Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-06
CHAPTER vi.

must ave placed it there.
CHAPTER vi.
he MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF JOE
HIGGINS.
The village of Ashton Centre lay in a
level niche among the hills, which fell
away in irregular terraces TO tho south
and west toward the river and ascend
ed north and east toward the mountains.
Here four reads met from the four points
of the compass, and the common center
was the half rotten watering trough fed
from running spring on hill near by,
and which stood in the middle of an
open square bounded, as the biographies
say, Oh the north by the church, the
store and tavern, and the aristocratic
houses of the town, on the west by q
tumbied down barn and dwelling said
to be the Oldest i'll town, on the south
by the graveyard, its moss covered tomb
stones overgrown by tall grass, and by
the blacksmith shop which stood in a
corner of the graveyard where the south
road came up. and On the east by smooth,
we'll kept fields which rose in gradual
slope and were sprinkled by the neatest
and most substantial farmhouses of the
whole town.
The store and tavern shared equally
square. brown painted modern build
ing which stood not o rod from the
church and seemed to rival it as the
most conspicuous and important point of
the village. Some pronounced the secret
bar (and not so very secret either,
though Ashton was prohibition town.
the lair Of the devil, and the store was
certainly the rendezvous Of all the loaf
ers in town. This may account for the
imaginary rivalry. As a matter Of fact,
while the church was the religious cen
ter. and as such all important, the store
and tavern was the secular center, and
recognized as such by the respectable
crs. The proprietor was bluff, good
naturcd man not at all suggestive of the
devil, and very good friend to every
one. With his long, grizzled beard.
stopped shoulders and devil may care
eye. he was refreshing example Of
cynical Indifference to the woes of the
world, though indeed he was always
talking about them.
well, sonny, what can l do for
you?" he had said to Alec when he
came the night before.
The Young man, not overwell pleased
at being called sonny" considering his
feet 10, inquired with dignifed re-
serve the price Of lodging in the "ho-
tel"
well, sonny, that depends on what
you've got to pay, answered the man.
utterly ignoring the dignified reserve.
"We amt one Of your cheap one price
lodging houses here. If a man hasn',
got but quarter, we don't charge him
so cents. What's the use? You can't gel
blood out Of stone. You'll probably
stay here all night and pay what you We
got. and the charge will be according.
That'll save row, and rows exhaust a
mans nerves.
I'm so rheumatic I can't stand rows
very well" he added to the bystanderf
with a wink.
Alec could not help smiling at the
good humor of the man, for he could
SEQ that the keen eyes of the old fellow
had been taking him in from top to toe,
and evidently the inventory had nc,
been unsatisfactory.
We'll, if quarter will satisfy you
should like to turn in at once," an
swered Alec, and the man, whom the
townspeople, respectable as well as IN
respectable, called Joe higgins, Away.
pronouGcing the last name ont Of re-
spect, numbered s,ifiiy, Int rapidly, of,
toward the back door, calling:
All right. all right, sonny! Com,
on The quicker you turn in the bette
It'll suit me, Tor then 1 shall have yoy
on mr. mind. An honored guest III III,
hotei Is always weight On a i1a.'
mind until he's packed OF to bed
When Alec found himself alone j,
ms little whitewashed chamber. 10 fei
less foriorn than at any tine since l.
left home, and tired as he was, wit:
aching joints ard heavy head, he for-;
the springless bed wonderfully counfo,,
able. In five minutes no vas SOM,
asleep
The little sleeping roor, had IN cas-
window which looked out rase ii,
white church. with its tall. ser;oz
spire, and up the green slope OF The Iii
beyond. over the l,raw Of which the su;
rose. The naxt morning Aiec WAS was
ened early by the clGnorouS singing {
tie birds, who seemed holding a reyu, IA
concert. 1t was not yet O'Clock. So b
lay still ard began to think about hi
situation. For time he had forgotte
that it was at all a serious matter. Br
now, really for the first time since b
lid left home, he csndidiy ccnsidere