Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-20
CHAPTER xvIII.-Continued.

trimmed gave checks, and l turned
'em into cash as soon as the banks
opened. / wasn't any too spry. either.
Two of the damned sneaks consulted
lawyers as soon as they sobered on,
and tried to stop payment on their
checks. They're threatening proceed
ings. You must take the dough away
with you. and l don't want a receipt"
Trimming suckers, eh?" said l, not
able to decide what to do.
'"Their fathers stole it from the pub
lic," he explained. They're drunken
little snobs, not fit to have money.
I'm doing a public service by relieving
them of it. If I'd a got more, I'd feel
that much more"-he vented his light,
cool, sarcastic laugh-"more patri-
otto"
II can't take It," said I, feeling that,
in my present condition, to take it
would be very lear to b%etraying the
confidence Of my old friend.
"They lost it in a straight game"
he fastened to assure me. II haven't
had a brace box or crooked wheel for
four years." This with a sober face
and a twinkle in his eye. But even
If / had helped chance to do the good
work of teaching them to take care
of their money, you'd not refuse me.
Up town and down town, and all over
the place, what's business, when you
come to look at it sensibly, but trad
ing stolen goods? Do you know a man
who could honestly earn than
ten or twenty thousand a year-good
clean money by good clean work."
"Oh, for that matter. your moneys
as clean as a%nybody's," said /. But
you know I'm a speculator, Joe. l
nave my downs-and this happens to
be a stormy time for me. II take
your money, | mayn't be able to ac-
count for it or ever to pay dividends
on 1T for-maybs a year o. So"
It's all right, old man. I'll never
give it a thought till you remind me
Of it. Use it as you'd use your own.
I've got to put it behind somebody's
luck-why not yours?"
He finished doing up the package,
then he seated himself, and we both
looked at it through the smoke OF our
cigars.
TITS just as easy to deal in big sums
as in little, in large matters as in
small, isn't it, joe" said I, 'once one
gets in the way of it,"
do you remember-away back
there-the morning." he asked mus
ingly-"the last morning-you and /
got up from the straw in the stables
over at Jerome Park-the stables
they let us sleep int"
And went out in the dawn to roost
on the rails and spy on the speed
trials of old Revell's horses?"
Exactly" said Joe, and we looked
at each other and laughed. we in
rags-gosh, how chilly 1t was that
morning! Do you remember what we
talked about?"
NO." said I, though ! did.
Il was proposing to turn a crooked
trick-and you wouldn't have it. You
persuaded me to keep straight, Matt.
I've v forgotten it. You kept me
straightforward me what a fool a
man was to load himself down with a
petty larceny record. You made a
man of me, Matt. And then those good
looks OF yours caught the eye of that
bookmaker's girl, and he gave you a
Job at writing shetland you worked
me in with you"
So long ago it seemed, yet near and
real. too. as I sat there, conscious OF
every sound and motion, even of the
fantastic shapes taken by our up
curling smoke. How far I was from
the rail bird" of those happy-go-
lucky years, when a meal meant quite
as much to me as does a million now
how far from all that, yet how near,
too. For was I not still facing life
with the same careless courage, for.
getting each yesterday in the eager
excitement Of each new day with its
new deal? We went on in our remin.
iscences for a while; then, as Joe had
q little work to do, | drifted out into
the house, took a bite of supper with
young Melville, had a little go at the
tiger, and toward five In the clear
June morning emerged into the broad
day Of the streets, with the precious
bundle under my arms and a five hun.
dred dollar bill in my waistcoat
pocket.
Give my win to me in a single
BILL" said to the banker, "and blow
yourself off with the change"
Joe walked down the street with
me-for co~mpanionship and a little
air before turning in, he said, but
imagine a desire to keep his eye on
his treasure a while longer had some
thing to do with his taking that early
morning stroll. We passed several Of
those forlorn figures that hurry
through the slowly-awakening streets
to bed or to work. Finally, there
came by an old, old woman-a scrub
woman, I guess, on her way home
from cleaning some Office building
Beside her was a thin little boy, hop
ping along on a crutch. stopped
them.
Hold out your hand" said I to the
boy, and he did. ! laid the five hun
dred dollar bill in it. "Now, shut your
fingers tight wei that" said /. land
don't open them till you get home
Then tell your mother to do what she
likes with it." And we left then
gaping after US, speeches. before thif
fairy story come true.
"You must be looking hard for lucl
to-day" said Joe, who understood
this transaction where another NIGH