Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-24

DO you meanW
Jest that. Thar's another Teller yere
besides you"
"Who is it?'
Lord a-massy. I don't know who 1t
Isl
How do you know he's hereT'
seed him, seed him with my own
eyes,"
"When?" !,
To-day"
"Where?"
Fright yere."
Melvin began to feel uneasy. He
didn't like the idea of another man
coming there claiming to be pros
pector for minerals. It didn't have the
right look. and it smacked Of some
thing wrong.
Did he tell you his name| he asked.
He told me name," Turner replied.
"a name! Do you think he didn't
tell you his own name?"
Lord a-massy, how can tell? You
fellers come down yere an say your
names Is SO an SO, an how do / know
whether you're tellin the truth or
whether you ain't?"
Melvin blushed and eyed the old man
keenly. Such talk made him suspi-
cious. Then he was not easy about
that newcomer. He wondered IL Tur-
ner had heard something to arouse his
suspicious. When one is in continual
suspense, it requires but little to alarm
him. Quietly enough. however. Melvin
asked:
What name did that man give your
"Waite-W-a-i-t-e. He spelled 1t out
for me. Said he belonged to the firm
of Waite & See"
waite & See! Humphr'
THAT amt your firm. reckon"
mo"
Don't know nothin bout 'em, l
guess"
no"
"Quare name for a firm, amt itY'
Rather"
THAT'S what he said 1t was. though.
asked him his name, an he said
Waite Then l asked him who he
worked for. an he said Waite & See.'"
"Humph! What kind of looking man
was hep"
Putty slick lookin feller-sorter
young, sorter tall, sorter dark, sorter
slim an sorter clean shaved. mought
a. found out more bout him, but you
know I'm pow'ful backwards bout
askin questions an 'peared like he
didn't keer bout answerin what did
ask"
How came he to tell you that he had
come down here to prospect for miner
als?"
"Why, we got to talkin an runnin on
bout one thing an another. an 1 up an
mentions bout you a-bein yere, an he
asks all bout you IN bout what you
was dom yere. When says you are
yere a-smellin round for. mineral, he
says, Then reckon want to meet
that man. seems we're both on the
same line of business That's Jest
how he come to mention. his object in
comm yere."
Melvin was silent long time and
deeply thoughtful. The coming Of that
stranger annoyed and worried him.
Turner'S description OF the man,
though vague and general. suited very
much to the description of one he did
not care to see, the brother of the
man whose life he had taken.
The claim Of the stranger that he,
too. had come there to prospect for
mineral made his appearance all the
more alarming to Melvin, for no one
knew better than Melvin that no cap.
italists were going to waste money In
useless prospecting in that section
That claim would do very well. he
thought. to fool the natives with, but
no one with ordinary business sense
would believe 1t for a minute.
He was half inclined to leave the
Ridge at once. and had 1t not been fol
Mrs. Banks he would have done so
He felt that even at the risk of his life
he must remain there until he had sue.
ceeded in gaining one more interview
with her. Strange how weak man
strong in all things else, can be when II
comes to woman and love! By and by
Melvin broke the silence by saying
you said that man was here today
SO presume he is not here now?''
Lord a-massy, no! No. stree! He
wanted to stop. but we had no place
for him less we put him to sleep with
you, an we lowed we'd best not dc
that, seems you are so doggoned par
tic'lar.''
'I'm glad you came to that conclu
sion." Melvin replied. "for l certainly
should have objected to sharing my
bed with any one else"
That's the way figgered It. Yor
seem to be bout as squeamish an ex
actin as the Teller that stopped dowr
to Squire Beeson's oncet. Ever heal
bout that chap?"
"Guess not"
"Waal, sir, he was good un shore
Regular blame crank, as the Teller says
Got mad cause the bed fell down will
him in the night an he had to sleep OF
the floor. Squire explained to him tina
1t was all jest a accident. IN you know
accidents will happen spite Of any
thing. but that Teller was so doggon'
unreasonable that squirrels explanation
didn't satisfy him. Next mornin b,
got madden AN wet hen cause while
he was eatin breakfast cat jumped
on the table an snatched the mea
outen his plate an run off with II
Squire ketched the dad burned cat al
took the meat away from 1t an put
back on the feller's plate, thinkin nat
rally that he done all anybody coult
expect of him, but he found he wa
mistaken. Teller, std of thankil
| squire, rared up an said he want goil
to stop at no SIGH place. Squire. II
co'se, feels hurt to be talked to tina
away after all his pains to please. 81
he charges the Teller dollar an tell
him to git Pow'ful Unreasonable sor
Of chap, that Teller was. want her"
Every"
"But that's way Of some folks. N
matter how much you put yourself on
fer 'em, they amt goin to be pleased
Eyes; that's true. But about tina
man who was here today. wonde
where he went"