The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-13


 btggest fools in these parts"-thus rar his thoughts--"but l doubt 1t consid' erable. I doubt if there ain't bigger fool than either one of 'em keepin store right In wigglefork this minute and doubt if he'd get out from under . strain of emotion half as graceful af they did. Jim especially. l wouldn't be bit surprised If he'd break right down and blubber-I wouldn't, by gin. ger" He chukled softly. and fiicked with his whip a bush by the roadside Its just possible now things can be nxed sos the Widow Ruggles will be able to pay me for that COW and still have a little left to make up for what Ezra beat her out of. She certainty made fine figure holdin' them horses --hne. I never realized what she Wal for looks before. reckon I'll have to go to town again tomorrow Tonight I'll write letter to a feller l know Mir Funk became almost a daily visi- tor to Wigglefork after that, ostensi- ply. as he told MT. Rollins, to attend to certain matters pertaining to hoop poles and to collect the money for the COW he had sold the Widow Ruggles He declared with some show of indig- IAAostOeAs that tic 4idu DCGOuo NA waiting for that COW money; the widow had boarders now and was able to pay If she wanted to do so. All of which seemed perfectly reasonable to Mir Rol- lfns. MT. Rollins was distinctly in favor of the widow settling her old ac- counts before he married her. Then one day young man arrived from somewhere. MT. Funk met him at the train and escorted him to the store. where he introduced him as my nephew, come out to see the country. For three days MT. Funk drove him about. seeing things, and MT. Funk during this period added a new word to his vocabulary. This word was "Dolomite."
 Three weeks went by-weeks of most tain afternoon, when Mir. Collins was lounsing in the doorway of his store, Mir. Funk, clad in new habiliments, ap- peared to him.
 "Ezra,"-Mr. Tunk's voice was soft as spring mud-'Tve just come from Mrs. Ruggle's. She's sold the bal ance of her land."
 What land-them bluffsT' Mir. Funk nodded.
 "Humph! Who's the fool?'
 Me, Ezra" Mir. Tunf was very meek. I'm it."
 Well, of all dunn foolishness! MT. Rollins stared at his friend pityingly. Got any objection to tellin what you gave her, Salemf'
 T gave her $500 and the COW. Ezra What did you get for your bluffs tha. join hers on the south?"
 "One hundred and eighty. and that was a hundred more than they was mani have you gone stick, stark, starin' mad?"
 MT. Funk smiled sweetly. T reckon not. Ezra" He drew bundle of papers from his pocket and drawingly enumerated them. There's the deed, all signed and witnessed; there's a let ter I got from a contractor in Chicago, sayin' he'd send a man to look the thing over; there's another letter from him. writ after his man had got back. sayin' he'd give me for the property Mir Funk paused. moistening his lips with his tongue-"sayin' he'd give me $4000, which offer I took up as soon as I could get Mrs. Ruggles to make out the papers showin' me to be full owner in fee simple. etcetery. There's an almost inexhaustible deposit of dolo- mite there. Ezra-best .buildin' stone fin the world-but it's way down deep in.
 Mir Rollins lay back in his chair, his face purple. his eyes bulging from his head. his lips moving without sound.
 With a rather enjoyable expression of Injury upon his face. MT. Funk sumter ed forth into the street. Mingled pleas ingly with the humming of insects came to his ears the tinklinR of bells and presently Bill Elliott's dray. with Bill occupying the high seat beside the blushing daughter of the Widow Ru.- gles. appeared over the brow of the depot hill.
 T reckon I'm fool to do it." he reflected: but don't know: there's that $3.400 I'd have to give her to make me feel right if didn't; ain't got the same sort of conscience Ezra has. And she's willin--struck me she was awful willin', but maybe that's the way with women folks. Anyway. she didn't iu.1p at Ezra that way Pears like everybody's fool streaks has been show In lately"
 On he went. through the fields and woods,-a wide circle, back to the store.
 MT. Rollins was inside. alone. He was standing before a mirror. arrang- ing a white tie about standup collar. It was well known in Wtgglefork that he never wore a white tie nor a stand up collar except when engaged in pro- jects matrimonial.
 Mir. Funk merely put his head in at the door. Ezra" he announced. I'm goin' to yoke up with Mrs. Ruggles to- morrow evenin'," and thurried away. exultant.
 MT. Rollins stood for moment quite paralized. for another moment sadly rested his head upon his hand. then, in sudden vexation. tore the tie and col lar from his neck and threw them to the floor.
 "Dum that fool Tunk!" he groaned.