Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-25
CHAPTER w. Continued.

IAN she never come back" Tucker
concluded solemnly; AN was never
heard OF but once. A drummer come
into town week r two after-I b'lieve
1t was Lon Crider-an' said he'd seen
a hog answerin' to the description o
Rosser's. way down in Meigs county,
close to the Ohio. Said it had dried
Whitewash all over its snoot an head
an was runnin' an squearin' an screw
In its tail. like it had jest had al in
terview with passed. o. hornets. Most
people didn't take much stock in the
story; but did. / argied this way:
The SOW hain't come back; an therefore
she must still be runnin'. An if she's
still runnin', she's passed through
Meigs county, an Lon Orders seen 'er.
Anyhowe the oil rip didn't come back
to bother round no more; an folks is
still blessin' that bucket o whitewash
in Their prayers, an"
Marlowe, seeing no end to the fellows
maunderings, interrupted:
"Jep-if l may call you that-do you
wish to help me to work a miracle?"
"You may call me anything you
please" Tucker replied yawning, ''jest
so you don't call me too late fer dinner.
But bout y'r miracle. Don't want to
send me up to heaven in no chariot o
fire, do you; mr. chuck me into the
whales belly?"
''No, want you to work"
well, that would be workin' kind
Of miracle-to git me to work, would, !"
Jep replied, grinning sheepishly.
'What're you drivin' at?''
81 mean to work the miracle of bring
ing order out of chaos. with a wave
of his hand about the room.
"Oh!" Jep chuckled. II understand
you; you mean to clean up things.
Well, it won't be much of a miracle to
do that All it'll take IL be little soap
an water an elbow grease. But it will
be miracle. if you keep 'em clean. 1
can tell you that"
''Why?"
'"Cause the OF doc won't let you.
He'll come in an throw his muddy
overcoat down in one place, an his sad
dIebags in another, an string things
round to suit himself-pilin' empty an
mussy bottles all over the counters an
showcases, an so on. l know him.
Says he likes to have things handy"
"That is his habit. eh?'
Eyes"
''I shall break him of it,"
"Whati-In unfeigned consterna-
ton.
Yes. shall put the place in order
and keep it So"
You III nave FUSS WIN Oh uOc, lure
4S hours
Probably. Did the other clerks have
difficulty with him on the same scores"
"No-not hardly. They jest let him
have his own way; an when they
couldn't stand it no longer, they packed
tner kits an left. l don't say Their
wasn't other troubles between 'em, you
understand"
Il understand Well, you will assist
me in the task, will you?"
"Sure pop. When you goin' at it?'
''This afternoon. We ought to have
two strong, active women to help US.
Do you know where to find them?'
Jep grinned from ear to ear as he
replied:
might git the woman an gal where
/ board. They live on the lot jest cross
the alley back O. the buildin'. They
could heat water there, an 1 could tote
it over"
"The very thing. Who are they?"
"Jep fuckers wife an gal"
"Oh!"-and Ralph laughed softly. 'I
shall leave you, then, to make all ar
engagements. 1t is now 10 o'clock.
shall go to the hotel, change my cloth
ing and get an early dinner Have
everything in readiness by the time
return-say in an hour from now. Have
you the keys?"
Eyes"
"All right. Lock the door when you
go to your meal"
THAT young feller's sharper n bee
sting" Jep muttered as Ralph left the
store; IAN as set in his way as a
bIacksmith's anvil. But'-With dubi-
Gus shake of the head-''he'll come into
a c'lision with the oil doc, one o these
days, that'I shake his back teeth loose.
I'll live in mortal dread of the blowup
from this time on
And signing heavily, he hobbled be-
hind the counter and helped himself to
the contests of a large black bottle
standing upon the lower shelf.
Marlowe returned to the drug store at
Ii, wearing pair of heavy russell shoes,
a crush hat, and blue overalls and
jumper. He found Mrs. Tucker-a wiry
little body OF 40-and her strapping IS
) year-old daughter, already on hand and
sweeping and busting vigorously. Jep
according to his own statement given
in a wheezy, dust-laden voice-was
''reddin up the lower regions"
Ralph assumed direction of affairs,
lending a hand here and there; and the
work progressed rapidly. By mid-after-
noon the accumulated dust and waste
OF months had been routed; and armed
with mops, cloths, brushes, and hot
soapsuds, the whole force made de-
te-mined and concerted assault upon
the hosts of dirt and disorder.
An hour before supper time-Marlowe
was polishing a show case near the
door-twc young ladies paused upon the
sidewalk in front OF the building, and
looked into the store. Ralph slyly OBJ
served them. The older was tall, slender
and dark. with jetty hair and eyes;