Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-04
He actually laughed at the

ululSCll, IL tIdI uCul loASASo' 0oS
ri be ready for her tricks next time
little thingM
Eyes. sir said Phil stupidity. For If
Mr.. Romer had turned a somersault
in at the door. he could not have been
more astonished that at this style OF
conversation proceeding from such a
Nov, Master Phil" he continued;
81 suppose you have q few shares In
this undertaking. They are not pay
ing you a wage, I believe-Shares,
then? Yes, we shall put it at shares.
Now, I am interested-exceedfngiy
interested in the success of this ven
ture-you really need q new suit u
clothes, Master Phil!-And If you
see your way to make over to me
some part of your shares, would
give you an exceedingly good price
for them! Think it over. ! am not
a nan to force anything. Only he
sure that there is nothing but the ut
most goodwill under all this. be
gan late, and you viii say that |
have q good deal of lost time to make
up. True enough, Master Phil! But
please remember that I was " a
free man before and-ah, WELT
doesn't matter!"
He said no more but rambled off.
leaning heavily on his stick, his fig
ure growing less through the trees
He was evidently ageing and Phil
said to himself that wonders would
never Ease.
Phil had undertook in a moment
that Jacob Romer had begun to speak
Of his daughter, but that at the last
moment (if such an expression can be
used Of Jacob Romer) courage had
failed him.
Men more worldly wise and mis-
trustful than Phil would not have be-
lieved a word Of all this. The OLD
lion scented something good. and
meant to have his finger in the Port
plea little cloud at first. no bigger
than Phil Calmont's hand in the con-
cern-but presently to oyer-shadow
and control everything. But when a
man, after years of bitter s~elfishness,
at last sets out to do a kind action,
he does it a little shamefacedly, awk-
wardly. but completely. And Phil's
feminine sixth sense helped him to
understand the master of CORN Cas-
tle-helped him also to believe in
i Jacob Romer. Certainly the affair 9f
the Port pit urgently needed support
less inconstant than that of Uncle
Barney. He would put the matter 10
his principal.
"Why certainly, my boy-a CAPT
talist, did you say? Wants some Of
your shares? Yes, Of course only
don't be botherin' meas many as
you like! Only get the nest built or
the site Dick and I found for you
looking over to the Skerry, and ye'
sheltered by the fir woods from the
north and east. ThOn we will Sc:
about the mate for VI boy PHIL"
In his secret heart. Phil would have
preferred to. settle that part first. Blu
everyone down at the Rough Isle wa
SO busy with the building of tn
model lighthouse (the outgoing eS
penses; Of which wosfully ;curtaile'
! his wages bill up oHY the "heugh"
) that he. saw but little of Nida,. an
, that little always in !lhe presence c
? either of the couple of joint-stoc
fathers.
; Now, however, he ssw a way out {
all this. He was to have three. hu'
dred shares in the concern. All wa
. properly and legally arranged. Thes
! he could certainly dispose Of at wins
! he could get for them. Thus h
would tide over the worst-the tim
| of the building of the model ligh
:, mouse on the point, the lantern j
: ~stallation. and SO on. Then ono
/ more Uncle Barry would be ava
: able in his entirety-or perhaps /
u that time (such things had happe
r od) the mine would be paying I
" way.
q The next day you may be sure TIL
Phil heard the airy clink of pit al
T bride down in the road beneath Il
IS corpsewood. A short collouuy ft
4 lowed, and then the carriage dro'
on. Phil's heart beat heavily.
IT was now or never. II he did not g
ID more capital-at least. some tempe
II airy assistance-the P%ortogarten I
would be a failure. Still worse, tn
1T would all think it had been his fau
Had he not had a free hand? CO
to tainly, except with regard to none
The white tower down on the poll
a the petted child Of the old lighthou
n mems fancy, had taken most of tina
Good morning, Master Phil" SO
or Jacob Romer. gaily. He, was alwa
iccose when he came up to the Pr
!" mine. It was a little daily relaxati
Id which he allowed himself. Besid'
= he could look down on the Gotta
III at Rough Island. and see his daught
a. moving about with quick determin
IT. steps on the white paths cut amo
1T the green turf of the 'links"- VIII
d. beyond was the to-and-fro of t
ou workmen among the scaffoldings
tho Point Light.
at He laughed. Then he moved or
few steps to a new point of view q
ID laughed again. No one in the memo
ly Of man had ever heard Jacob Ron
to laugh like that before.
he But it was by no means done
nd naturally. He clapped, Phil on
ND back and put the question for VIII
nd the young man had leen wait
ne- This was Friday and there was
enough money in the bank to pay s
Ill nrday's wages bill. He had spoken
en- Billy, but that careless capitalist
.ge only answered, ooh sure, many is
time l have had to wait three mon
of out on yonder light for my NOR
7o- Unc Barry has failed to conn
to again. that's all. Give them your 4
er, of hand, if they come botherin'!"
---