Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-08-12
The LATEST Man.

tile once more" he said. Everybody
seemed SO glad to have escaped the
wreck of the bridge that they were not
yet troubling over the delay. All but
one man. He was squat, ruddy faced
white haired, quick motioned. Ring
ODDS eyes opened wider. He knew
him. And Wall street knew him. Ring
old had not quite lost run Of financial
affairs. A New York paper was watt
ed into town on occasion.
"He was going home in hurry-and
I don't blame him, considering the way
O. and P. is dropping" muttered the
lazy man. "And I'd bet that he won't
gain anything for being held up here"
The ruddy faced man thought so, too,
He went down to the edge Of the river
which had now become lake. lis
there any way Of crossingP" he asked.
The natives stared at him. II reckon
not. A boat wouldn't live minute In
that current. And It's like to rain
agin fore night.
1--WE got to get across now; I can't
wait" said the ruddy faced mar.
where's the boatY
'There amt none nearer than the
ea-shore-ffteen mile away. Wat
we had was lost in the fust flood"
But I've got to get over" declared
the man, insistently.
The bucolic citizens left him. They
made up their minds that he wasn't
exactly right" Ringold went over.
"What's 1t WORTH" he asked calmly.
'Put me across the river-I can get
a special. to meet nae there, finland
I'll give you
He looked Ringold over, and finished;
"a hundred dollars"
"These aren't my Clothes" Ringold
said softly. "You see, got my own
wet. 1 am connected with Page s.
Jessop. They call me their confidential
clerk"
you misunderstood me-" said the
ruddy faced man, quickly. II said
thousandv'
"And expenses?"
"And expenses" with sigh.
Cali right You wire for your train.
You'll need 1t about o'clock
He strolIed away as calmly as ever,
but there must have been something in
his eye that impressed the Wall street
man more than it did Ringod's old
neighbors and friends. At any rate he
telegraphed for the special.
Ringold did little wiring himself.
Luckily there was roundabout way OF
telegraphing to the other side Of the
river, and AL Cusick lived there. He
could depend upon AL to do just what
he was told-no more, no less.
Then Ringold made some purchases
at Sholess store. Young Sholes told
the girl when she happened in little
later that he guessed Bob Ringold
hood, buying children's toys!
And pa and ma thought them left
over balloons we had for the picnic
was a dead loss" said the store
keepers son. His grammar was one
thing that made the gill wish Ringold
was not SO lazy!
OF course, she could not keep away
from the edge Of the overfowed mead
ows. Half the population and most Of
the delayed passengers were there. At
ona side was Ringold and two men
busily at work. On the other shore a
the water, and she heard somebody say
that it was AL Cusick's team. BY and
by other people noticed Ringold's ac-
tons.
They exclaimed in wonder and laugh
ed not a little when a bunch of toy
balloons fastened to a strong silk
thread, rose in the air and was waited
over the water. The wind blew direct
ly across the stream, which was yellow
and angry in it's central channel. But
the ballons floated the silken strand
high above 1t. By and by the pressure
Of the air causing the balloons to leak,
they dropped down. But 1t was on the
further bank, and AL Cusick caught
the thread.
In moment Ringold signaled him to
pull! away. A cord followed the siIken
thread over the river. Then small,
strong rope followed the cord. Several
men had Joined Cusick on the further
shore. Ringo'd attached new cable
to the rope, and under the lusty
"heaye-hoss!' Of the group on the other
side the yellow manila splashed
through the flood. With 1t went an
other cord, which, when the cable was
fast on either shore. was used to pull
a block and breeches buoy which Ring
Old had made from sail
There was banner Of smoke against
the overcast sky on the other side of
the river "Your specials just in. sir"
Ringold said to the ruddy faced man.
ITS quarter to l. l guarantee you'll
get across without SO much as wet
ting your bootsole."
The ruddy faced man shook hands
'You call at my office when you come
to town." he said. II think you ought
to be something better than conf
dental clerk to Page & Jessop-if you
want to change"