Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-23

| half to himself, but I have been sorry
more than once that had to take
him into this"
Winter looked at him, more puz-
zled than he wanted to admit to him
self; indeed, he was rather glad to
have the next word come from Mercer.
Il have few things want to say
to you; they go easier when we are
alone-but won't you sit DOWN." When
the Colonel had seated himself he went
on: I'D like to explain things bit
I'D like to have you" answered the
soldier. Il think you have the clew TO
Archie's whereabouts and don't recog-
nize 1t yourself; SO put me wise, as
the slang goes"
| Then, without preface. in brief, ner-
vous sentences, spoken hardly with
| culver of muscle or q waver1ng
cadence of the voice, yet nevertheless
instinct with . deadly earnestness,
Mercer began to talk. He told OF his
struggling youth on the drained plan
tation, mortgaged so that after the in
, terest was paid there was barely
enough to set the meagerest living
for mother and sister and little broth
er; of his accidental discovery OF iron
ore on the place; of his working as
common laborer in the steel mills; OF
his being rooster" "strand-boy,"
Tougher" heater" "roller," during
three years while no was waiting for
his chance; Of his heart-draining toll;
of his solitary studies.
II never was the kind Of fellow to
make friends" he said, in his soft,
monotonous voice, 80 expect was
the fonder Of my own kin. I'd mighty
! good mother, sir, and sister; and there
was Phil-my little brother. We we're
right happy all together on the old
+! place that's been in our family for 100
years, and 1t was all we asked to stay
/ there; but 1t had every dollar OF
mortgage it could stand, and the soil
all worn out, needing all kinds OF
things; and wish you could have
seen the makeshifts we had for ma
chimes! / was blacksmith and carpen-
ter and painter-just 16, and not an
especially bright chap, but mighty will
ing to work; and my mother and sis
and I've did heap. When strsm-
bled on the ore couldn't be sure, but
wrote to Aunt Rebecca Winter. She
sent a man down. He looked up
things. 1t would take heap of money
| to work the mines, but 1t might be
big thing. She paid off the mortgage
and took another. First to last, she's
been mighty kind to us. She would
have done more had we let her. So
| went to Pittsburg and learned my
trade, and made enough to pay inter
est, and the people at home got fa1r-
" good living. When ! was 81 was
| back home, and got company started
and put up mill. You know how
those things have to creep up. But
there was ore, all right, and / under
stood my business and taught the
hands. We'd a right sweet little mill.
Well, l don't want to take up your
time, sub. Those next 10 or IL years
were right hard work, but they were
happy, too. We prospered; we helped
the whole county prosper. We paid
! Aunt Becky. We we're in good shape.
We went through '9S paying our divi-
dends just as regular and making
them, too, though we didn't much
more-it was close sailing. But we
were honest; we made mighty good
article; and everybody trusted US.
Then came the craze for mergers, and
number of us got together. Still we
weren't very big, but we were big
enough to be listed ! didn't want it,
but somenof the men thousnt 1t was q
terrible fine thing to be Iron Kings
That was how Kes.cham was look
ing over the country for fish for his
net; he somehow heard that here was
heap of good ore and new mills. The
first intimation we had was his sec
yetary coming as a northern invalid
why, he stayed at our house because
we were so sorry for him, the hotel
being in new hands and not right COM
Portable. He seemed so interested in
our mills, and bought some stock, and
sent presents to Phil and my mother
after he went"
"That was Keatcham's private secre-
tary, you say?"
Eyes, sub, Atkins. You met him on
the train-as sleek and deadly little
scoundrel as ever got rich quick. oh,
he's deep. Well, sub, you know the
usual process. Convinced Of the value
OF the property, Keatcham and one or
two others set out to buy 1t. They
got little blocks of it here and there.
RETTrR THAN cpANKINE