Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-26

There it is said he every dollar
stole is there. brought it with me an
over these hundreds O. miles l could
hear the tongue O. gossip. Every night
as / lay down I could hear the whis-
pering of all the people 1 ever knew.
could see them shake their heads.
Then came this locket O. gold.'
"a beautiful, shiny thing it was, an
he took out Of it little strand O. white
| hair an read these words cut in the
| cleaning case:
| "Here are silver and gold,
The one for day O. remembrance be-
\ tween thee an dshonor,
The other for a day O. plenty between thee
an want.
| ut was an odd thought an worth
keeping an often have repeated the
words. The silvered hair that was for
remembrance, an the gold he might
sell an turn it into a day plenty.
in the locSet>was a letter said the
poor man. Here it is an he held it in
| the light O. the candle See, it is sign
ed Mother
can he read from the letter words o.
sorrow an bitter shame an firm con-
uue1lce III his nOnOr.
cit ground me to the very DUST he
went on. I put the money in that
bundle, every dollar. l could not re-
turn it an so confirm the disgrace o.
her an all the rest. could not use it,
for if | lived in comfort they would
ask-all O. them-whence came his
money? For their sake l must walk
+! In poverty all me days. An went to
work at heavy toll. sor, as became a
poor man. AS Gods me Judge, felt
pride in rags an the horny hand.'"
The tinker paused n moment, in
which all the pendulums seemed to
quicken pace, tick tapping upon tick,
as If trying to get ahead of each other
"Think of it, boy" Darrell continued.
"a pride in rags am poverty. Bring
that into thy book an let thy best
thinking bear upon it. Show us how
patch an latter were for the poor man
as badges of honor an success.
"I thought to burn the money me
host went on. But no; that would
have robbed me O one great possibili-
ty-that O. restoring ii. Some time,
when they We're dead, maybe, an 1
could suffer alone, or when some lucky
chance might come to me, would re-
store the money, but I could not find
the owners of it. Day an night these
slow am heavy years it has been here.
cursing an accusing me.
81 lie here O nights thinking. In
that heap O. money l seem to hear the
signs an sobs o the poor people that
tnilp1 To an I fhoir
on me, an, God, this heart O. mine is
crowded to bursting with the despair
O. hundreds. An, betimes l hear the
cry O murder in the cursed heap as il
there We're some had blood upon it.
An then dream it has caught fire be-
meath me- am am burning raw in the
fame'"
The tinker paused again, crossing the
room and watching the swing of pen
dulum.
"Boy, boy" said he, returning to his
chair, "think O. that complaining, i'm
movable heap lying there like the blood
OF murder! An thy reader must
feel the toll an sweat an misery an
despair that is in Il great sum, am how
1t all presses on the heart o. him that
gets ii wrongfully
"'Well, sor,' the poor fellow contin-
ued, now an then l met those had
known me, an reports O. me poverty
went home. An those dear to me sent
money, the sight O. which filled me
with mighty sickness, am / sent it
back to them. Long ago, thank Gafs
they ceased to think me thief, bup
0nly flpo oil
do with the money! There be those.
living / have to consider, an, those dead,
an those unborn
Hide it, said 1, AN go to thy work,
an God give thee COUNSEL"
Man and boy rose from the table and
drew up to the little stove.
"Now, boy" said the clock tinker,
leaning toward him with kattted brows,.
consider this poor .Aref who suffered.
so for his friends Think O. these good:
words, Greater love hath no man than.
this, that he lay down his life for hts
friends II thou shouldst ever write,
OF 1t, thy problem will be to reckon the.
good am evil an give each 4 careful
estimate am him his proper rank
sWhat a sad tale" said the boy,
thoughtfully Its terrible to think he,
may be my father. Please tell me when
was the boy taken"
''Time or name or place /: cannot tell,
thee lest betray him." said the old
man. Neither is necessary to thy
tale. Keep it with thee awhile Thou
art young yet an close inshore Wafs
until We sound the farther deep, Them
sor, write. if God give thee power an
think chiefly O. them in peril an, aboue
to dash their feet upon the stones.''
For . 4nomeht the clocks ticking
vas like the, voice of many ripples
washing the shore of the infinite, A
new life had begun for Trova and
they We're cutting it into seconds. He
looked up at them and rose quickly
and stood moment, his thumb on the.
door latch, Outside they could hear.
the rush and scatter of the snow.
.Poor youth!' said the old man.
"Fhou hast no coat-take NINE Take
1t, 1 say. 1t will give thee comfort am
me happiness"
He would hear no refusal and again
the coat changed owners, giving hap,
piness 10 the old and comfort to the,
new.
Ihen Trove went down the ricketys
stairs and away in the darkness.
AoaacnS aAN ,.Nn>H..-~s