Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-27


ting his nineteenth qpinter.
Henry Louden's about the saddest
case of abused stepfather ever saw"
Its his own fault" said Mr.. Arp
"twice not havin' sense enough not to
marry. Him with son of his own
tool"
YES" assented the colonel, mar
ryin' widow with son of her own,
and that widow Fanny"
Wasn't it just the same with her
first husband, Bantry?" Mr.. Davey
asked, not for information, as he i'm
mediately answered himself. you
bet 1t was! Didn't she always rule
the roost? Yes, she did. She made
god of Gene from the day he was
born. Bantry's house was run for him,
like Louden's is now"
'.And look" exclaimed Mr.. Arp, with
satisfaction, Eat the way he's turned
out!'
"He amt turned out at all yet. He's
too young" said Buckalew. Besides,
clothes don't make the man."
Wasn't he smokin' cigareetw cried
Eskew triumphantly. This was final.
cts pity Henry Louden can't do
something for his own son." said Mr..
Bradbury. "Why don't he send him
away to college?"
Fanny won't let him." chuckled Mr..
Arp inadvertently. "Takes all their
spare change to keep Gene there in
style. don't blame her. Gene GER
tainly acts the fool, but that Joe Lou
den is the orneriest boy 1 ever saw in
an ornery world full"
He always was kind of mischeev-
ous." admitted Buckalew. 81 don't
think he's mean, though, and it does
seem kind of not just right that Joe's
fathers money-Bantry didn't leave
anything to speak of-has to go to
keepin' Gene on the fat of the land,
with Joe gittin' up at half past 4 to
carry papers, and him goin' on nine
teen years DID,"
Its all he's fit for!' exclaimed Es-
kew. Hes low down, tell We. Amt
it only last week Judge Pike caught
him shootin' craps with Pixies niger
driver and some other niger hired
men In the alley back of Pixies barn"
You ever hear that boy Joe talk pol
itlcs" asked Uncle Joe Dayey, cross
ing cough with chuckle. His
heads SO full Of schemes fer running
this town, and state, too, it's wonder
1t don't bust. Henry Louden told me
he's see Joe set around and study by
the hour how to save 100000 for the
state in two years."
And the best he can do for himself,"
added Eskew, "is deliverin' the Daily
Tocsin on a second hand Star bicycle
and gamblin' with niggers and riffraff!
None of the nice young folks invite
him to their doin's any more"
"That's because he's got so shabby
he's quit goin' with 'em," said Bucka-
lew.
mo. it amt" snapped Mr.. Arp. cts
because he's SO low down. He's no
more N town outcast. There amt
ary one of the girls IL have thing to
do with him, except that rip-rarin' tom
boy next door to Louden's, and the otl-
ers don't have much to do with her
neither, l can tell We. That Arie Ia
hor"-
Colonel Fltcroft caught him surrep-
titiously by the arm ash, Eskewr' he
whispered. Look out what you're
sayin'."
You needn't mind me-" Jonas Tabor
spoke up crisply. 81 washed my hands
of all responsibility for Rogers branch
of the family long ago. Never was one
OF 'em had the energy or brains to
mako decent livin', beginning with
Roger-not one worth his salt. set
Rogers son up in business, and all the
return he ever made me was to 20
into bankruptcy and take to drink, till
he died sot, like his wife did of
shame. l done all could when /
handed him over my store, and never
expect to lift finger for 'em again.
Ariel Tabor's my grandniece but she
didn't act like It, and you can say any
thing You like about her for what
care The last time spoke to her was
Year and half ago. and don't
reckon I'll ever trorrlc 10 again."
"How was that. 10. $50 quickly In.
quired Mr.. Davey, who. being the
eldest of the party. was the most GU
rious. what happened?"
she was out in the street. up OF
that high bicycle of Joe Louden's. He
was teachtn' her to ride, an she was
sittfn' on it like man does. STONED
and told her she wasn't respectable.
Sixteen years old, gofn' on seventeen
what did she say:"
Laughed" said Jonas. his voice be-
coming louder us the recital of his
wrongs renewed their sting in his soul. /
laughed"
"What did you do!"
II went up to her and told her she