The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-04-25

usual, but nobody seemed to notice or
even recognize him. Then the wliiis-
pers became audible, he heard a mans
voice say: We'll, there's old Houghi
If eve there was a glum old hypocrite
goin' its he. He's tighter'n q barrel
hoop; never gives q cent for any public
object; and they do say, half starves
Mis- Hough to boot. I tell you I don't
take no stock in him. Talks easy pro
fession is smooth enough, but / go for
practice above preachin."
He is mighty small that's a fact; but
l don't mind that SO much" put in
another voice, ''asI do his underhanded
ways. Let him get a grudge against
anybody, Idon't care who It's, and he'll
undermine and plot and sneak around
just like a molet to do 'em harm and trip
'em up, and if he's found out he'll make
some darned excuse about it's bein' for
the good of religion, and people should
be showed up"
Artemns Hough swelled with anger
but, alas! the dumbness of dreams held
him. He could not speak.
"Well,' said a third speaker, s'I do
no as l care so much about them things
as / do about the way he acts to Mis-
Hough; l do despise a man that1l brow
beat a woman who can't get away from
him, and she's afraid as death Of him
ye can see it every time they go any
where. He'sareal tyrant by natur', and
I take it that amt jest what the Bible
means, to be did by them that takes it
for the rewl of life, or says they do"
Artemus felt drops of cold sweat COM
ing out on his face. He was not afraid,
but he was furious, aud he could not
witl1er these accusers with his cruel eye
and bitter tongue as he could his
trembling wife or his luckless debtors.
Still another took up the scathing
word. my thing aginst him is tibet
he ant square on the deal. You buy
q bushel of potatoes of him and they
jest even fill the measure, not one atop
ont an apples the same, besides being
poor at that, come to look at the bot
tom. He don't keep nigh so strict
to weights and measures as he does to
Calyin's five pints or decrees'n pre-
destination; seems as though if he did
folks would like him better, an he'd do
mora credit to his profession"
my friends" put IN a familiar voice
La Y Packers rich, lazy tones;
Artemus knows them well-"arent you
rather hard on the old fellow? I don't
deny he's mean and hard, and perhaps
cruel it's SO easy to be cruel to q wom-
an who can't strike back, and / don't
deny that he processes more than he
practices, but, after all, isn't that the
way he's made up? You can't make
cheese out Of chalk if you want to, but
1 suppose chalk is OF some use.s
Good to set up for landmarks so't
folks won't drive where 'tis,' and a laugh
echoed the last speaker.
Artemus groaned and woke. His
wife stood by his side.
clad q nightmare, haven't you?" she
said for his groans had scared her from
her rest o N the step.
Go to bed, can't you?"he said, after
the domestic tiger fashion. Artemus
had seen himself as others saw him but
as yet without result.
Oddly enough, Joe Packer had a like
experience that night, but not in sleep.
He sat late by the window of his office,
instead of going home to bed, for the
night was hot and close, and his little
room at the tavern musty and torrid
with the glare of u long days sun. His
lamp was out, to avoid insect visitors,
and his last smoke over, but he was too
lazy to move, and through the closed
blind came a delicious watt of scented
night air; presently a couple o loungers
stopped and leaned against the fence.
Hot as mustard, amt it?" said one
to the other.
awful! You don't catch me going
home to Mother Kings hunks tonight.
Can't we stretch on the grass som'ers ?''
Inside here / guess is as good as
anywhere. Grass is clean and short"
who lives he-e?"
Nobody. It's Joe Packers office, n
he; off home or to some girls house
long ago.
So the two leaped the low rail and
lay down on the cool earth.
Joe Packers a great fellow!" the
last speaker went on "he's the greatest
to talk / ever see, but he never carries
nothin' through. You'd oughter hear
my boy tell about how he fused an
buzzed about that Bible class of his'n:
they'd got to be jest so punctual, and
jest so prepared, and for while twas
w~hewtybang, but he got tired ont af-
ter q spell, and now he's skerce aver on
tire, an most always says: 'Well,I
hope you've all stldied up, I haven't
had any time this week. Tn sorry to
say Gracious grievous! they know
we'll enough he's ben off on an excur-
sion with Lyddy Smith, or sleigh ride
with Mariana Adams, or a fishin' to the
mill pond, or on a boss trot to Manville.
They laaf in their sleeves, / tell We.
Boys amt FOOLS"
Shouldn't think he was Just the fell
Ter to lecter 'em on habits and such like;
he smokes all day, I've heered, and
studies by fits; bound to have a good
time If things cracks"
He's accommodation. I don't say but
what he's real clever, but he's lazy AZ
molasses might be s'thin ef he had any
grit"
Sweet On the parsons gal, ain'the?"
BLESS You, he's sweet on 'em all! I'd
bet my head there amt ten girls in
Stamford but what he's made love to,
as they call it, aud ha'n't nm idee of mar
sym any one on 'em.
sid like to see him tryin' it on with
one Of mine, eff / had EN- growed up"
Hes too cute for that, Jake. He
picks EN- ont where there ant no faith
ers nor no big brothers to stan up to
him, and the girls is fools, anyway.
They don't know . fraud like that fell
low when they see him."
Joe Packer set his teeth: he would
have liked to nick that man from the
grass and knock him down again. This
WAS his first impulse, but the coward
maker, conscience, unbent his arm,
and his angry face softened /; here he
saw himself with other men, eyes; q
futile fellow, self-indulgent. lazy cow
| ardly, bent on selfish pleasures rather