The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-30

Just outside Of Beaver"
Beaver? Elucidate Beaver, boys!'
Beaver? Meredith, your information
ends at home. What do you know Of your
own state If you are ignorant of Beaver.
Beaver is that city Of Carlow county next
| in Importance and population to Platt-
ville."
Tom put his head out Of the window.
II fancy you are right" he said. II al
ready see five people there"
Meredith had observed the change In
his companions mood. He had watched
him closely all day, looking for a return Of
his raalady: but he came to the conclusion
| that In truth miracle had been wrought,
| for the lethargy was gone ,and Vigor
seemed to Increase In Harkless with every
| turn Of the wheels that brought them
nearer Plattville; and the nearer they
| drew to Plattville the higher the spirits
! of both the young men rose. Meredith
knew what was happening there, and he
began to be little excited. AS he had
said, there were five people visible at
lived, as the only building in sight was the
| station, and to satisfy his curiosity he
walked out to the vestibule. The little
station stood in deep woods, and brown
leaves whirled along the platform. One
Of the five people was an old lady, and she
| entered the rear car. The other four
were men. One of them handed the con-
| ductor a telegram.
Meredith heard the official say, ':AI
right. Decorate ahead. I'll hold it Ave
minutes"
| The man sprang up the steps Of the
smoker and looked in. He turned to
Meredith: do you know If that gentle
He's got his back this way, and don't
want to 60 inside. The-the air In the
| smoker always gives me a spell"
Yes. that's Mr.. Harkless.' t..r.
/ The man Jumped to the platform. '.An
right, boys" he said. rip her OUT
The doors Of the frelght-roorn were
thrown open, and big bundle Of colored
folded. One of the men ran to the far
ther end Of tho car with a strip Of red.
white and blue bunting, and tackled it
securely. while another fastened the
other extremity to the railing Of the steps
by Meredith. The two companions Of
with another strip on the other side OF tho
| car. They ran similar strips Of bunt-
ing along the roof from end to end, so
that, except for the windows, the car was
| completely covered with the national col
ors. Then they draped the vestibules
| with flags. It was all done In a trice.
Meredith's heart was beating fast
"What's it all about7" he asked.
| Picnic down the line answered tho
man in charge, removing tack from his
mouth. He mottoned to the conductor.
! "Go ahead"
The wheels began to move; the deco.
| rators remained on the platform. letting
| the train pass them; but Meredith, cran-
ing his neck from the steps. saw that
| they jumped on the last car.
"What's the celebration" asked Hark-
less. when Meredith returned.
Picnic down the line." said Meredith.
''Nipning weather for q picnic: a little
- x3~Sepk =, aI1o Hrn> NJ %1nA F~H
lows looked like friend Of mine, Homer
Tibbs. or as Homer might look II he were
In disgrace. He had his hat hung on his
| eyes, and he slouched like thief in melo-
drama, as he tackled up the bunting on
this side of the car" He continued to
point out various familiar places, finally
breaking out enthusiastically, as they
drew nearer the town: "Hello! Look there
beyond the grove yonderl See that
house?"
Eyes. John.'
"Thats the Bowlders'. You've got to
know the Bowlders."
| 'Id like to-
"The kindest people in the world. The
Briscoe house we can't see, because it's SO
shut In by trees; and. besides, It's mile
or SO ahead of US. Well go out there for
| supper tonight Don't you like Briscoe7
He's the best they make. Well go up
town with Judd Bennett in the omnibus,
and you'll know how rapid-flre machine
gun sounds. 7 want to go straight to the
Herald Office" he finished. with suddenly
darkening brow.
after all, there may be some explana-
tion," Meredith suggested, with little
hesitancy. III. Eisbee might turn out
more honest than you think
laughed; it was the first time Meredith
had heard him laugh since the night Of the
dance IN the country. Honest! A man
in the pay Of Rodney McCune! Well we
can lot it wait till we get there. Listen!
There's the whistle that means we're get
ting near homo. BY heaven. there's an
oil well!'
| $50 it is"
"And another-.three-i1ve-
en- in sight at once! They tried it three
miles south and failed; but you can't fool
Eph Watts, bless him! I want you to
| know Watts"
They were running by the outlying
houses Of the town, amidst thousand de-
scrtptive ordinations from Harkless, who
wished Meredith to meet every one In
Carlow. But he came to a pause in the
middle Of a word.
do you hear music?" he asked abrupt
~. "Or Is 1t only the rhythm Of the
ties?"
1T seems to me there's music in the
air. answered his companion. 'I've been
fancying I heard it for a minute or So
) THERE No-yes. It's band, isn't it?'
"No; what would a band"
The train slowed up, and stopped at 9
water tank, two hundred yards east Of
the station, and their uncertainty was al
an end.
From somewhere down the track came
the decorating boom Of a cannon. There
was clash Of brass, and the travellers be.
came aware Of a band playing marching
Through Georgia" Meredith laid his
hand on his companions shoulder. John,
he said, "John--' The cannon fired
again, and there came a cheer from three
| thousand throats, the shouters all unseen
The engine coughed and painted, the
, train rolled on, and in another minute Il
had stopped alongside the station in thu
midst Of a riotous jam o.
happy people, who were wavihs
flags and banners and handkerchiefs
, and tossing their hats high in the air
and shouting themselves hoarse. Th'
: band played in dumb show; 1t could NO
) hear itself play. The people came at tht
SIN oker like a long wave, and Warner
Smith, Briscoe, Keating, and Mr.. Benct
r Of Gaines we're swept ahead Of it. Befor,
i the train stopped they had rushed eagerl,
| up the steps and entered the car.
I Harkless was on his feet and started t,
, meet them. He stopped.
! What does it meanQ" he said. and be
- r.