The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-26

I Aa.3 s 3 -. L
spoke to the phantoms gliding over the dust
Seven years!" He was occupied with the
realization that there had been man in his |
class whose ambition needed no restraint, his |
promise was SO complete-in the strong belief
OF the university, a belief he could not help
knowing-and that seven years to day from
his commencement this man was sitting on
fence rail in Indiana.
Down the road a buggy came creaking to-
ward him. gray with dust, the top canted
permanently to one side, old and frayed, like
the fat, shaggy, gray mare that drew 1t: her
unchecked despondent head lowering before
her, while her incongruous tail waved inces-
sanity, like the banner OF a storming party.
The editor did not hear the flop of the mares
feet nor the sound OF the wheels, SO deep was
his reverie, till the vehicle was nearly op-
posite him. The ed-faced and perspring
driver drew rein, and the Journalist looked
UP and waved atlong white hand to him in
greeting,
'Howdy' do, Mr. Harkless?" called the man
In the buggy. "Soakin in the weather." He
spoke In shouts though neither was hard of
hearing
Yes; just soaking answered Harkless;
''it's such a gypsy day How is Mr.. Bowlder?"
| I'm gtyin' good satisfaction, thankye. and
ell ct home. She's In town; goin' In after
her now
give Mrs. Rowlder my regards" said the
"How Is Hartley?"
The farmers honest face shaded over, a !
| second. Hes ben steady ever sence the
night you brought him out home; ak weeks
straight. I'm kind OF bothered about to-
morrow-its show-day and he wants to come
In town with US, and seems II I hadn't any
call to say no. I reckon he'll have to take
| his chances-and us, too.' He raised the
reins and clucked to the gray mare; "Well,
she'll be mad amt there long ago. Ride
| in with met"
''No thank you. I'll walk in for the sake
OF my appetite F. ~ @--E
! ''Wouidn't encourage 1t too much-Iivin'
| at the palace hotel.' +" observed Bowlder.
Sorry ye won't ride" He gathered the
| loose ends of the reins in his hands, leaned
far over the dashboard and struck the mare
a hearty thwack; the tattered banner of tail
| jerked Indignantly, but she consented to move
down the road. Bowlder thrust his big head
through the sun-curtain behind him and con-
tinued the conversation: "See the White
Caps ain't got ye yet" @ @
/ "No, not yet" Harkless laughed. 5s ,%y
Reckon the boys 'druther ye stayed In
town after dark" the other called back; then
I as the mare stumbled into trot, well,
cosna out and see us-at ye kin spare tlnae
from the jedge's'' The latter clause
seemed to be an afterthought intended with
4 hunor, for Bowlder accompanied 1t with the
loud laughter OF sylvan timidity, risking a
joke. gIarkiess nodded without the least ap-
prehension Of his meaning, and waved fare
/ we'll aa Bowlder finally turned his attention
to the mare. When the flop, flop OF her hoofs
had died out, the journalist realized that the
[day was silent no longer; It was yerging into
levening. ~ ,.- ~
4 He dropped from the fence and turned his
face toward town and supper. He felt the
Hight and life about him; heard the elatter OF
the blackbirds above him; heard the homing
bees hum by, and saw the vista OF white
road and level landscape. framed on two
sides by the branches of the grove, vista
} Of Infinitely stretching fields of green, lined
here end there with woodlands and fat to the
Il horizon line, the village lying in their lap,
No roll of meadow. no rise of pasture land
relieved their serenity nor shouldered up fron
J them TO be called hill. A second great foch
OF blackbirds was settling down over the
Plattville NAPLES. As they hung In the fail
dome Of the sky below the few white clouds
1t occurred to Harkless that some supping god
had Inadvertently peppered his custard. and
now inverted and eanptied his gigantic blue
dish upon the earth, the innumerafle little
black dots seeming to polse for moment,
then floating slowly down from the heights.
+ A farm bell rang In the distance tinkline
| coming small and mellow from far away
and at the lonesomenegs Of that sound he
haayed long, nournful sigh. The next In
slant he broke into laughter. for another bell
rang over the fields, the courthouse bell IN
the square. The hrst four strokes were given
with mechanical regularity, the pride OF the
custodian who operated the bell being to pro-
duce the effect of clock-work bell such as
he had once heard in the courthouse al
Rouen but the nth and sixth strokes were
hating achievements, as, after O'Clock, be
often lost count In the strain OF the etfort tol
, precise imitation. There was a pause after
tho sixth, then dubious and reluctant stroke
! lanpar naDse followed by a. ina
!, ring with desperate decision-eight! Harkiess
! looked at his watch; it was twenty minutes
of s. !,
: AS he crossed the courthouse yard to ths
Palace Hotel, he stopped to exchange a wore
: with the bellringer, who, seated on the steps
was 1nopping his brow with an air OF heard
earned satisfaction. 4.
5 ''Good evening. Schohelds." he said. "Yo.
came In strong on the st3stroke tonight"
what we need here" responded the bell
r ringer, "is more public-sperrited men. / ain
! kickin' on you, Mr.. Harkless, no sir; but w
!, want more men like they got in Rouen; W
Q want men that'll git Main street paved witt
). block or asphalt; men thatll put In factories
- men thatli act and not set round like that OIL
0 fool Martin and laugh and poliy-woggie AM
o | make fun of putiie sperrit, day in and da'
Q out ] reckon ! do my best for the city. :"
: "Oh. nobody minds Tom Martini" answers
: Harkiess "It's only half the time he mean
Q anything by what he says.
That's jest what hate about him, re
: turned the ball-ringer In a tone of htg
z complaint; "ynu cant never tell which hal
Q it Is. Look at him now!" Over In tron
b OF the hotel Martin was standing
!, talking to the row of coatless loungers VIII
], sat with their chairs tilted back against tn
= propa OF the wooden awning that projects
Is over the sidewalk. Their faces ware tufne
d toward the courthouse. and even those los
ia in Ineditative whiting had looked up Z
q laugh Martin. his hands In the pockets 9
70 his alpaca coat, his rusty silk hat tilted for
}, ward till the wide hrim rested almost O
70 the bridge of his nose, was addressing ther
In his one-keyed voice, the melancholy whin
% pf which, though not the words, penetrate
!. 10 the eougtheuss steps. d. u
s The beil-ringer, whose name was Henr
a sehoaeid, hut who was known ~ sehefelds'
v Henry (populasly abbreviated 10 Schofelds'
d was Ireved TO indignation. Look at him !
i he cried Look at him! Hverlastingl
J. soin' on about my belil Let him talk. les
: let him talk" The supper gong doomed In
side the hotel and Harkless bade the bell
Is ringer good night. tsHe don't disturb no
II body. Let him talk. Who pays any 'tentto
" 10 him I.d like to know7' There was burs
Il os laughter from the whittiars. schoheldt
% sat In patient silence for full minute, q
: one who knew that no official Is too lofty
], i escape the anathemas OF envy. Then
,e sfbrang to his feet and check hia fist at Mar
lin. who was disappearing within the doc
b. Of tina hotel. "Go to Haiifax! y he shouted.
t, Tho diuing-room OF the Palace hotel va
n a large. airy apartment, rustltnS with aftif
r. ticafiy perforated and sashed pink pape