The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-11-03


Reed mp there pnt to you just now.
II am very new acquaintance. " said
Blanchard.
81. said the giant. s'am an old friend.
ANY friend of theirs is a friend of mine,
sir He lifted his hat with one hand
and held out the other-a member as
perfect in form as it was enormous. AS
their hands met Gregory was conscious
that he had never been shaken hands
with before. In America men shake
hands a great deal. Gregory had expe-
rienced the pump handle shake, the IN
decided shake, the repelling shake, the
shake given with stiff elbow. as though
to keep one at a distance. He had held
in his own hand that slipped out of it
like cold fish. He had felt the hot and
feverish grip, the feeble wiggle and had
had his hand held solemnly and deliY-
cred over again. But now for the first
time he knew what shaking hands might
be. The immense vitality of the young
giant seemed to overflow from his finger
tips, with which he said, 81 offer you
my friendship as in some language of
the soul, and Gregory Blanchard met
new experiences of this sort were de-
licious.
"Your name, sir2" queried the beauti-
full giant.
blanchard" said Gregory.
81 am Edward La Monte from Texas,
said the young man.
81 might have known you were from
Texas" Gregory said.
"You hatter me" said the handsome
giant, beaming on him.
''I have been fortunate enough to
make friends in Pohatcong, and they
pay me the compliment of calling me
Texas Ned, sir, here among the noun
tains. 1t is naturally gratifying
81 came here to see to some property
left by my mothers family. Mr.. Bud,
the father of those young ladies, had
visited my parents, sir, when was
boy. He remained month at our
house, sir. When arrived, I of course
returned the courtesy. The father was
dead, sir. The young ladies had no
brother, no friend but an old invalid,
most highly educated foreign gentleman,
who boarded with them. And they were
in need of a protector. Miss Lizzie is
spirited and handsome, and something
had occurred which rendered it neces-
sary that some one should step forward.
81 should have been a coward if had
not acted a brothers part by the orphans
of a man who had been my fathers
guest for month. I no; sooner heard
the state of the case than went UP to
the hotel, called out q man who at the
time put up there and challenged him.
We fought out yonder at daybreak. He
fell. Then, as the law forbids dueling
up here, went to the authorities and
gave myself up. was tried, but the
verdict was justifable homicide.
''There is only one way of righting
some things, sir; that is the duello." r
Gregory remembered The picture of
the slovenly young mother swinging
with her babe in the hammock under
the trees, and her face, with its mixed
expression, half bashful, half insolent,
arose before him, and he felt that this
squire of DANES was much more chival-
rous than he. 1t would never have oc-
CURED to him to couch a lance for the
sake of a girl like that even if her ia
Their had spent 10 years in his family.
But he admired the giant for what he
had done and approved of the action of
the jury all the same. Up here among
the mountains it seemed to him that he
had met with the fate of Rip Van Win
kle reversed. He had been seq back not
20 but 200 years.
He held out his hand to Texas Ned
without a word, and again the warm
touch thrilled him. Gregory was one
who cried ''Bravov' with the Italians at
the opera, anG was made at least tempo
rarily patriotic by the playing of ''The
Star Spangled Banner" and the warlike
tramp of a marching regiment. Hewas,
in fact, emotional. However, the sub
ject was not one to be continued, and he
changed it.
''The youngest Miss Bud has spoken
to you Of her book, no doubt?'
mo, sir" said Texas Ned, ''she has
not honored me with her confidence re-
garding her work, but Miss Lizzie told
me she was writing one"
''She has written very fine novel,"
said Gregory.