Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-02-12
CHAPTER VII continued.)

wen, 10 Satisfy you, Dr. BarW00(
said, his black eyes sparkling, II will
charge you nominal rent Make ou
an order for the furniture and furnish
ings you want, sign my name to 1t, an(
send 1t to Burn Brothers at Malconta.
Il may not have the money to pa!
for the things wher they come" RALPH
objected.
I'll pay for Them" the physician re-
turned dryly. IF have to discharge
you before you have reimbursed me, III
have furnished rooms for your sue,
cessor, Will you send the order?"
"On the conditions you have named.
There the subject was dropped.
The next day being Sunday, Marlowe
had more or less leisure. In the after
noon he and Clark took a walk around
the village, and back onto the adjacent
hills. The sky was cloudless; the sun
shine was genial Upon rocky point
overlooking the broad expanse of val
ley, the two young men seated them
selves and silently contemplated the
beauties of the scene.
Through the center of the rolling
plain-ramparted by brown hills-fow-
ed the bonny Muskingum, sparkling
and dancing in the yellow sunlight To
the right stretched the broad acres of
Flat Bottom dotted with coy farm
houses and checkered with fields of
golden corn stubble and tender green
wheat. To the left reached the rich
alluvium of The Backwater-the site Of
an ancient lake-corn shocks mingling
with clumps of russell willows, and the
towering white shafts of giant syca-
mores punctuating the level page. Up
the river, in the far distance, doomed
the rock-ribbed sides of Bishops Ridge,
blue and indistinct; and at their feet
nestled the peaceful vlllage-somnolen
and still.
pretty scene, isn't it?" Clark re-
marked at last, his pale face alight
with genuine admiration.
Yes" Marlowe answered softly.
But he did not look at his COM
panlon and far-away expression was
in his dark eyes.
What are you thinking Off" the
operator asked, laughing. you're star
ing out into space like dog pointing
a covey Of quails. Conceivable up
Playsully shaking his companions arm.
-"What are you thinking about?"
81? Oh! | hardly know" Ralph
stammered, rousing himself and smil-
ing confusedly.
Guess you're a little homeslck,"
Clark said at venture.
mo, am not" Marlowe answered
decidedly.
You wouldn't want to live here all
your life, thought"
Eyes. Why not?"
well. I'll be blowed!" was all the
astounded operator could calculate.
Silence reigned for several minutes
Ralph resuming his reverle, Clark mar
rowly observing him. At last the latter
cried:
Say, Marlowe! You remind me of
story they tell on Joe Staffer, an old
stonemasonS and brlcklayer who used
TO live here-just died last year"
''Indeed?" Ralph returned absent
mindedly.
Eyes, you do. Let me tell you the
tale. For by Christmas! you need some
thing to wake you up"
GO on"
"Well, open your eyes and listen to
me-"
81 am all attention"
"Yes-so's a dead man. But here
goes anyhow. Old Joe was a mighty
good workman at his trade, but would
drink-had been a heavy drlnker all
his life. And that reminds me of some
of the schemes he resorted to to get
liquor.
"a few years ago-while the old man
was still living, of course-the people
voted for local option here and run
out the saloons for a season or two.
That made 1t pretty tough on the
habituals, like Joe; for the drug store
sold only on prescrlptlon-and for such
as him to get a prescription was out
of the question. But he was equal to
the emergency, you bet.
"EIe worked 1t like this: He put in
his leisure time making rings and
canes for his friends; and he used an
alcohol lamp in doing the brazing Of
ferules and so on. Well. when that
local option went into effect-and he
couldn't get whlsky-he commenced to
drink alcohol. He'd go over to the drug
store two or three times a day. carry
ing his lamp with him; get 1t filled,
and go back home and water and
sweeten and drink the contents.
"The old doc tumbled to the racket,
and ordered the clerk not to fill the
lamp any more. Joe was disappointed
but not discouraged. He got an open
mouthed bottle; went over to the drug
store, and asked the clerk to put few
cents worth of gum shellac in It and
all II with alcohol. Said he wanted to
make shellac varnish to varnlsh canes
with
"Of course the clerk didn't suspect
the old man meant to drink the mixture
nor did he do it. But you know bet
ter than can tell you how long II
takes alcohol to cut shellac. And Joe
hurried home. poured off the alcohol
before II had time to get its work in,
and had a square drink.
well, the old doc got onto that
game, too; and put quietus upon II.
But Joe still held trump card up his