Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-11-27

II q SOOU Snd1l0T O10,-DuC 1dQ Oh
Doc Barwood in with me, fer a par0-
ner, I'd poke hole down to the Berea
grit an give 'er a hundred quart shot
O. glycer'n. A man might hit a gusher.
Yes, the OF docs lucky dog-an' no
mistake
Lucky" snarled the cobbler. Hes
luckier n four aces 'g'inst full house.
He ought to play poker-he had. If he'd
draw to ShoeString, he'd ketch a side
O. leather. But he's the meanest, con-
trar1est, stingiest, most cantankerous
OF cuss that ever drawed breath. He
amt got friend in the town. I don't
6,heve his OVID family likes him-I
don't see how they can He wants his
own way in ev'rything- mad
whether he gifts it r don't git it -
Marlowe was learning what he wish
ed to know. Crawford took pull or two
at his expiring stogie and went on:
Yes, he's the most even-tempered
man In all creation; got temper like
rat-tail f1le-an's raspin' away all the
time. He's so c'ntrary the hair on the
back O his neck grows uphill std O.
down. An stingy! He'd skin a flea fer
its hide an taller
Crawford was greatly wrought .up.
His face was scarlet; his red hair was
on end. Rising to his feet and pointing
a pudgy finger at Ralph, he shouted:
Young man, you're in fed a good
tlme-an' 1 wish you much joy Wy the
Oh Scamp'S had three clerks in the last
year r so; an couldn't keep one of 'em.
Ihe hrSt one took to drink: the sec
ond one run away ans never come back
mr. been heard Of an the third one
went to Cincinnati an committed sui
c1oe. You won't be here a month till
you'll be in the notion O. gittin' mar
RED r dom some other desper'te thing
The OF infiddlei Calls hisself an ag-
norstic-an' brags that he amt 'fraid
o God, man, mr. devil. That's what he
does. 1t makes me sick to talk bout
him.
Crawford collapsed into his chair.
and sat there chewing viciously at his
cigar stub, and wiping the perspiration
from his glowing visage, with the back
Of his hairy hand.
Ralph was embarrassed; and made no
attempt to reply to the cobbler's fiery
outburst. He shrewdly conjectured that
crawford had grievance, real or fan
cled, laid up to the credit of DR.. Bar
wood. Yet the cobblers idtemperate ac-
cusations might be the true interpreta-
ton of Orders surprised ejaculation
ana Clark's noncOmmittal silence The
young druggist was worried. Once more
ne looked at his watch, and wished
some one would come to show him to
his room. He desired to be alone, that
he might think more clearly.
crawford" the drilIer chuckIed,
you remind me of a thiry-quart shot O.
glycer'n' with a spIutter'n fuse to it.
You're ready to explode at any min
ute"
"Say!" laughed the prospector. "That
reminds me of somethin'."
Tell It :" cried his cOmnaufOnc in Nv
pectant chorus.
Ihe proSpector stretched his long legs
toward the fire, produced piece of to-
bacco by diving deep into his trousers
pocket, and deliberately ground off a
chew. Then he coolIy returned the SER
rated fragment to its usual resting
place, and with a few preliminary
masticatory movements began:
You fellers all know OF John Lovett
out at Bethel-great big man with red
face, an voice cross twist a steam
whistle an megaphone. His whisper
sounds like steamboat BLOWN mud
out Of 'er b'ilers-an' he talks faster n
a horse can trot. Well, one wet an
muddy day last winter, Keorge Clifford
that little bald-faced dude that shot
the wells on Strlnger's Fork-come a
drivin' long past OF Johns place, go
in down to DuIIson to put in a shot.
The mud was stiff an heavy; an he
had fifty quarts o. the stuff in his rig,
an was drivfn' slow
''OP Johns niece had been Visitin'
him fer a week r two an that morn
in was wantfn' to git down to Dullson
to take the train fer home. So the OF
man std o hitchin' up his own team
an drivin' her down, stood out in the
front yard, watchin' fer some one to
come long, that she could ride down
with.
well, after while he spied Clifford
draggin' his load through the mud: an
rushin' down the path leadin' to the
road an wavin' his hands like a crazy
man, bellered at hfm-like a bull with
the whoopin' cough:
Say there, young mani Say there!
Stop right where you are-stop right
where you are, sir. My niece, M'randy
yes, sir, my niece, M'randy, wants to
go down to Dullson to take the cars
yes, sir, to take the cars, you under
stand. You're goin' down thereof
course you are-you're goin' down
there; an she wants to ride down with
you. She amt very hefty-she won't
make much of load-yes, sir-yes, sir.
An it amt but mile r so-jest mile
r so. Let 'er ride. eh. Let 'er ride?
OF course-of course. I'll run right up
an tell 'er She'll be all ready in a
jiffy-yes, sir. in jiffy. Won't keep
you waitin' but minute more n
a minute. Jest stay where you are, sir
right where you are
can OF John ambled off up the path
like stepladder with the rheumatic.
Clifford hadn't been able to git a
word in edgeways; but now he hol-
Tered:
"'Say, Mister! Wait minute
'Well-well!' roared OF John turn
in round an comm back. What is it,
young Teller? Out with it, Stout
with it,
The young lady's welcome to ride
with me- says George, 'proVidin' she
amt afraid
'Afraid?' broke in the Of man mad
der,n a wet hen an, a WaHin, his arms