The Press., 1903-01-15
CHARGING
the
EN- T. MY

1OI, By a. S. Richardson

/
stumping upon his crutches down the
street and up the steps of his store. 1t
was the biggest store in town, though
not the smartest Joe Beenam, who
had opened up the spring before, just
across the street. was running old Glib
hard in groceries and hardware and
| leaving him out of sight when it came
| to knickknacks or dry goods pure and
| simple.
A man who half knew looked after
old Glib, then across at the sign of his
young rival and murmured half to
himself. What a pityw Another man
who knew also looked, listened to the
exclamation and answered it, sticking
out his chin as he spoke, Better say,
What a shame!"
What's a shame. doc?'' third said,
| coming up behind them. Doctor Wa
tiers smiled half grimly. "Pm not quite
| sure-it seems to be the hitch in the
course of a true love-" he answered.
Lew Bayne, the man who had spoken
| first, shook his head energetically. Il
meant that poor old fellows legs" he
| never walk again"
Now you've got me-" the doctor pro-
| tested. I'D risk my professional rep
| utation that fall he got on the sleety
pavement did no worse harm to his
shrunken shanks than bark them up
| pretty generally. There were bruises,
| of course, and on the shoulder and side
| as well. l told him he'd be out and
about in plenty time for the Christmas
trade, but from the first he stood me
| up and down that he'd never take an
| other steady step, and so far, I'm
| bound to admit, he was right. There's
nothing on earth the matter with his
legs, nothing at least that l or the 9TH
er doctors can see. Against that there
is the fact that the minute he tries to
stand on them they do the joint rule
| act-double under him as though they
hadn't strength to bear up a spider.
The trouble must lie in the nerves. If
that's what you meant. l agree with
you that it's pity. thought you had
reference to the trick he's played on
Joe Beenam."
What is it?" asked Merton, the
third of the group. you know I've
been away six months! Tell me all
about it,
Not much to tell" Dr. Waters said.
you know Florrie Ezelr'-
Il ought to, considering she sent me
away" Merton broke in ruefully.
You don't mean Joe is gone on her
like the rest of US? 1 thought
You've hit it," the doctor said. Joe
did stand out mighty well against the
prevailing infection. but a man never
knows what's coming to him until it
| hits him square in the face"
Lord. To think of Joe, the bomb
proof we called him." Merton chuckled.
How did it happen? Tell me all about
it."
Merton, a newly evolved drummer,
had given what he would have called
"a comprehensive order" DR.. Waters
also chuckled as he answered. nodding
| his head by way of emphasizing his
points: "Well, you see, it's this way:
The hour struck for Joe when he saw
Florrie Ezell swirling around. a blue
| tarlatan angel, in a waltz with Bob
Acton at the Pattons' party. Florrie's
a pretty girl anyway you see her.
That night she was particularly fetch
ing. But that wasn't the thing. 1 in
Soon as the waltz was over he froZe
| to Florrie- didn't get a yard away
from her all the evening"
ut was a freezing time. as 1 remem-
| ber" Lew Bayne interrupted. with
laugh. Indian summer up to dusk;
then a cold rain. that turned to sleet
in short order. Say. didn't old Glib get
his fall that very night?'
I'm coming to that, If you'll wait"
the doctor ran on. II tell you that was
sleet to remember. Joe. of course,
wouldn't let Florrie walk home, though
the Ezell house is only six blocks from
the Pattons'. No. stree! He telephOned
for the finest rig at the livery stable
and bundled all that blue tarlatan in
it as snug as you please. l heard Flor
RE protesting that she ought really to
wait for papa, but we all persuaded her
papa wouldn't think of risking himself
upon pavement like glass. We ought
to have known better. Old Glib always
does the thing that any other man
would let alone"
BET q hat he came" Merton said,
chuckling more than ever.
"You win-from yourself" DR.. Wa
tiers answered. He came, he didn't
see his daughter. he went back swear
ing like trooper though he is a dea-
con, and he fell right before Master
Joe's fine rig coming back from leav-
ing Miss Florrie safe at the gate. OF
course Joe picked him up and carried
| him home. Equally. of course, old
Glib hates him for doing it. By the
time l got to him next morning he
was fully persuaded Joe was at the
bottom of his fall. with Florrie as &C.
cessory; said they ran away and left
him. hoping he'd break his neck, so
Joe could have both his daughter and
his store. You know he didn't take
overkindly to competition anyway
THAT he didn't! Why, he even
wrote to our credit man to keep q
peeled eye on Joe" Merton interrupt
ed.
"That's like him." DR.. Waters said.
81 tell you, boys nature must work
along certain line of compensation.
I'm sure She slapped into old Glib all
the small meannesses due to two gen.
erations OF EZells-it may even be
three. His father was fine man, and
his daughter is just as good woman
as ever was made"
About Joe, now?' Merton Queried.
DR.. Waters frowned.
Joe courted Florrie with such rush
that in week they were engaged. Then
he went right in to old Glib and had
it out with hjm-told him all about
himself and his business, in and out,
up and down-but the substance Of it
was he wanted Florrie for his wife,
and would do whatever old Glib said
if only he could get her. And then the
old crocodile pretended to cry; said
Florrie was all he had to live for; he
hoped Joe wouldn't press him for an
answer thpn nor iDdoo6 tall- Of on