The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-09-08

ies, SiT' thiHh III lne uuy
you mean"
"Sit here, please. My wife tele-
phoned that she liked your looks
Your name is"
stephen Bruce"
THAT sounds like It. Yes, Stephen
Bruce. Have you any recommenda-
tions?"
mo, sir. have no acquaintance
here"
"Where are you from?"
"Bllthedale. | came yesterday"
The man at the desk looked the
boy over.
"How old?"
"Just eighteen"
''Do YOU know what you will be
expected to do If l give you this
place."
'Take care of the outside of the
house, keep the Ground in order and
look after the ledy's horse and pha-
eton."
eyes. And what would you do
with the rest of your tlme?"
Go to school"
Good. The school is close Mt
hand. What sort of an education
have You had?"
ut has been rather irregular. I've
been to school every winter and this
spring I had three-months' chance
to teach"
"Teach?"
The boy smiled family.
There was nobody else available"
The man looked at the boy with
interest.
I'm sorry you haven't any recon-
mendatlons," he said.
The boy drew a neat little packet
Df papers from his inner coat pocket.
81 have few lines from the school
trustees and a kindly word or two
from. the minister who has known
me since I was born, and to-whom-
ft-may-concern from Judge oliver, of
the circuit court. OF course / realize
that these are not the sort of recon-
mendations boy who wants Job
cutting grass and tending horses
should carry around, but they are all
I can show"
The man stared hard at the boy.
why don't you look for something
better?" he demanded.
Il want an education" the boy re-
Piled 81 must have a place where I
can work odd hours and go to school
And | mean to work my way through
college"
The man waited a moment
"All right" he said, "the lob is
yours If you want 1t. I'll give you
dollar a day and your board as long
as you suit"
Thank YOU" said the boy. "I ey-
pect to suit"
"You can begin at any time" said
the man.
'That will be this afternoon" the
boy replied. 81 left my valse at the
house"
The man stared again.
Very WELL" he said.
For several days the man saw very
little of the boy.
He noted however, that the grass
had never looked in better condition
and that the horse and phaeton left
nothing to be desired along the lines
of cleanliness.
How is the new boy turning out?"
he asked his wife,
Better than l expected" she an
swered. II wish we could help him
10
ing"
Steady, Caroline" said the man.
You mustn't let your kindly i'm
pulses run away with you And the
boy isn't asking any help"
The next afternoon he encountered
the boy near the gate. The boy had
black eye, an unmistakable black
eye.
At the dinner table the man locked
across at his wife.
Has our protege been fighting?"
he asked.
Yes his wife replied.
He told you about it?'
"Yes. And it isn't to his discredit
Henry"
THE black eye?"
"The entire affair"
"But you have only heard the boys
side of the story.
The lady smiled.
That's all want, Henry" But
Henry shook his head.
The next morning Stephen Bruce's
employer had call from Judge DAN
lei Strong, of the district court.
I've come on rather peculiar err
rand, Appleton" he said as he took
a proffered chair. ''My boy Jim came
home last night pretty badly battered
up. He is at the Jefferson high
school, you know, and neither his
mother nor myself could get a word
out of him. Well, I did little de-
tective business and found out that
he had been fighting with boy named
Stephen Bruce. who is said to be
your hired man. Is there such a man
IN your employ, Appleton"
Henry Appleton stiffened a little.
"A boy of that nam0 works about