Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-11-27

|
what you meant"
Meant by what?"
You know. Why were you so thun
derstruck when l announced my inten.
ton of working for DR.. Barwood?"
| 'Well-I-'
He hesitated, fdgeted-and stopped
| NWell?" Ralph reIentlessly insisted
II don't want to say anything
against the old doc; he's good patron
of the road. But
''Is he insane?"
! ''No-of course not"
E'Idiotic?"
"No!"-In tone of deep disgust
Hes smarter'n patch of nettles.''
What then?''
I'm not going to say another word:
III leave you to find him out He don't
like me none too well, anyhow"
The operator said this doggedly
COMPRISING his lips.
Say, Sam Clark" the red-headed
cobbler cried, throwing down his cards
and springing to his feet. "Why don't
you tell the gentleman what kind of q
man OF Doc Barwood is? The YOUNG
man ought to knOw-he has a right to
know"
Tell him yourself, then" Clark re-
torted holly. I'm not under your or
ders."
And that's jest what I'll do" the
cobbler snapped, his short, fiery hair
br1stling with excitement and anger.
Il amt afraid
''Here-here, Crawford" shouted the
proprietor. You're breaking I'D the
game. Set down. Your news'Il keep
till the young mans had his supper.
It'll set better on his stomach then"
And taking the cobbler by the coat
tails, the oil man jerked him into a
chair.
AT that moment the landlord came in
TO the Office by door in the corner
near the tall desk, and announced:
Your supper's ready, Mr. MarIowe.
I've fried you some ham and eggs,
warmed up some biscuits, and made
you cup of coffee. 1t amt very much;
but it'll have to do fer tonight. It'll
keep soul an body together tin morn
in, anyhow. Then we'll try to use you
better"
Marlowe desired to hear what the
cobhler had to say, but he desired food
more; so he followed the landlord
through the corner door, into the din
ing room.
On re-entering the office, after finish
ing his meal, he saw the moon-faced
br1dge-tender pounding the table with
his fist, and heard him exclaiming ex-
ultingly:
High, low, jack an the game! Six
games to r five! That's enough fer to-
night. Put up the cards and shove back
the table"
The other players acquiesced in the
br1dge-tender's decision. The cobbler
placed the greasy cards upon the man
tel and pushed the table against the
wall. Then, having bitten the end from
a long stogie and lighted it, he dropped
into chair and pulled away in silence.
Clark was absent Ralph wished very
much to know Crawford's opinion of
DR.. Barwood, and considered how he
might obtain it. But the man of the
last and awl appeared to have forgotten
his avowed determination to express
himself; and Marlowe could evolve no
plan to set him going. So the young
man sat and dried his shoes by the fire
consulting his watch occasionally and
yawning-and listened to the idle Cos
sip of his companions, hoping all the
while some turn of the conversation
would remind the cobbler of his inten-
ton.
The murmur of his companions
voices made Ralph drowsy, so he
thought. He dropped into a reverie-
half asleep, half awake. Of a sudden he
heard the prospector say-"Yes, the oil
docs got an interest in that WE'LL too
and he was wideawake in an instant
In that new one on the Worden
placer" the bridge-tender asked.
YES" the prospector answered.
Have they drilled in yit?''
"Jest got through the first Cow Run
sand yesterday, understand"
''Where'H they find the grease
fharo 10
'In the second Cow Run. most like
ly."
SAY" volunteered the driller. ''I
heard today they'd jest shot that wild
cat well out as Coon Holler"
THAT so?"-From the prospector.-
what show?"
"a duster."
"Jest as I expected. with a sneer.
'But the Climax people drilled in a
good one on the Gaddus lease, DAY r
two ago."
Did. Ell? What did she rum"
Pumped forty bar'ls the first ten
hours
Purity fair" said the prospector,
nodding approvingly.
can that's in the stray SAND. too
There's another we'll the OF docs in on
He has the luck Ger sure He's inter
ested in that whole string O. wells on
the Gaddus tract, amt hep
"Yes-an' the OF cuss's gittin' rich, ,
muttered the bridge-tender in an injur-
ed tone
"Gittin' rich,' the cobbler snorteG
angrily. HE is rich-ben rich fel
years-an' gittin' richer The OF hogi'
"You can't say but what he's lucky
anyhow" the prospector said, beamins
affably upon the hot-hea6ed little cob
bler-an0 winking slyly at Marlowe
''I've only been here few months; an