Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-10-07


name? / don't seem to recall"
'Rossiter''
ooh, yes! Come with the Becraft
boys, didn't you?''
yes"
Ever pull poles ?"
mo, never have, but was watch.
ing the chap named Gridley, of whom
you were speaking-he pulled for
my box to-day-and think I can do
as yell as he."
Parmelee looked Rossiter up and
down. Then he rose and felt of his
arm.
Il guess you'll do" he remarked,
with one of his gruff chuckles. .I'n
show you the trick in the mornin'."
THANK you,'' said Rossiter, turn
ing away.
Obliged to YOU" answered Parme-
lee. "Glad you spoke about it. Helps
me out considerable"
Rossiter walked from the farm
yard with a sense of elation. His
blood seemed suddenly to pulse more
swiftly, and mounted to his head
| like wine. He paused an instant
at the gate, wondering if Joe Becraft
| had returned, thinking to tell him of
| the step he had taken, but Joe was
not among those who were lettering
there. He glanced up and down the
road, debating which way he should
stroll. not caring to join his gossip
| ing fellow-pickers. One addressed
him, but he replied briefly and moved
to the right in the direction oppo-
site from that which he and Becraft
had taken the evening before.
Rum Teller, that" said one Of
those at the gate.
EYES," said another, "sort of q
cross tween a tramp an dude"
a remark which evoked a burst Of
merriment.
Rossiter felt that he was the sub
| ject of their mirth, but this realiza-
ton did not lower the pitch of his
mood. He smiled, put his shoulders
back, and swung away briskly into
the dusk. He was conscious that he
was rapidly putting off his indiffer-
ence. 1t did not occur to him to
doubt his ability to succeed in the
work which he had elected to under
| take on the morrow. The waxing
half-disk of the new moon cast his
shadow before him, and in this and
the chirr song of the crickets there
was sufficient companionship He
was glad he had not found Becraft.
After he had proceeded thus alert
ly for half mile, the highway dipped
sharply into a wide and deep vale
that was packed with the dense shad-
ows of night. Beyond, upon an op-
| posite crest, group of fir trees
thrust their dark pyramids into the
sky. Rossiter had no mind to plunge
into this gloomy void, SO he seated
himself in a fence corner above the
road, his back against the rails, and
lighted his pipe. He was more free
with his tobacco now that he actually
had something like steady employ
ment.
In the darkness not far distant a
wood-thrush was sending up it's final
evening hute-notes. Rossiter listen
ed to the rapt soloist, having no
thought of the past nor of the flu
ture, conscious only of the present.
| When the bird ceased singing there
was still the orchestral music of the
crickets for his delectation. The
moon was well risen in the heaven
| by the time his pipe burned out, yet
he had no desire as yet to return to
the farm. The vale below had grad
ually emerged from it's obscurity and
was bri1nmed with moonlight like an
enormous bowl. He fancied he could
make out the forms of grazing cat
tie, and caught the silvery moon
sheen upon the running water. The
half-distinct panaroma held him until
his attention was taken by a sound
which he presently made out to be
the footballs of a pedestrian plodding
along the road from the direction Of
the Mertons.
The large, slouching figure of man
at length came into view. Directly
opposite where Rossiter sat the way
farer paused. A wide brimmed felt
hat so hid his face that all Ross
tier could distinguish was a stubby
beard. The whilom at once set the
newcomer down as one of the indi-
gent fraternity to which he had so
recently belonged, and, having no de-
sire for speech with him, did not
move. But the man in the highway,
halted as Rossiter had been by the
vast dip and sweep of the land, cast
his eyes about as if for spot to rest
before going farther. On the reclin-
ing form upon the bank, clearly re-
vealed by the moonlight, his glance