The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-08-02


Don't talk that way, Tom" urged
Margaret, soothingly. you are not
a failure, and you're not worthless nor
incompetent, either. You are just the
best boy that ever lived"
Tom Carlton stretched his great
length on the grass by Margaret's
side and for few minutes contented
himself with fervent, admiring chances
into her dark blue eyes.
Its nice to have some one who be-
Eeves in you," he said at last, "but
I'm afraid your confidence is mis-,
placed. I've been discharged from the
Office"
THAT was through no fault of
yours" she declared confidently. you
always try to do your duty
1.-The chief wasn't in very good
humor, so he began to squint over my
work and found two mistakes, each OF
the same amount, on opposite sides
of the book. 1t balanced all right, but
it was dead wrong, all the same. Well,
the chief ripped off yard or two OF
choice but rather inelegant English
and wound up by declaring that there
wasn't another man in the world who
would have made such mistakes,
egregious plumbers he called them:'
Everybody makes mistakes" af-
firmed Margaret spiritedly. You
should have told him that
81 didn't" Tom returned dejectedly.
81 got fired"
Poor boy" whispered Margaret,
tenderly stroking his curly brown
hair "Lon't worry about it; you will
get another and perhaps a better
place"
Margaret, I'll never be clerk If
live to be hundred" declared Carl
ton with conviction. Il have tried my
best and made more mistakes than
any man in tho office. You'd better
cut loose from me, Margaret, before
ruin your chances in life"
'1'll do nothing of the kind, Tom, -
asserted the girl emphatically. I'm
not afraid to trust my future to you.
You have brains and will make a
name for yourself yet. That invention
of yours would bring you fortune II
you could only get it started"
That's is, Margaret, but l can't get
1t started without money, and money
l have not, nor any prospects OF
any"
Are you sure your Aunt Sarah did
not leave you some?" inquired Mar.
garet earnestly. "She promised to,
you know"
81 believe she intended to leave me
some money" returned Carlton bit
terly, 'but l can't prove that she did.
Aunt Sarah was under some deep OBJ
legations to my father in her early
life, and always said she intended to
do something liberal for me, but old
Arnold, her husband, kept tight
string on the family purse during his
life and a; his death left his money
in trust for his wife during her life
time and then to his four children.
Aunt Sarah told me over and over
again that she was saving every cent
of the income for me, but when she
died my cousins knew nothing of such
a plan, nor was any will found. Con-
sequently, 1 get nothing"
For fifteen minutes neither spoke.
Carlton was gloomily rejecting upon
the possibilities of providing home
and caring for the girl to whom he
had been engaged for the past three
years. Margaret, meanwhile, was de-
batting within herself the ACCESSIBILITY
of giving up her trip to Europe as
companion to Mrs. Harper.
Tom, I'm going to stay at home. l
will not go to Europe with Mrs. Har-
per-"
You're good girl, lassie," declared
Carlton, rising on his elbow ard Slip
ping his arm around her waist, "but
want you to go. You would lose your
position and it would be case Of two
of kind then. l have a plan that
may make our fortunes and want
you to 60"
What is your plan?"
Il can't tell you, Margaret. 1 want
~ hiu ouI NhOluCi really
did intend to leave me any money and
/ am going to try ruse on my be-
loved cousins
The following week Margaret sailed
for Geneva in company with Mrs.
Harper. Carlton was at the wharf to
see them off and watched the big
steamer until it was out of sight.
For several days after Margaret's
departure Carlton remained at home.
and every evening soft-voiced, soft
treading man, dressed in black, called
to see him.
1t soon became rumored in the
neighborhood that Mr.. Carlton was
quite i'll, and this news was sent to
his cousins, who called to see him
His condition seemed to grow worse
however, and one. morning the neigh
bors noticed black crepe on the door
of the little cottage.
In the parlor was a plain coffin in
which Carlton lay. His face was pale
and dark circles were beneath his
eyes. as if he had suffered greatly
during his illness. By the side of the
coffin stood Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Hopkins