The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-29
Our Daily .$bcrt Story,

tt0ue0. pWhy-er. the saloon keeper. of course" aefIanfly. "A nan must be social. and have tots of good friends in town.
 haven't any use for groceries-yet."
 Then he laughed frankly. This Is fool
 ixhness. Jason. A glass doesn't amount to anythias' you have never seen me drunk"
 .Prstty scar to it. . sood pany tines lately" commented Jason, arimiy.
 know Some of the other Aen drink 2 ios nors'n you do. but that's their lookout It's different with you. You're an easy taikin'. handsome, nixeable young felter such aa all the gals take to- an ye dress as woll as Mir. Bunnel himself. No. that alnt all" as tho other drew back impa- tientiyi "what I'm cofniR' to is this; I itnew how 'tis with you an Susie. an I know the man. as narries her ain't ne l business with Sykes the rumselier." Roland tore himself away.
 about y.-drinkingg" nc demanded an. gyiiy. Then, ct the look on the others | tace. No. I see you haven't, You're I not that sort of a man. We'll. tta all right" his voice failing into its accustcm- | ed easy. nonchaiant manner. "Just as aocn as we are married I'm going to drop Sykes and that sort of thing, My old man has . little property. and he's of- fered to help ne when set sssfied aown and quit slxyiarking., shall write to l him: and Susie says she has . thousand
 of her own put by. We'n buy nice iit- tie farm somewhere and be perfectly happy;- and maybe I'll join Sunday | School. I don't know. But are you go- ipg to lend me the slD?"
 Jason drew out an old wallet and ex- traeted from it a $i0 bill. which he hand-
 ed to him without word.
 auk .A at a for the circus, some in carriages and some on foot. Roland had borrowed the hand somest rig on the place for himself and Susie. Jason took his hoe and went to the cornfield.
 He had not been at work more than half an hour when he was hailed from the road. MT. Bunnel was motioning toward him from light open wagon
 "o-oh. there! -Jason." he called I
 want you to SO to town with me and
 bring this rig back. must take the train and haven't much time to spare. Drop the hoe, and get it when you come I back tonight" Then. as Jason climbed | the fence and swung himself into the wagon, "You may as well quit work for l today. You've been going at 1t like steam engine lately and a few hours on won't do you any harm. Here" drawing | a bit of pasteboard from his pocket, 'is a ticket for the circus. It was sent out to
 rne this morning. You may as well wait | In town until the seven o'clock mall and
 bring that out. Put She horse up at the
 stable"
 Jason had no desire to go to the circus; but after he had saEsn Mir. Bun mel to the station and the horse to the stable, there was still long Nne of peo- ple moving toward the bis show tent. and as nothing else seemed to be going on, | he joined it.
 After the performance was over, he wandered about the ground for some time,
 watching the people and listening to the fakirs. At length he was attracted by the sound of much laughing to group of men behind one of the sma1l tents. | But before he reached there, Ne heard
 several voices rising in noisy aitereation
 above the laughter. One of thsm he
 recognized as Roland's.
 A few quck steps brough him to the group, into which he wedged himself un- cremoniously. But Susie was not there.
 only three men duarrelIng. and all of them drunk.
 He did not find her until ten minutes | later, on the opposite side of the big tent,
 and then 1t was by feeling Ter quick touch
 upon his arm. She was looking at him
 with white face and flashing eyes.
 I'm so glad you're here, Jason" she breathed. "Take me home quick. 1 He asked no questions. but took her
 straight to where he had left the horse ans @AS1n. IL vas not until they were
 nearly home that she volunteered any
 information. By that time her voice had
 become steady and color had returned to | her cheek.
 "He stopped at a store," she cried,
 looking straight ahead. "to pay a hill.
 believe. He was gone a long time.
 an when he came out he talked a good
 deal; didn't understand-till afterwards.
 He talked more an more in the tent, an
 when it was over he asked me to wait
 outside a minute while he got a cigar. waited twenty. then I though mebbe
 thered been some accident an went to
 look. didn't zee him. but heard his
 voice, quarrelin' an'-an' swearin.' Then
 I knew he was drunk. an hurried back.
 If I hadn't seen you I'd have walked