The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-08-19

important offices ii town. He was
mayor and postmaster, and he con-
Quoted bank. wherein he compelled
the citizens to deposit their pins, charg.
ing them heavily for that privilege and
lending out their own funds to them at
ruinous usury, taking mortgages on
the stock and business houses of such
unfortunates az failed to meet their
obligations promptly. His father was
chattel broker in the days when
money changed hands quickly in the
country beyond the Missouri, and from
his tenderest years Speckle had been
initiated into the nefarious arts Of the
business. But although his threats
many time caused poor delinq uents
to tremble, never heard Of him &C.
tually foreclosing on any one, and I can
assert on good authority that when
Dick Hutchinson's father failed in
business, causing great CONSERVATION
throughout the village, Speckle went
to Dick privately and offered to lend
him few hundred pins gratis to tide
him over any present difficulties.
But certainly Speckle had q right to
be autocratic, for it was Speckle's fe.
cund fancy more than his back yard
that was the real site Of that town, and
his Imagination was the coin current of
the realm, and made those drygoods boxes
seem temples Of trade to more eyes than
his own. A really creative imagination
wac Speckle's-one that could invent
occupations for hslf-a- dozen boys, me.
tomorphose an express wagon into q
street car line, a rubber hose into
city water works, devise feast days aud
circuses and public rejoicings. railway
accidents and universal disasters. even
invent Fourth Of July in the middle
Of June and cause the hearts of his fel-
low townsmen to beat high with patriot.
ism. For Speckle, by q species Of in.
nocent hypnotism, colored the mental
visions OF his fellow townsmen until his
fancies seemed weighty realities to
them, just az clever play actor makes
you tremble and catch your breath
when he draws his harmless rapier.
And, like the play actors. Speckle was
the willing victim Of bis own conceit.
What matter il he had to peddle milk
to the neighbor women at night? What
matter even il he were chastised be-
cause he had lost the Ratchet or for.
gotten to dig around the trees on his
fathers lots? Tomorrow he was the
founder Of a city and king of men!
SO the inhabitants of SpeckleviDle had
dwelt together in all peace and concord
until Mary Eliza jenkins had peered at
them through the morning glory vines
on her back porch and had envied these
six male beings their happiness; for al.
though Mary Eliza was the tom-boy Of
the street. the instincts of her eek were
strong IN her. and that six male beings
should dwell together in ease and hap.
piness seemed to her an unnatural and
monstrous thing. Furthermore, che
and Speckle had played together ever
since the days when he had been father
to all her dolls and had rocked them to
sleep, and until the founding OF Speckle.
vile he had openly preferred her to any
boy on the street, and she bitterly re-
sented his desertion.
Once, in moment Of rashness, the
boys invited her over to a circus in
Speckle's barn, aud after that Speckle
knew no peace Of his life. Night and
day Mary Eliza importuned him for
admittance to his town. She hung
around his back porch az soon az she