The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-01-21

I'D keep a corpse warm! Shut the
door. Maria, and take the gentleman
into the dining room. lie must be cold
himself. Is mother there"
Yes said the astr)logcr's wife,
'and SOS Mollie. You were so late we
got worried, and NolIie came light
down in her nightgoWn. Aiat before you
came in. Where's CaGdS = says she,
'ain't he goin' 10 i ISIS me goodnight?
faint mornin', is T." says she. And
the office is burnt down? Oh. my dad
dy! l thought our troubles were at
end. Come in, Mr.. Mr. ! amt right
ly got your name; but thank YOU kind
ly for looking after daddy, and if you
had an idea how easy it is for him to
take cold in his chist, you'd know how
thankful | am. Come into the dining
room. Mother, this is Mr. Heaterbee,
and he lent Smith his coat TO come
home in. Wasn't it awful good of
him?"
"What's that?" croakcd the old wo-
man in The corner of the dining room.
1t was a very small room, With a very
small table, covered with a very cheap
red cloth.
"Smith's office is burnt mp and his
best suit with it, explained Mrs.
Smith. "Alnt 1t aWtul!
Its q jcdgment,' said the old lady,
sOlemnly. She was a very depressing
old lady, and yet she was evidently re-
vered by this small family. A four
year-old child hung back i'll Il corner
but when her father came in she
climbed upon his knee and accepted
the kisses, silently, yet with a love-
light in her eyes.
,,n,J,, r,+ N - coiI Gp,ith s.Is,rp,
under Mercury and Jupiter. If that
don't mean that she'll be a t~ip-topper,
I'll miss my guess. Yes, ma" he went
on, addressing the old woman, who
showed not the slightest interest, 1.-THE
office is burned down, and | had to
come home quick. Wouldn't Il done
for them folks to see me scuddin' off in
my science Clothes"
His wife passed her hand over
Smiths flannel suit Land sakes,
Smith, you're all wet
"Oh, III dry all right in these flan-
ncls. Don't you worry about getting
out another suit"
He had forgotten that he had told
Wetherbee that his only suit was
burned, OF maybe, he. was trying to
ave his Wife the humiliation of such
an admission.
I'm drying off %first-rate; and now,
Maria. you get out the whisky and
give MIR. butterfly a drink with some
hot water. so he won't get il chill. We
are all teetotallers here. sir. but we
believe in spirits for medicinal use.
Yes, mother, you ought to seen that
place burn. Why, the flames We're on
me before | knoWed where / was, and
/ JUS thought to myself, thinks |, IF
these people see me runnin away from
a fire | won't cast no horoscope after
this and | tell you the way | got out
of the back window and over The back
fence was Il caution. That's your wills
ky. sir. You'll cXcus me, sir; we're
not in the habit here
Wetherbce did not greatly wonder at
their not being in the habit after he
had tasted the whisky. 1t was bad
enough to Wcan Il topper on, but he
slipped it and made oyerturcs to the
child until she transferred her seat to
the visitors knee, and listened to the
Ginning of the wonderful watch that
struck whenever il was told 10. IicI
father was telling the female members
of the family. over and ovCr again the
story of the fire, and trying to fix the
time when he first SlGellcd smoke He
was full of the excitement of the al
fair, too full of the consciousness OF
his w achievement in climbing over
the back fence to realize the extent OF
the disaster.
At last his wife broke down, crying
out: "Oh. daddy. where Will we get
the money to build another oi!ire!'
Wetherbee spoke up very softly, lest
he might wake the child. who was
sleeping with her head On his shoulder
IN be happy to advance the mon
ey," he said.
Smith looked ut him, almost Sourly
Il amt got no security to give you
This is a building society house, ant
there's a mortgage on it for all its
worth. | could do no better"
Wetherbee had been poor himself
once, and he quickly understood the
suspicion of Smith. Your note viii
do, Smith," he said. Il think you vii
pay me back. | shan't worry abou
IT."
But it was some time before the
Smith family that Il Loan Of 500 conlt
he made so easily. When the gloriou,
possibility did dawn upon them, moth