Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-11
CHAPTER XIII.
The Gate Of the Moon.

A curious friendship had sprung up
between old Adelbert and Bobby
Thorpe. In off hours, after school, the
boy hung about the ticket takers
booth, swept now to o wonderful clean
illness and adorned within with pic.
lures cut from the illustrated papers.
Outwardly Adelbert was peaceful.
The daughter now received his pension
in full, and wrote comforting letters.
But his resentment and bitterness at
the loss of his position at the opera
continued, ven grew.
For while he had now even a greater
wage, and could eat three meals, be-
sides second breakfast and afternoon
coffee, down deep in his heart old
| Adelbert felt that he had lost caste.
The opera-that was a setting! He
had been, then, of the elect. And now,
to what had he fallen! To selling
tickets for o. American catchpenny
scheme, patronized by butchers, by
housemaids, by the common people
a noisy, uproartous crowd, that never
theless counted their change with
suspicious eyes, and brought lunches
in paper boxes. which they scattered
about.
There was, however, a consolation.
He had ordered a new uniform. Not
for twenty years had he ventured the
extravaganza, and ever now his eau
tious soul quailed at the price. For
the last half dozen years he had
stumped through the streets, painfully
aware of shabbiness, Of q shiny back,
OF patches, when. on the anniversary
OF the great battle to which he had
sacrificed a leg, the veterans marched
between lines of cheering people.
Now. on this approaching anniver.
sary, he could 90 peacefully, nay, even
proudly. The uniform was Of the best
cloth, and on its second fitting showed
already its marvel of tailoring.
On an evening a week before the
parade would occur, he got out his
boots. He bought always large boots
with straight soles, the right not much
different from the left in shape. Thus
ne managed thriftily to wear, on his
n leg, first one Of the pair, then the
other. But they were both worn now,
and because Of the cost Of the new
uniform, he could not buy others.
Armed with the better of the two
he visited the cObbler'S shOp. and there
met with bitter news.
"A patch here, and a new heel, com.
rade," he said. "Wlth that and a pol.
ishing, 1t will do we'll enough for
marching"
The usuc! group was In the shop,
mostly young men. a scattering Of gray
heads. The advocates Of strange doc.
trlnes, most Of them. Old Adelbert
d~isapproved Of them, regarded them
with a sort Of contempt.
Now he felt that they smiled behind
his back. 1t was his clothing, he felt.
He shrugged his shoulders disdaln.
fully. He no longer felt ashamed be-
fore them. Already, although tho
tailor still pressed its seams and
marked upon It with chalk. he was
clad IN the dignity Of the new uni.
form.
He turned and nodded to them. "A
fine evening"" he said. If this
weather holds, we will have q good
day for the marching" He squInted
q faded eye at the sky outside.
"What marchlngT
Old Adelbcrt turned on the speaker
sharply. Probably you have forgot.
ten" he said s%cornfully, "but in q week
comes an anniversary there are many
who will remember. The day Of q
great battle. Perhaps" he added, III