Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-08-26
His Friend,
The Ere1nsy
BY WILLIAM WALLACE CooK
Author Of Rogers Oh Butts. Tho Spur Of
Necessity. Mr.. Fit. Astrooeer.' etc.
lcopyrlshs, l,sl. By the s. $. A.cl,r. Co,
CHAPTER XXI.

CHATTER Xxi.
Az time is reckon-d, Guy had 30
journal in Goodwill county for =
period OF two weekx, and two days;
but in the broad fight of eventx, af-
fcctns his life for better or for
worse, this fortnight and more lad
multiplied itself increasingly.
lie had faced the citizens OF Con-
cord very early Wednesday morning
and, with the timely aid of samp-
son, had succeeded in clearing his
fair name of every suspicion. The
people began to see how they had
wronged the young man, and. as
their anger cooled toward him. it
mounted higher against the Colonel.
When public opinion had reached
the boiling point. the Colonel's castle
was stormed and sacked and Guys
last glimpse of the fallen idol was
caught from the procession that
wendell its way down the main street
and out of the town. Before these
lrate citizens returned. the train
from the west had arrived and de-
parted, and Guy had gone with it..
His airy dream of a fortune had
been snuffed out like candle in full
glare. His Inheritance. all that had
been saved from the wreck of his ia
Tiers estate had sunk from n value
of many thousands to few paltry
hundreds. The dream was past. The
stern awakening was at hand. and
there was nothing for him but work
AS he toiled over some ones set Of
books, he could reflect philosophical
lv on the "rigor of the game" that
had wrecked him.
Miss Betty was the one bright spot
in all that chaos of vancouver. plot.
counterpart and checkmate. He was
in love with her-hopelessly, he
feared, in more than one sense of the
word. Had Concord won the county
seat and had he, in the boom that
followed. realized small fortune
out of his lots, he might have prose-
cuted his suit, wooed and won. Let
sentimcntalists prate as they NAV,
success in business very often goes
hand-in-hand with success in love.
Besides, Guy had reserve of pride.
How could he face Miss BETTY and
tell her that the son of Montfort
Herbert had hardly dollar that he
could call his own? No; he would
"bucllle in," make his mark and then
go to her. Months would certainly
clapse, perhaps years, but if his love
could not withstand the wear of time
wherein was it worthy? If she cared
anything for him she would wait. On
the other hand, if she did not care
for him she would marry some one
else and he would face the future in
manly way and do his utmost to
forget. 1t was wise counsel that his
about his plans with courage and de-
termination.
he made jamestown his Mecca and
there he found loan and invest
ment concern in need of an assistant
bookkeeper. He passed an cxamina-
ton, was found competent and en-
tered at once upon his duties. His
weekly stipend was S2O-not half the
pocket money his indulgent father
had at one time allowed him.
1t is very easy to work toward n
goal as bright as the one Guy had
set for himself and it was astonish-
ing how he made shift to economic.
Week by week more than half his
salary was laid by and, when a
month had passed, he was so hungry
for news of Concord and Miss Betty
that he wrote a line to Petitions.
In the letter he asked how many
Concord people had moved to Har-
mony; asked if the Colonel had ever
been heard from; inquired about
Waffle, Glimmcr. Bilkins and others
and requested the sheriff to send him
bills for the lumber and hardware
used in the Inflated courthouse. Guy
said that he intended to pay these
bills and would do so in time. He
wrote no word about Miss Betty,
eager though he was to hear from
her. But Pcttibone knew. His reply
would be filled with Information
concerning the owner OF the blue
eyes, Guy was certain.
After posting the letter he waited.
The days passed without bringing y
reply and a chill of disappointment
swept through the young mans soul.
His round of duties became irksome.
He was beginning to realize how
hard it would be to face the future
without Miss Betty. The desire with
in him to run down to Concord some
Saturday night was very strong.
During Sunday forenoon he could
take an inventory and ascertain how
much OF the town had been carried
away, and in the afternoon he could
drive to the other side OF the county
and find out how much of his town
Harmony had already absorbed. He
even pictured himself at Willowvicw
indnlgin% in persitiage with the
squire ever the county-scat contest.
lie would not reveal the trIe st.te
of his affairs. but would pose as the
wealthy son OF Mont fort Herbert. \
cuisines. plea would take him from
Wilow,icw Sunday night so that he
could get back to Jamestown in time
to begin his weekly grind in The
loan office. Miss Betty should never
know the straits to which he WAS
pu. until he had wrested Y fortune
from the clutch OF fate and hal Ia id
it at her feet, together with his
heart
Just as Guy, bending mechanically
over his ledger. had figured the MAJ