The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-19
Stories of an inland State.


unless you admit the fragmentary infor
nation which comes with desultory anc
general perusal of the monthly magazine!
into the sacred precincts of education.
As a matter of fact Criggie's knowledg,
Of oracles was extremely limited. His idea
of the ancient priest had become confused
in some way with a patent medicine fake
who came to his town annually and sold 6
powder.
Criggle had witnessed this scene one day
The faker was exploiting the features OF
the powder as a dental masterpiece. Il
left the teeth pearly white with one appli
cation, he yelled hoarsely at the crowd a:
be held little tin box containing the pow.
der. An old man came close and handed
up quarter. "Give me some of that lightn.
ing cleanser to take grease out of clothes, y
said the old man.
The faker handed over the box of tooth
powder.
"But the other stuff to take grease spots
cut OF -
One and the same and all of price"
yelled the faker. "If its your teeth, this is
the thing; if it's grease spot. a living EVIL
dence of your gluttony, this is the great
and only; if it's baby's colo which troubles
you at ;nidnishts solemn hour. here's your
remedy. One and the same thing and all
Of a price"
Criggle had somewhere read something
which convinced him that the Grecian ora
cies were of the same material as this trav-
cling hawker. 1t was in story some
where. The oracle had given travel
stained petitioner some great forecast
which the traveller did not understand.
Years afterward it turned out just as the
oracle had foretold. But the words of the
oracle were so Intentionally obscure that
Cr:ggle decided that had the result been
diametrically opposite to the fortunes of
the travel-stained suppliant, the oracle
would still have been correct.
So John Criggle had a poor opinion of
oracles in general and particularly Grecian
oracles. Delphi, he believed, was hole in
some travling faker had set up SHOP, chew
ed tobacco and sold tooth-powder. He was
not a man to discover that tooth-powder
and tobacco might be. anachronous with
ancient GQeece. 1t would have made no
difference NJ his opinion of oracles if he
had discovered it.
But in one oracle-his wife's intuition
Criggle had sublime faith. In his long
life, ner feelings" had never
been left unconsuited by him in any trans
action, and she had never led him astray.
"Sleep over it, Laura" he would say, land
give me your opinion-yes or no."
And many a time she had done this
Years before when, away back In Indiana,
he thought of coming west he had left it
to his wife. He told her then: sleep
over it, Laura, and tell me your opinion
yes or no." They were poor then and he
well that morning when she
awoke and ne asked:
Eyes or no?"
Eyes, Johr,' she had answered.
But now they were rich The hard pioneer
Gays of their early life had mellowed into
memories only.
This night the chiidren-one girl of %,
the ether, boy of 25-were out to some en-
John Criggle stepped across
the richly furnished room and sat down at
A heavily carved table. The shade to the
amp was thick and the shadow above and
The streaming light below was as clearly
marked as in crayon. The head of John
Crfggle was in the dark-nis body in the
ight Mrs. Criggle, his wife, was little
woman with a sweet face upon which time
bad written lines which strengthened and
sweetened it. Faithful and unassuming
n poverty, she had been faithful and unas-
,uming in prosperity. John Criggle loved
her with love which had grown through
rears to be as much a part of him as his
own heart. So tonight he said.
Laura, you have noticed the papers talk
ng about me for United States senator
haven't you?"
Il guess 1 have, JOHN" she said
Now, 1 want to talk to you about It.
Will it pay me to make the effort? That's
what I'd like to know"
Would 1t rest you up, John?"
REST me up, deari Howling Jupiter, no.
Why it's the hardest work on earth, Laura,
his politics. Wayne. the Boss, up at the
,apital, says I'd stand a good show if
vent in to win
What does he mean by that, John?s
Twenty thousand dollars"
ooh, John! All for him."
mo, my dear. Wayne is an honest man.
FOR the exigencies of the strife-to fix the
elbows, TO get 'em to go over the state
md boost for me and get 'em in line.
Wayne says il will take twenty thousand"
That is "A great deal OF money, John"
aid his wife.
"A great deal of money. Laura. Well I
hould say it isl
Criggle went over to a secretary, tore a
heck from a book and filled It out for
wenty thousand dollars, payable to Mark
Wayne. He waved it in the air before his
wife, "A great deal Of money" he went
n MY dear. Think OF It. Look at this
title piece Of paper. A little piece Of pa
er, my dear. But what it cost US when
We first got it? How many hours did you
weep the dirt floor of our dug-out for
nat; how many meals did We go without
ecause we wanted to save and game was
carce, fer that? That little piece of paper.
.ook at 1t, dear. How many children,
ear, did We bury in cottonwood boxes be-
euse our first payment on the extra eighty
7as due and We were too poor to afford
Gffirs, for that? How many nights did
e sleep underground with the outlaws on
lie hand and the Indians on the other and |
BE coyotes all around for that? How |
iany days and nights did We skimp, so |
ungry and cold, how many privations anG |
exations and positive dangers did we face |
DR. that, my dear? A great deal of money.
~ dear. ! should say IL was" |
During this outburst Mrs. Criggle never |
loved. she had started TO stop him when |
e mentioned the cottonwood boxes. but |
ae let him go on.
Criggle now felt little ashamed of his |
ramatical declaration as men who fan into /
lch speeches do. and with somewhat
,ddened face he tore the check up and /
lid:
TITS only little piece OF paper after all"
But John Criggie wanted 20 go to the /
.nate. He had money enough. II was
OF million or half million. but II was
lough. and he th;rsted for something that
he proffer OF assistance from Mark
Jayne, the Boss, had come unasked. When
got into the newspapers II pleased him
lightly. He noticed that the people OF
S own town paid him at once a respect
Id Difference that MS money had never
-ought TO him He wanted 10 go TO the
nste and he Was going If