Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-11

heavily barred with iron. A wide door
opened into the alley back of the build
ing. Boxes, barrels and casks, cans
and jugs were scattered promiscuously
about the floor.
Satisfied with hasty examination of
the place. Ralph assembled the stairs.
He found Jep talking with a spruce
young man with the reddest of red hair,
and with prominent mole upon his
chin.
"Here!" Tucker cried as Marlowe
put in an appearance. Mr.. Ralph Mar
lowe, this is Mr. Airly Chandley, an he
wants to git a toothbrush, an some
per funny, an such things. told him
you could wait on him. He's a young
school teacher; an has to go trigged up
like-to please the gals
Young Chandler said something, but
blushed and sided about confusedly;
seeing which Jep caughed behind his
hand and winked facetiously.
81 shall be plased to wait upon you,
Mr. Chandler" Ralph remarked pleas
antly, provided 1 can find the articles
you desire. Things are in a state of
confusion, as you see."
After some delay, incident to the sad
disorder, the young teacher made his
purchases and took his departure. Then
Marlowe turned to Tucker and said
severely:
'.You should not make remarks about
a customer-especially in his presence.
1t has a tendency to injure your en-
ployer's business
81 didn't mean nothin' by it-jest
wanted to plague him little" Jep an
swered contritely. 81 amt in the habit
O. doin' such things. 1t popped out
fore 1 thought"
Then his volubility getting the better
of him:
But lawzee! I've knowed Airly ever
sence he was kneehigh to a grasshop-
per: an he knows me. He won't take
nothin' to heart, that say. He's kind
O. dudifed-but a good-hearted, cheer
full boy, fer all that. He's bene away
from home some, too; went to school in
! GAINESVILLE Year, SO ago. Hadn't ever
| been out o the county before. An
guess he learnt a thing r two-I guess
he did. Anyhow he wrote home to his
mother an said:
"'Dear Mother:
eff the worlds as big down the
other way as she is up this way, she'S
a whopper.'
That's what folks tells on him, any
how. But he's a smart, cheerful boy;
an I don't b'lieve he ever had but one
trouble in his life-an' that's that mole
on his chin
tits source of annoyance to him,
eh?' Ralph said, stepping to the door
and anXiously looking up, and then
down the street
you might call, it that" Jep replied.
/ joining his companionship in the door
way. Anyhow it worries him like
sixty
Does he fear it may develop into a
malignant growth?''
''No, faint that. He's sorry bout the
situation of the thing says he wouldn't
care if it was on the back Of his neck
that he could button his collar to il
then, an make it useful as well IS orna-
mental. What do you think of that fe1
an idee?"
81 think it original-and that you are
its originator" Ralph laughed. "YoI
should apply for a patent"
} "Have thought some bout it," JeI
chuckled. do you s'pose the gove'n
ment Id ask me to send on a model?'
: Marlowe did noL reply. He was lost
in thought, his eyes fixed upon the tree
Il bordered street stretching away to the
west. Presently he mRrmured mus
d fngly:
What an excellent site for large
town. Babylon should be a thriving
city, instead of a sleepy village of q
few hundred inhabitants
That's so-you've hit the nail on the
head Tucker asented, nodding vigor-
ous1y. can we did think it would grow
, to a city once. But that was 20 r sc
years ago. Then we had five r si2
stores instead O. two r three; an sa-
looms an taverns in proportion. Them
was the great days fer steamboats, on
this river: an Babylon was the best
shippin' point 'twixt GAINESVILLE an
Marietta. Quakerville brought in her
tobacker an tanbark; an Foxton, her
wool and fruit. I've seen the wharf
stacked with bales, an bar'ls, an
hogs leads, from one end to L'other
Then we had an oil refn'ry, big salt
furnace, an lot o cooper shops. Them
was good times when everybody was
maxim money like dirt. See that Oh
smokestack standin' over yonder?"
81 do"
''Well. that's all that's left O. the Oh
salt furnace
"a monument to dead industry"
Marlowe murmured to himself.
What's that you say?" Jep asked
quickly.
"a monument to a dead industry, ;"
Ralph repeated, pointing to the black
shaft looming heavenward.
That's what it is,' sighed Tucker,
feelingly. 'You can say things mighty
purity, young teller, when you try. You
can, swan! No, the OF town o. Baby
Ions been goin' BACKYARD fer years
ever sence the railroad come through
Std O. helpin' us it hurt us-drawed
trade away to the two towns at the ends
O. the river. OF course the oil business
has made things little better, in the
last year r two; but I'm feared it's
only the fash of dyin' fire. OF Baby
ion amt what she once was-not by q
consider
abstractedly.
He was not thinking of the village,
but of his own past-of his dead hopes
and aspirations. But Jep caught the
whispered words, and Shaping his COM
l nanion ON the shoulder cried odrnir-