Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-08-20

eve have" came a chorus of thick
voices.
Col. Keever wore a perpetual smile,
very childlike, very bland; and he
would wink his right eve now and
then and shake his head with a great
deal of feeling.
whats the purpose?' he inquired,
evincing a tendency to run his words
together.
Its this. That special election is
called for tomorrow. These men
will have been in the county 60 days
and in the precinct 20 days; conse-
quently they can vote and, naturally,
they'll vote for Concord
"Shouldn't wonder much,' re-
marked Keever, with dry hiccough.
'Twenty men, and I pay 'em two dol
lars day for 60 days-that's $2,4O0
that it costs us to save the county
seat. And who's to the fore in the
enterprise? Col. Archibald Keever!
I declare, gentlemen, my throat is
parched. Would it be asking too
much"
1t was not asking too much. Col.
Keever was welcome to the best they
had in the shop and all there was of it.
'And this brings us back to where
we started,' said Col. Dingle "Har-
mony would like the county seat and
she would like it just $4,000 WORTH"
Dingle gave Keever playful push.
"What's that?" murmured Keever,
rolling his eyes.
"Just this" went on Dingle. "In-
stead of voting these men for Con-
cord, vote them for Harmony. You
can do it. The great mind that built
up paper like the Blizzard can do
anything.'
Col. Keever relapsed into silence
and did his best to- ,think calmly
while the four gentlemen from Har-
mony awaited his reply in soulful
expectation.
1.-TWO thousand?" asked Keever,
huskily.
1.-TWO thousand" came an equally
husky reply.
"Cash DOWN."
Fifty now and 1850 when the
votes are polled."
A long period of silence crsued to
be finally broken by Keever, with
the anxious query:
''GenImen, is there any left?''
There was some left and libations
were renewed all around.
what is it, Colonel, yes or MOP"
asked Dingle when the gurgiing
period was over.
Through Col. Keever's mind there
fitted hazily the following items:
Four hundred and fifty on account
of "plant;" twenty-eight sixty to
get that weeks issue out of pawn:
sixty some odd for Sampson, and
there was no knowing the amount
of Pedro Smiths bill. Why not?
He coughed, looked around him a
trifle nervously and then held out
his hand.
Seine the 5O.''
A crisp bank note was rendered him.
Here you are" said Dingle, "'and
here are two documents-mere mat
ters of form, you know, one for us
and one for you - setting forth
what's to be done, what's, to be paid
and when. For your protection as
well as ours, Colonel. Sign there
Unsteadily the editor took up his
pen and scrawled two awkward sig
natures, whereupon Col. Dingle
signed below him and the other
three attested the act as witnesses.
Then, after drinking the last of
the liquor, the four gentlemen from
Harmony babe Col. Keever an af-
fectionate 5000 bye" and left. Col.
Keever heard Capt. Blue fall down
the full length of the stairs, heard
Col. Dingle whoop joyously and Maj.
Harp tune himself into discord
family suggestive of "We Won't Go
Home Till Morning. and then these
sounds died away and all was still.
Farther and farther the Colonel's
head bowed forward until, no longer
able to retain his seat, he fell under
the desk and lay there, melancholy
example of fallen greatness.
At that moment the door leading
into the workroom opened softly and
Sampson, cunning grin on his
freckled face, tiptoed into the sane
tum.
'.It's my turn now, Colonel" he
muttered between his teeth as he
looked down on the sprawled-out
form of his former employer. Stoop-
ing over, he removed the crisp bank
note from the Colonel's vest pocket.
"You owe me something like SOS, but
I'll apply this on account. And Til
put this in my pocket, too" he added,
taking from the desk the paper that
had just been signed. "A tramp
printer isn't the man to be fooled
with, Colonel, and you'll understand
this before I'm done with you.''
III With that Sampson shook his fist
at the Colonel and STROBE from the
office. @,.< &s1@. ~ =. -
Meanwhile, Col. Dingle and Maj.
Harp and Capt. Blue were riding
Harmony-ward in lethargic condi-
ton, while Mr., Boomer, who had
fallen from the carriage unknown to
himself or his companions, was
peacefully sleeping by the roadside
some. two miles out Of Concord.
.E.S5 CHAPTER XIX. Eth
II was on Mcaday afternoon that
Miss Betty dashed up to the door Of