The Newtown bee., 1896-11-06

Jim Stone was cock of the walk in No Hope. He was the smartest workman in the shingIc mill, ard was proud of it, naturally; the shingle mill being the boast of the town. He was also the "toughest" man in town, and proud of that also. He was the prime mover in all the amusements. They consisted, almost wholly, of dances: and those dances were of q sort to make any but q very black angel shed tears. After every reel or dance, on a ball evening" and they were frequent-all tue men filed solemnly out of the hall to the drinking saloon downstairs or in the i'm mediate ncghbOrhOOd, and refreshed the inner man for the exertions, past and future, of the outer man. There was no lack of saloons in the place, whatever might have been said about schools and other similar institutions.
 By midnight even a jct-black argel might well have covered his eyes with his wings to shut out the sights.
 Naturally, such a leader as Jim Stone was the proper person to interview all newcOmers-"te tender feet''-and de- eide whether they should be permitted to remain in town. The community was accustomed to rely implicitly on his judgment. Jim was only twenty; but his youthful precocity in the affairs of life only increased the popular respect for him.
 One day a quiet, almost too inoflen- sive, stranger, made his appearance in No Hope. By accident or design, his first acquaintance in town was Jim Stone. He was either ignorant of Jjm's omnipotence, or he wished to be judged at once, and have the thing over with He, too, was young. Old people were not tolerated in No Hope. He sCrolled into the shingle mill, and watched Jim smartly turning off twenty shingles at every revolution of the machine, into which he so deftly fitted the ten blocks of redwood.
 Jim saw him enter, but paid no ap. parent attention to him. He merely assumed a sort of rigid impassiveness for which he was noted, and which had about it something quite as alarming to strangers-and acquaintances-as his 1 excessive profanity, and his vigOr of l active otfense that usually flashed forth | from this deceptive placidity like light ming from a clear sky.
 This stranger, however, neither beat a hasty retreat nor otherwise introduced l himself on Jim Stones observation. Evidently he was man who had not much to say for himself. But Jim was not used to such utter disregard of his greatness, revealed or reserved.
 "What are you doing here?" he asked, at last. with startling abruptness, and equally startling profanity.
 "Admiring your work" replied the stranger cordially. "I never saw such a workman"
 Ji.n looked suspiciously at the man. 'None of your soft sawder l'' he ejacu- lated, with intensifYing adjectives.
 Certainly not," answered the new- comer, promptly, and with an evident surprise which was more fattering, even, than his words. 1T know a good deal about shingle mills and about men. l know smart workman and clever block cutter when see him."
 'tT don't believe It. retorted Jim tho he was now convinced of the mans 
 "Give me chance to prove it. I'm looking for a lobn
 Whats your name here West? Where do you belong2n
 My name here West, and off East also, ia George Kent. I came from up. river last.n
 "Well, we ain't too inquisitsve here,