Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-03-18

iiohg all lhe btc fences md ciif4
Come t0 pnxtm6 fof new goods thntt
What he's idti hr ne nh insuit !,
means that or Rro1 are old"
Fields looked around.
"Weli he said. "our stuff IL hooty
tclaiie seasoned. Louiss NJ" sh.
wheeled about
oven get new Well paint the
store, and order whole stock " every.
thing IN 60 10 the city myself and or.
der what Is necessary won't hev to
one get alead Of you pappy" Field.
looked miserable. but IL never occurred
10 him to make hnnd against Louisa NJ.
Ruih would doubtless be the issue N
The reckless enterprise. but Fields was
helpless.
'Tll show him how 10 do business. y
said Louisn M. standing erect. her nos
trils dilated Fields shook his head.
He continued TO shake It solemnly at in.
tervnls in the days that followed, when
boxes and bales 10 his direction began TO
,umble off the boats which carried the
Southern roads freight down the river.
"Gittin n move ON yourself, eh, Un-
lie JiinmyT suggested the village idlers,
Observing these signs Of trade. But
Fields jaw only elongated the more,
while his brow became network Of con.
aicting wrinkles.
II was remarked in open council az
Paxton's store "that Uncle Jimmy
Fields wsrp't lookin jest up to the
notch"
"Mebby he misses that girl o. his'n, Z"
suggested some one. "She's away SOM
ers. He sets everythin by that er
Louisa M. Say, Paxton, l like to died
thai night at Wilson's dance when you
asst fer q cudrille, and she jest sized you
up and says she's engaged fer every seti
Lord, the look she give yeh! double bar
relied and self lodini But say, Paxton,
you oughtn't Of give her the comfort Of
seein you make home sneak on ac-
count of it,"
Paxton's checks reddened He was
slight and tall, and his shoulders
twitched little.
"She has right to pick her friends"
he said. The other man strapped ON a
spur, his foot on his knee.
"Fields is paintin his house" he said.
"They tell thet he's fixin up inside too.
Reckon Louisa M. 8 been stirrin him up"
After Louisa M. return the changes
became more marked. Two shades OF
pea green illuminated the house with
out. Inside new stove and complete
stock of dry goods invited the villagers.
Even the window underwent a startling
metamorphose from graveness and CRIME
to gaudiness. When it was found that
prices were happily in accord with all
this enlivening prospect town sages re-
marked that "Uncle Jimmy, when it
comes to rale tradin, can whip any
young dozen o. Paxton's sort with one
hand tied behind him."
Matters began to look dark for Paxton.
Public favor Is an uncertain thing, i'm.
permanent as the sudden rush of bloom
on an apple bough in spring. Paxton's
hour of blossoming seemed past. He
thought often of removing to another
town, but he had q certain sense of sur.
render in departure. He knew we'll
enough that she was at the bottom of his
overthrow-taat daughter of Fields
that little gypsy faced creature, with her
black silk locks. He could see the mock.
cry in her oddly blue eyes, the scorn on
her lips when she should hear that he
had given up the battle.
She never spoke to him now. Since
he painted advertisements on the fences
she had not so much as looked at him in
passing. But she could be gentle enough.
Paxton remembered how pleasant she
had been when he first came to town
the year before looking for place to
establish himself. When he decided to
stay it had been with more thought of
Fields daughter than of Fields. He had
not thought of competition, but this had
been thrust upon him before he consid-
cred what it meant. 1t meant every
thing adverse, and after Paxton read
this in the open disdain of Louisa M. he
felt there was nothing for him but to go
on and be successful, though success
now had bitter dregs and broke in sharp,
spiteful sparkles at his lips.
One morning in May, Fields, survey
ing from his door the rocky hills, no
longer rugged. but rounding with spring
greenery to virginia. softness of curve,
fetched big sigh.
"Mebby it's only the time O. year." he
speculated, "but somehow / don't feel
jest right-'spech'ly when l git to study
In bout young Paxton"
LOUISA M. gave the back Of his gray
head glance of challenge. She was
setting things to rights in the showcase,
and she thrust q bone hairpin rather
angrily into bolt of ribbon.
"WhyT' she exclaimed.
"Weve run him too hard" said Fields
"A friend O. his named
it to me yistiddy that he couldn't holt
out much longer. | feel this ways:
had my chance and he ought to hev
had his He hadn't no i'll will to'des
me. He was gittin trade far and
squar', and he could Of KEEP it eff bedn't
undersold him clar below cost prices.
feel ez mean and or'nry ez flee dog
that sucks eggs. | hain't treated him
white"
Business is business" said Louisa
NJ shaking back her hair. She WAS a