Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-10-03

| IS stronger tnan you.
Jerry looked very strong at that mo-
ment and even a trife sullen. Miss
Sherbrooke began to wish he would
smile She wanted to see the adorable
change that a smile always brought to
| his face.
Tickets, ple-e-easeW
The conductor was swinging down
along the footboard, and Miss Sher-
brooke discovered, with a shock of dis
may, that the twenty-five cent piece she
held ready was plugged. She had moth
ing else but her lucky penny and five
dollar bill. She knew there was moth
| ing else, though she felt again with
quiet desperation.
| The lucky penny was an ordinary five
cent piece with small gold on one
side A boy had thrown it to her on a
SNOWFALL one dark night long ago as
she was crying at her nursery window.
She had never forgotten his CHEEKY
shout:
Keep it till you want something aw-
fully bad"
She might give the SIS. For an in
slant she thought she would and risk
a loud toned parley. And then Jerry
moved little.
Miss Sherbrooke seized her penny and
thrust it into the box in an agony of
trepidation.
She Sc her penny disappear without
conjunction and was only glad that
the man did not see the gold letter. She
was blankly unconscious that the keen
eyes beside her had seen it with quick
recognition.
est. Catherine! Change cars cas- an
wes'!'
| There were movement and hustle on
the front seat, and an enormously fat
old woman stood up and dislodged two
sleeping children. Clutching the youn-
ger by the arm, she signaled the re-
treating conductor and in doing so
lurched down upon Jerry.
And then Miss Sherbrooke saw a
change come over Jerry's face with
vengeance and heard four electrifying
swear words. Her face and her heart
hardened fercely. She had fine taste
in swear words, and this outrageous
travesty was objectionable.
"And to woman she said to her
/ self. Jerry Danberry, that is enough"
But more was to come very soon. A
wave of people swept forward and up
on the footboard. A humpback dress
maker girl damned fast against Jerry
at the entrance and strove to pass with
her parcel. There was room, and to
spare, on the inside, but the poor little
soul never reached it.
The deliberate resistance Of Jerry's
legs and the threat Of his half closed
eyes were too much for her, and she
dropped back among the crowd and
made room for stronger climbers.
The car ran down into the town and
soon reached the low Craig street cross
ing. Some people crowded out of the
front seat, and man climbed slowly
into their place.
Miss Sherbrooke's face barely hid a
passion of welcome and relief What a
fool she had been to compare them!
Fancy Swim speaking so to a woman!
And she laughed in her heart as she
watched him drop solidly in front of
his rival
His smooth, dark face was toward
her, with the old deprecatory droop of
the mouth and the brown eyes that hid
half their challenge, and Miss Sher-
brooke surrendered at discretion.
But there was no challenge hiding
there now. It was plain that he did
not see her or even notice Jerry there
before him, and Jerry's face was coolly
contemptuous.
How white Swim looked and how
tired! He had been playing too long in
the sun again. AS she watched him he
leaned slowly outward to the shallow
support of the side rail and rested
against It inertly. The conductor
swung up his box and waited, but he
did not move.
Tickets, pleaser' the man said again
shortly. The brown eyes stared at him
with an odd, helpless look, and Miss
Sherbrooke grew seriously frightened.
He had surely had sunstroke or
something, and Jerry was not stirring
to help him. Indeed, it was only too
plain that Jerry was rejoicing at his
condition.
The conductor grew importunate and
spoke loudly, and at last Swim said
something inaudible.
Cant And one p the man exclaimed
smiling. "All right. TIL come back
again then"
The car stopped, and in the hot ST
lence woman's voice sounded clearly:
II thought they were always quarrel
some or noisy"
And a mans laughing undertone an
swered:
HE is too far gone to be either
Miss Sherbrooke gave one despairing
look at the faces about her, and her
own turned as white as her ribbon The
truth had come on her like a thunder
bolt Swim was drunk. She did not
move, nor did she faint, as the man
beside her half expected, but set her
teeth and sat watching the pitiful sight
| before her The conductor oama ha or