The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-19
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

 He went about his gruesome work with out delay. for the gale from the North was doing its work and the lake was had accumulated nothing" After supper he called at the mayor | residence to deliver his report as agreed upon. The report. being brief, was briefly delivered and he was buttoning his rough coat preparatory to departure when Badgers placed hand upon his arm.
 "Mr. Dawson" said he. 7"our desire to recover the body of that unfortunate man has become, owing to events which have since transpired, more earnest even , than 1t was when we accepted your prop osition. Hgyienic and humanitarian mo lives have been augmented by senti- mental ones. A bruised and bleeding heart Is now one of the considerations we have to reckon with. Step this way. please"
 He led the dredger into an adjoining room, where the woman and Mrs. Cad- gers sat by table. He opened his moutR to express the formality commonly incl dental to the introduction of gentie man and lady. HIS mouth rename open. soundless. Gradually the benignity of his countenance faded away. Conflict ing emotions beset and bewildered him as he observed the woman. utterlng cry of joy. rush forward and throw her arms about the dredger's neck. The embrace was lengthy one, for the dreds.r seemed as desirous of prolonginS 1t as the woman. and during it's continuance the mayor recovered his boise somewhat.
 Ut appears" he remarked, dryly, that yous two people are already slightly ac- quatnted. l am, it is perhaps needless to inform you, rather surprised. Mr. er-Dawson. will you do me the kindness to explain?"
 The dredger was visibly embarrassed. He looked at the woman whose hand he was fondling. then at the ceiling, then at the floor At last he looked at the mayor, and grinned.
 "i suppose I may as we'll make a clean breast of it," he said. Ut was joke in the beginning. Some of the men in the gang I'd been working with were forever playing practical jokes, and I'd seemed to be a particular favorite as butt I made up my mind to get even. So that day, when my contract expired: left my jacket and vest on the wharf while the others were at grub Then l crawled under the wharf and covered myself with boards and waited for the joke. to work. It worked better even than I thought 1t would. But l heard me. after they'd made up. their minds that I'd committed suicide because of disappointment in love, that I was ashamed to come out and give 'tm the horse laugh"
 Very considerate of you," murmured the mayor.
 "Yes, I reckon twas something like that. Anyway. I enjoyed 1t. Most men nave 10 Ole De1Ore IOlkS say niCe tHlnSS about 'em. I was specially pleased with your own words. Your little speech, tell ing of the sorrow you felt in the q ath of even stranger. was very nice"
 "I am rashly impetuous at times Badgers frowned heavily-'and give ut terance to sentiments that do me small credit. Proceed, if you please"
 Well. t was comfortable under the wharf. The weather was warm, the light was good. and chanced to have novel in my pistol pocket I stayed there till dark. when I crawled out and footed it to Areticville. where took train for Blue River Falls to see my girl. She wasn't there. The folks said she'd gone away somewhere to visit. after having scrap with her brother. who she'd been living with.''
 The woman spoke suddenly. "He turned me out, Jim, after he'd hit me in the face, because I wouldn't marry that friend of his. Tip Weldon. I didn't know you'd intended to come here. So wrote you, saving I was coming. and then came. Oh. Jim. Jim!'
 Shs wept softly. clinging to his hand.
 There. there. Liz. it's all right now. He bent awkwardly and kissed her. T suppose the letters in the postoffice now was here only day. But as was read in the papers about my suicide, and about the efforts that were being made to recover my remains. and said tn myself that maybe I could get three or four days work at good pay dragging for 'em."
 A man would naturally wish to recov- his own remains" unused the mayor.
 50 I wrote you, offering to take on| the job for $5 a day and find myself, and YOU agreed. Twas a daredevil thing for me to do. but I needed the money, and 1t looked as If it would go through. reckon 'twould have. too, if--''
 Badgers raised his hand. palm outward. Enough he said. solemnly. and in his deepest bass. Permit me to inform you. sir, that 1t would not have gone through, The fund which was subscribed to reim- purse you in the premises has not been collected. Furthermore. it is not collect able. There are upon the paper the names of no responsible citizens. I have been somewhat worried as to the manner in which I would set forth this fact to you when the moment for settlement arrived It Is needless to say, while I am deeply grieved and pained that any one should trifa as vou have trifed with the tenets of the higher moral law that I am much relieved in mind.'
 He raised the other hahd and rolled his eyes upward.
 Bless you, my children he niuin- bled.
 And the following night the liz cit- zens of Beaver Lake witnessed a wedding at the residence of the mayor. and the bride and groom were made much Of. case had the corporate heart been small CT or had the corporate moral standard been less subject to suspicion.
 Edgar welton Cooley.