Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-11-10

ASAue, uuCoA'OA o"oi!
his named it to mo yistiddy that he
couldn't holt out much longer. feel !
this way: 1 had my chance and he |
had ought to hey had his. Ht1satp't
no i'll will to'des me, He wa Ayen
trade far ami squar4 and he 0t41of
KEEP it ef hedn't ondersold him cAss
below cost price. feel ez mean and
or'nry ez a fee dog that sucks eggs.
hain't treated him white"
"Business is business" said Louisa
NJ, shaking back her hair. She was a
little thing in gathered pink frock,
but she looked to Fields as immu-
table as the austere Justice on the
coin of the realm. Perhaps, after all,
she was right, and he himself was
swayed from Judgment by a sort
Of limp tendency to see other folk
comfortable. Field designedly mod.
eled his big clay conceptions upon the
tiny marble models OF Louisa Ms
ideals, but somehow, though his I'M
weldy notions were grotesquely like
the pattern, they were soft and un-
stable and req ired constant bolster
ing into shape.
Though Paxton might be, as Louisa
Nj. declared him, the evilest OF Adams
brood, it hurt Fields to see the hand
some young fellow going about the
village with drawn face and downcast
eyes.
ppm a losin' hesh!" he complained
to his daughter. "Thet Teller hes got
away with my appetite. cpd rather
80 ragged e. q picked buzzard than
keep this up. I'd feel a heap better,
Louisa NJ, to mark tibet last lot O.
calicoes up a little'-but under his
dauahter's chastislng eye he drew a
tagging breath.
You leave things to me-" COM
manded Louisa NJ. "Iou don't know
anyt hing about business, pappy! We
are only turning his own blade against
P.xton. He deserves to fail! He
came here year back honeying round
and never saving he was looking for q
place to locate. was nice to him. l
used to talk to him free as air, never
suspicioning he was aiming to do my
own father up" Her voice choked.
She had paled under her coppery skin.
and her wet eyes We're like vioets
that tremble open in q swart March
bank.
Finally along toward the summer
the end came. Paxton assigned for
hegood OF his creditors. Alawyerfrom
Burksville came TO take charge OF
things and the steamboat landing
was deserted, as men gathered in
Fields store o discuss the happenings.
The river was sinking and traffic was
nearly suspended. Cows grazed on
the sun-burned pastures OF the lower
hills. Tan.coIored hogs idled about
the paveless streets. and children OF
corresponding tint OF complexion
pl yed shril y on the perilous river
slope.
"Wa'al, he 'peared likely young
rooster"
"Iaas. Erthouph I'm Jest ez willin'
he busted. K'ntucky fer K 'ntuckians,
says I. I'm q pertectionis' every
time don't keer nothin' bout the
platform" Fields, listening to this
acute philosophy, suddenly cut in,
, his broad face curiously sunken.
"Confound 1t, l say, fair chance
, fer every one." He stopped to pad
> his brow with punched red handker-
i. cumstances. He had memhered
: that Louisa NJ. was somewhere in he
back OF the store. and just then, too,
a throng of men had opened to admit
a young fellow who came across the
porch at a run, his hat off.
Say" he painted, the exhilaratlon
OF bad news in his face, "why say!"-
did any OF we hear about Paxton.
He's went to work and shot hisse'f.
That Teller from Bnrksvlle was talllin'
to a raft of US outside Paxton's store
, and we heered q rifle go off up steers
in Paxton's room, and hetoreupth a1
and busted in tn. door and-Lord|
: wait till | get my breath!-1 got it
I from Smith thet-"
i There was a little sound behind the
huddle OF men. q sound like sharp
: breath and clatter OF tin and g
heavier resonance.
In front of the molasses barrel an
I overturned quart measure and long
n nosed funnel rolled on the bare floor
y in essening arcs. Nearby in t egloon
: OF the inner apartment something hac
fallen, something which looked like s
. limp heap OF pink calico, and which al
Fields lifted it traiIed haccid arms
its little neck letting the head back II
: sickening way OF llfelessness.
/ Outside the sunshine lacquered thu
IL river with milky CLEAN. Ade|iciou
/ blueness msted distant hills, and nea
n by Fields store a bluejay flashed it,
{ wings, uttering rasping cries. Twt
= men coming Up the road werelaughin
~ as they sauntered along-one, an eld
I. erly person, moppng HIS face.
" "You scared m. out of a year
Il growth, just the same!'' he said.
u knew you were acknowledgements
- and when that shot rang out-l-wel
( naturally thought you had done TO
yourself. went up those airs fou
. steps at a time, shouting to those fe
&c lows below run for a doctor"
u Paxton gave rather grim smile.
y "Ibelieveyou're dis ppointed thati
"a was only chicken hawk was firm
le att" he said. "Mrs. Wick had Jus
g. called to me from the back yard t.
4, shoot it. She's been missing pullet
~ lately.
8 $50 you let go. Say, Paxton, som'
~ thin must be the matter down q