Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-10
CHAPTER XIII.

he GOES TO PAvoNIA AND CALLS ONMAUD.
The ne.t morning Alec was down to
breakfast at 6 O'Clock, and by half past
q was sweeping out the store. 1t was a
dirty place-appeared as if it had not
been properly cleaned out in years-and
Alec proposed o thorough overhauling.
1t had discouraging look and a dis
couraging odor. On one side were piled
up calicoes. suspenders, women 8 petit
coats and other things useful to the bu-
man being, some of them being rakes
and scythe snaths. On the other side
were sugar, nails and horseshoes, tobac-
co. candy and groceries. And the odor
was mingled one Of lamp oil, lnolas-
ses. cottonseed meal and phosphate fer
tilizer.
But Alec went bravely to work, and
between dealing 2 cents worth Of sugar
TO one little girl and a 25 cent shoe sole
to another and serving divers ether stray
customers he managed by noon to have
moved everything on one side of the
store and swept.
Joe Higgins kept out of the way as
much as possible while Alec was clean.
ing He never took any part in cleaning
anything, though he said he was glad
to have it done. because it made Lis.
beth feel better. Women had queer no.
tions, and 'Lisbeth was always fussing
about how dirty the store looked For
him. he didn't see but it was all right SO
long as he kept the sugar and -four and
things tightly covered up. Nothing ever
went dirty ont of his store-unless it
were things like lamp chimneys that
see what difference little dirt round
the outside of things made anyway
Alec thought 'Lisbeth worked herself
to death. Her part of the house never
looked dirty. And he looked curiously
at Joe Higgins. as if he were looking at
man almost in the next world More
over, everything was narrow and pinch.
ed-only nature was luXuriant-and
Alec wondered how on earth fortune
could ever be made out of the penny's
worth of this and the two pennies worth
of that, with scarce ever an order above
few shillings.
AS he went about the store he remem-
bered very wildly the desperation Of
his first days in the village and was
nightly thankful for his present van
tage But nevertheless he had desperate
Its OF inconsistencies, and for q day or
TWO he looked about in vain for any pos
s'oie work by which he might earn a
little money. IN the meantime he said
nothing to Mr.. Higgins about hours.
and as there seemed plenty to do in
c-~.'..'I.' NJ ana putun.; things III order
ana mastering prices and what not he
stuck pretty closely to that
The tavern was chiefly a stopping
place for tourists and other travellers
driving to the moun;...1s or engaged in
coaching parties Il V would stop to
lest their horses and have them watered
and fed, and they usually wanted a
nasty lunch for themselves. On rare &C.
Sasions belated traveller inquired for
lodging. Alec's duty was to receive the
visitors on the front veranda (as he was
'he most attractive looking person about
'he pfemises). and take the horses. 1t
was embarrassing to play lackey to sucf,
people as ne had been used TO mingle
with on an equality; hut, On the whole.
ne rather liked this opportunity Of see.
ing rehned people in apy capacity what.
ever There was sweetness in heinc
near them and hearing them talk in the
Iamlllar accent which was balm to his
homesick heart. He was always well
treated, and frequently q shrewd man
or kindly lady looked at him mourning
~. as if to ask how he came there
though nothing was ever said.
But one day the chance for earning
some money and for something else
came quite Unexpectedly. One evening
after supper Alec went into the stms
and found Joe Higgins as usual on bis
back on the counter. but talking With :