The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-17
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALVA MILTON KERR.
COPYRIGHT, 1885, BY THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPANY.1
CHAPTER xIv.-CoNr1NuEp.

CHATTER AlN.-CONT1NUED.
Presently the sun began to go down,
sinking in great fire at the far-off end
of the valley through which the river
went into the west, and flooding the
long many-colored hollow with mel
low lovely light. While he was look
ing at this, girl riding a milk-white
pony came around one Of the valleys
fixtures following the gray road to-
ward the town with the rosy light about
her much as if she had ridden out of
the sunset. When she came nearer he
saw that it was Maun Woodman. As
she passed in an easy canter, uncon-
scious of the silent watcher above her,
he saw how she sat her horse in a kind
of willowy ease with long and taper
ing waist and dark face rich with
color.
He turned to follow her with his eye
when she had passed. and saw almost
with surprise the silent book-keeper
coming quietly along the road toward
the sunset. He was looking at the
ground as he walked, and when he
looked up and saw the girl he gave a
start, but took off his hat and bowed
politely as she passed him with a
smile and a salute from her riding
whip. When he came by below John
Earling he seemed flushed and was
muttering something to himself.
Then he stopped and watched the girl
until she had gone out of sight, and
turned and walked muttering on into
the gathering shadows.
John Earnings retrospective and in
Prospective mood being thus broken
into, his practically returned as he
went toward the town, and the check
as factor in his fortunes began to
orb about in his mind. He was not
wont to be long in making decision
on any head, his aim seeming so abso-
lutte and clear, but this question strik-
ing his mind Immediately divided into
two feasible and about equally allur-
ing halves. Should he spend it in go
ing away to SCHOOL, or hoard it until,
being admitted to practice in the
courts, he should need it to fit up an
office and get himself a library? He
picked on the latter course, and wisely
perhaps, much as he desired the other,
for only those who have gone over the
cruel road know how thorny the pro.
fessional way is when entered without
penny. His mind, too, was not bad
" equipped, since, with keen dispo.
sltion to master the expanse, he had
read himself with retentive hold in
every direction over the sea of litera'
t,lre, and had filled all the interstices
and little crannies of his time with OBJ.
servation and study. Indeed, he hao
come to be better educated in the
primary sense perhaps, through the
happy union of inclination and neees
sity, than thousands dawdling away {
quarter of a century of school.
When he came to the office of Bower
d Woodman the law partners hae
gone home, and he lit the gas without
thinking of his supper and went tt
work. When the big clock over IL
the courthouse dome droned out thu
hour of eleven he went through the
delicate star light to his humble lodg
lngs in the outskirt of the town witt
his hat in his hand, cooling his forehead
against the soft night wind. On TIT
morrow he had himself a sleepin groom
htted up at the top of the brick blocl
In which the office of Bower & Wood
man lay, and through the next tw'
years was well nigh as little seen il
public places as the still book-keeper
lie got forward in the law at some
thing like an amazing pace, so oi'
Woodman often said in substance t.
the Judge, following the statement
when his partner was not looking, Wit
one of his chair" pantomimes.
Occasionally, at the Judge invitation
John Earring would go home with hin
to tea, and give himself an hou
or two of recreation by talking Will
Mrs. Bower or sitting in the swini
under the cool tyses But the eide