The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-05-08
His Friend, The Enemy
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK.
Author "Rosers Butte,'' trhe spar Of Necessit
t'r1r. Fit, Astro1o0er,'' etc.
Copyright, 1901, BY the 8. 8. Mcclure Co.,

.'AJ ~oooA~ VIC travellers were out
OF town, and rolling rapidly along the
level road which, worn deeply into the
turf, was almost as hard and smooth
as asphalt. The sun had half descend
ed the western sky; few vaporous
clouds tioated overhead and a balmy
wind blew from the northwest and
languidly rippled the grass and the
flowers. The whistle of robin and
the plaintive notes of a meadow lark
thrilled through the scene, giving a
touch of melody to day already per-
feet.
This is something like living" re-
marked Guy, again and again filling
MS lungs to their fullest capacity with
the warm, sweet air.
THAT'S what" assented Pettibone.
IF man was only out in these parts
for his health what a time he could
have! God made the country, thew
say, and men make the town. Every
things lovely until civilized people
come along, tickle the soil with pillow
and make it laugh wheat and oats, and
then the trouble begins. Seems like
the more nature smiles and shows her
good nature, the more unsociable peo-
pie become. Now, look there'-and
the sheriff waved his hand toward the
stretch of prairie dotted with squares
of growing grain, each square pushing
the "shack" of it's owner as far toward
it's limits. as possible-"did you ever
see anything purifier? But there's a
heart in every one of those shacks.
Mr.. Herbert, that's bitter as gall over
this county seat question. And if it
wasn't that, it would be something
else. I tell you, a human bein' has
got to have grievance to nurse, or
fondle, or tuck away, or put up on a
pole and howl about, or he won't be
contented. That's right"
"Why are the farmers so deeply in
terested in the county seat fght?"
Most of 'em have lot or two in
town, so it's pocketbook affair with
them. Those that haven't any lots just
take sides in order to have something
to quarrel about. The farmer that
lives nearest to Concord is a Concord
man, and the one closest to Harmony
is for that town tooth and nail. Sile
Whitaker that's his house way over
yender, you can see it just over the
lash of my whip now-well, when he
first built his claim shanty it was right
square between the two towns, not a
foot farther from Concord than it was
from Harmony. For long time Sile
hot 10 Il
and it worried him SO that he hitched
his team to his shack one night and
pulled it over onto the northeast COR
ner of his hundred and sixty. That
brought him nearer Concord, see?
When the county seat was located in
Concord and things got fairly quiet
there, he was blue as milestone till
he hauled his shack across to the
southwest corner of the quarter, and
that made Harmony man out of him.
Just now it don't make any difference
which side of his farm he's on. Sile
can be in hot water all the time, so he's
just about as comfortable in the spirit
as any man can be, and live. And that's
the way it goes"
Dick Pettibone was full of anecdote
and "Reminiscences and sage reflections
on life, and the half hour which it re-
luired for the high stopper to trot
them to their destination was whiled
away most agreeably.
Lake Elizabeth was a small but
beautiful expanse of water, simmer
ing like diamond against the green
of the plain. On all sides the banks
had.a gentle slope and there were wide
reaches of white sand skirting the wa
ter's edge. To the north were two
small groves of cottonwoods standing
knee-deep in a dense underground.
Were half an hour ahead of time"
said Pettibone, land consequently are
first on the ground. Suppose we make
ourselves comfortable among those
cottonwoods, where we can't be seen,
and await Developments
Thus speaking, he headed his horse
toward the more southerly of the two
groves. In a little time the horse and
buggy had been hidden in the brushy
tangle and the sheriff and Guy had hit
upon a point of vantage from which,
entirely unobserved, they could see
the north shore of the lake in it's full
extent. $3.50.
They had no more than settled them
selves comfortab bly, when fall of boots
reached their ears and they sawnear
the crest of the sloping shore two
horsemen descending at gallop to-
ward the other grove.
by cracky!" muttered Pettibone.
IF there amt old man Glimmer and
Lem Bilkins, I'm Feejee! Now, what
the dickens are they here for? Tell me
that, somebody, and I'll be obliged.
Look at that! They're going into hid
ing in the other grove. Well, I'll be
dinged!"
Bilkins and Glimmer disappeared in
the brush and among the trees to the
north, and all was outwardly as calm
and serene as before
The next arrivals were Col. Dingle
and Capt. Blue, who drove a red
wheeled gig over the rise and down
to a sentinel cottonwood that stood