his
luxuries, his paintings and his books
lin a word, they told about everything
that he had. The only thing that they
did not tell about were his friends.
There was very simple reason for
that He had none. Long ago the
iron heart had made him weary of the
sight of all those whom he had known
and loved when he was foolish Soft
hearted Peter"
So Peter Stark walked among all
his wealth and splendor alone-alone
except for his iron heart. This loneli-
ness led him at least to seek a wife,
and his choice fell on a girl whom he
had known when he was a boy. Peter
had loved her then with all his young
heart, but now he saw her beauty only
as he saw the beauty of other things
that he purchased.
He asked her to marry him, and she
looked at him with sad eyes and re-
piled: mo, Peter, / cannot marry you.
l loved you when you were the old
'Soft-hearted Peter but not now"
That night Peter could not sleep.
Since he had received his iron heart
there had been nothing that he wanted
that he did not obtain. So he felt an
CRY and miserable by turns at being
refused By her.
The next day he felt still more an
CRY and miserable. And at last, when
all his arguments failed to move her,
he knew that he would never be salts
fed with life II he did not win her.
Then he remembered what his father
had said about the wooded ridge He
had kept his promise implicitly about
preserving the place, and II stDl stood,
beautiful and serene and undisturbed,
although II was surrounded by scores Of
mine shafts and derricks and fiery
towns. So he went there one calm
morning and sat down by the side OF
the torrent. whore he used 70 sit with
his father when he was a boy
Birds hoped and sang around the
tree branches overhead, and fsh splash
ed in silvery bubbles In the pools form
ed by the shining cascade. Peter be-
gan 70 think or the old daye-Some-
thing he had not thought Of since he
had received the iron heart. He re-
membered his fathers calm. kindly
face, and recalled how the old man
used TO slt by the torrent and speak OF
his plans. He thought Of the childhood
friends whom he used 10 know. ana
whom ne had not looked az IN years
He could remember clearly how his
heart used 20 beat when he saw those
whom be loved
Il wish that ! could feel such a SEN
sation once more" thought he IAN
Iron heart o. = heavy kind 81 thing.
after al and pretty stupid"
III you give 40 your wealth" said r
voice you shall have your soft heart
again" ~ wan biz fathers voice. bur
when Peter looked around nobody wac
10 hf seen.
"Giye uD my moneyg4 sai1 Peter
"Wfll ! should a1 y NOT
The birdie hoaan singing GFai0 and
ere torrent nrlafheA HHN tho Nfb
jumped EFrry sound reminded Peter
snew VI some hour iu be- youth. Aen.