Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-09-22
Aut6or Of
"UsJfe.teif"

hdyDurH, ne uttered.
That's good one on you, Alan"
laughed Miller. Gle knows your 'hoss.'
I'll have to spring that on you when I
see you two together"
AS the negro left the office Mr.. Ira
bue leaned in the doorway, holding his
battered silk hat in his hand and mop
ping his perspiring face.
He nodded to Alan and said to Mil
Ter, "Do you want to writeF'
"Not any more for you, thanks" said
Miller. II have the backache now
from those dispositions I made out for
you yesterday"
"Oh, don't mean that" the old
lawyer assured him, "but 1 had to
borrow yore ink Just now, an, SEEM
you at yore desk, thought you might
need it."
"Oh, If do" TESTED Miller, II can
buy another bottle at the bookstore.
They pay me commission on the ink
I furnish the row. They let me have it
cheap by the case. What stumps me
is that you looked in to see If needed
1t. You are breaking the rule, Mr..
Trabue. They generally make me hunt
for my Office furniture when l need 1t.
They've borrowed everything have
except my iron safe. Their ignorance
Of the combination. it's weight and
their confirmed laziness are all that
saved it."
When the old lawyer had gone, the
two friends sat and smoked in silence
for several minutes. Alan was study
ing Miller's face. Something told him
that the news Of his fathers disaster
had reached him and that Miller was
going to speak Of it. He was not mis-
taken, for the lawyer soon preached
the subject.
1--WE been intending to ride out to
see you almost every day this week,"
he said, ''but business has always pre-.
vented my leaving town."
"Then you have heard
eyes, Alan, I'm sorry, but it's all
over the country. A mans bad luck
spreads as fast as good war news.
heard it the next day after your ia
ther returned from Atlanta, and saw
the whole thing in a flash. The truth
is, Perkins had the cheek to try his
scheme on me. I'm the first target Of
| every scoundrel who has something to
sell, and I've learned many of their
tricks. didn't listen to all he had to
say, but got rid of him as soon as
could. You must not blame the old
man. AS see it now, it was most
plausible scheme, and the shame Of it
Is that no one can be handled for it.
Your father will have to grin and bear
it. He really didn't pay fabulous
price for the land, and If he were in a
condition to hold on to it for. say,
twenty-five years he might not lose
money. But who can do that sort of
thing? I have acres and acres Of
mountain land offered me at a much
lower figure, but what little money
I've made has been made by turning
my capital rapidly. Have you seen
Dolly since 1t happened?"
mo; not for two weeks" replied
Alan. II went to church with her
Sunday before last and have not seen
her since. was wondering If she had
heard about it."
"Oh, yes; she's heard it from the colo
mel. 1t may surprise you, but the
thing has rubbed him the wrong way"
"Why, don't understand" exclaimed
Alan. "Has he"-
/ 'The old man has had about 1000
acres of land over near your fathers
purchases. and 1t seems that he was
closely watching oil your fathers deals
and, In spite of his judgment to the
contrary, Mr.. Bishops confidence In
that sort of real estate mas made him
put a higher valuation on his holdings
over there. So you see, now that your
fathers mistake is common talk, he is
forced to realize big slump. and he
wants to blame some one for it. I
don't know but that your father or
some one else made him an offer for
his land, which he refused. So you see
It is only natural for him to be dis.
gruntled."
i II see," said Alan. II reckon you
heard that from Miss Dollyy'
Miller smoked slowly.
"Yes"-after a pause-"I dropped in
there night before last, and she told
me about it. She's not one of your
surface creatures. She talks sensibly
on all sorts of subjects. OF course
she's not going to show her heart to
i me. but she couldn't ide the fact that
your trouble was wo. wing her a good
deal. think she'd like to see you at
the ball tonight. Frank Hillhouse vii
give you dance or two. He's going
to be hard to beat. He's the most al
tentive fellow ever ran across. Hes
got a new buGGy-a regular hugh
Highland high stepping kentucky
mare for the summer campaign. Hell
have some money at his fathers death
and all the old women say he's the
best catch In town because he doesn't
drink, has Sunday school class and
will have money. We are all going tc
wear evening suits tonight. There arr
some girls from Rome visiting Hattie
| Alexander, and we don't want them tc
| smell hay in our hair. You know how
the boys are. Unless all Of us weal
spiketails no one will; so we took 8
vote on it, and We'll be on big dixie
There'n be q devilish lot of insists
Those who haven't suits are borrowing
in all directions. Frank Buford will
rig out in Colonel Days antebellup
toggery. Did you bring yours?"
| at happens to be at Parker's shop
being pressed" said Alan.
ave had three in the last six years,
| 1oupbad NIi1Ior Hvo,, l,Dox,, how, ,,,, nv