The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-23
MERGERS Eyes Followed Him.

MERGERS Eyes Followed Him.
expenses? Oh. yes. she has grub.
staked us. all right; but she has done
a good deal more-she has furnished
more than half million to us for our
gamble"
The colonel considered: theni But
why did you keep him here so long be.
forehand?" said he.
ut was not long beforehand" said
Mercer "rhe meeting was adjourned
for a day-we don't know why-we
fancy that his partners suspect some.
thing. 1t is called for tomorrow, in
spite of their efforts to have It put or
week. But we want more: we want
to induce Keatcham to vote his own
stock for US, and to call of his dogs
himself"
And you can't force him to do it?'
I'VE shall force him, easily enough"
returned Mercer, but we don't trust
him. We want his private cookbook
to be sure he is playing fair. In fact.
We have to have 1t, because nothing
gets any attention that isn't, so to
speak. properly introduced"
And he will not give it to you?"
Says he has lost it"
perhaps he has" unused the soldier.
But now, all this Is not my concern.
except that have no right, as a sol.
der, even passively to aid In breaking
the laws. 1t is my duty to rescue and
free Mr.. Keatcham."
Before he could speak further Mer-
Ger lifted a hand in apologetic inter-
rnption. Would Col. Winter excuse
him, but he must ask Mr.. Tracy to go
back to the patio and have an eye on
the detective. Endicott only ex-
changed a single glance before he
obeyed. MERGERS eyes followed him.
"It was not to be helped" he said.
half to himself, "but 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.
~ have few things I 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. 81 think you have the clew to
Archie's whereabouts and don't recog-
nize it yourself: so put me wise, as
the slang goes"
Then, without preface, in brief. ner.
vous sentences, spoken hardly with
culver Of muscle or a wavering
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
or; 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 he 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. $50 / expect I was
the fonder Of my own kin. Id mighty
good mother, sir, and sister; and there
was Phil-my little brother. We were
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 it had every dollar Of
mortgage 1t could stand, and the soil
all worn out, needing all kinds OF
things; and I 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 l stum-
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 it might be
big thing. She paid of 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-;
ITO be Continued.) W.