The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-03-02
he reckless enterprise. but Fields was

tue IoChttSS SltcIpTlSe, DuC El6lQS was
helpless.
I'll show him how to do business.
said Louisa NJ, standing erect, her nos
trils dilated. Fields shook his head
He continued to shake it solemnly at in
tervals in the days that followed, when
boxes and bales to his direction began to
tumble off the boats which carried the
Southern roads freight down the river
''Gittin move on yourself. Ell, I'm
Gle Jimmy" suggested the village idlers,
observing these signs of trade. But
Fields jaw only elongated the more.
while his brow became network of con
flicting wrinkles.
1t was remarked in open council at
Paxtons store ''that Uncle Jimmy
Fields warn't lookin jest up to the
notch"
"Mebby he misses that girl o his'p."
suggested some one "She's away SOM
'ers. He sets everythin by that or
Louisa M. Say, Paxton, like to died
that night at Wilson's dance when You
asst fer cudrille, and she jest sized you
up and says she's engaged fer every set!
Lord the look she give yeh! double bar
relied and self loadin! But say, Paxton,
you oughtn't of give her the comfort of
seein you make o home sneak on ac-
count of it,"
Paxton's cheeks Redeemed. 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
Gpur, his foot on his knee.
'Fields is paintin his house." he said.
"They tell thet he's fixin up inside too.
Reckon Louisa M. S been stirrin him up"
After Louisa M. s 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 q 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 blossolning seemed past. He
thought often of removing to another
town, but he had a certain sense of sur
render i'll departure. He knew well
enough that he was at the bottom of his
overthrow-that 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 a 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 everv-
thing adverse, and after Paxton read
this in the open disdain of Louisa M. he
felt there was nothing for him but to 90
on and be successful, though success
nowh 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 I git to study
in bout young Paxton"
Louisa M. gave the back of his gray
head a glance of challenge. She was
setting things to rights in the showcase
and she thrust bone hairpin rather
angrily into bolt Of ribbon.
why" she exclaimed.
We've run him too hard" said Fields
uncomfortably. "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 ill will to'des
Inc. He was gittin trade far and
squar', and he could of KEEP it eff l hedn t
undersold him clar below cost prices.
feel ez mean and or'nry ez a flee 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 a gathered pink frock,
but she looked to Fields as immutable as
the austere justice on 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 folks
comfortable. Fields resignedly modelled
his big clay conceptions upon the tiny
marble models of Louisa M. 8 ideas, but
somehow, though, his unwieldy notions
were grotesquely like the pattern; they
were soft and unstable, and required
constant bolstering into shape.
Though Paxton might be, as Louisa M.
declared him. the evilest of Adams
blood, it hurt Fields to see the handsome
young fellow going about the village
with drawn face and downcast eyes.
"I'm a-losin fiesh!'' he complained to
his daughter. 'Thet feller hes got away
with my appetite. I'd rather go ragged
90 picked buzzard than keep this up.
I'd feel heap better, Louisa M, to
mark thet last lot o calicoes up little" "