The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-23
JUDGMENT OF NATHAN

Ike naggravatin' fly What's eatin
,ou. Joel?"
II want a gallon of your best OIL, said
DEL: what's it worth today?"
..Fifteen cents answered Daniel
oustling about as if the store were crowd
ed with patrons. Let's have your can
ITS only Il cents at the White Front, "
protested Joel holding his can obstinately
behind him.
Fifteen here TO regular customers" re-
piled Daniel, meaningly
Joel sighed. We'll, then, give me a
gallon. an a dimes worth of eatin' to-
baccer an a pound O. Caroliny prunes
an put it on the book
s''Californy prunes. amended Daniel
.Caroliny," insisted Joel. i reckon ]
know what I want. How are you Mater
Amt well, said Nathan crisply.
'fRheumatiz?"
Nathan nodded his head. willing TO adj
NIT what was not altogether true for the
sake of discouraging conversation.
Miss Wickerson allows that rheumatic
is only another name for laziness. 1 amt
Just prepared to agree with her an yet 1
never heered Of it keepin' a man from
goin' fishin, does it, heigh?" He chuckled
his audience in the side and leered know
lngly.
Nathan had little use for an observation
that approached too closely to the truth,
= and Joel, being notorious for just such
s observations, there was nothing to do but
{ retreat in as good order as possible. so
he got on his feet and strolled carelessly
toward the door
You can look at that COW any time.
Daniel he called back, over his shoulder
wait a moment, I'll go right now
Where's Dave?"
Playing dcminoes for the cigars up to
Andy Virgins, volunteered Johnny
Henly in his cheerful treble Il seen
him
Pick We out d handful of candy con-
manded aDnieI. maganimously, IAN run
an tell him l want him-hustle now"
Dave sooh appeared at the back door,
and having busted his shoes parted his
hair beconingIy and adjusted his necktie,
took his place behind the counter and as
sumed an attitude of careful attention TO
business. Dave was considered very styl-
ish. wore broad-shouldered clothes and
high collars, sang in the church choir, and
playedB-fat cOrnet in the Minville band
AS such he had quite following among
the boys and was also much admired by
thief air sex a number of the girls would
walk several squares out of their way
after school to pass Freeman's store be-
cause Dave Marcus was sure to be out in
front about that time, leaning gracefully
against the awning post, swapping remi-
nincences with Elmer Jordan who had but
lately returned from Manila, and who still
affected a military carriage, wore his leg
gins and army hat and smoked with his
cigarette dropping rakishly from his lips.
Come along, Nathan said Daniel.
threading his way between Uncle Billy
Harlow and the cannon stove. Wen so
out and look at the cow Did you say you
wanted a cheese sandwich? Here il is.
Jimmy Henly picked up crumb of
cheese from the floor. wiped it on his
sleeve and ate it. Uncle Billy Harlow
got up out Of his chair to reach for the
MnlviIe Weekly Clarion. and in doing so
stumbled over his dog. who was always
afraid he was about to be left behind
Z Rebecca PouIson came in to buy pattern
from Dave Marcus, and in the general ex-
element joel Wickerson managed TO
abstract a couple of dill pickles and a
umphant exit with them and his groceries.
Lets go up the mill race" suggested
Daniel.
It was ont far to walk. Just across the
railroad bridge down the steep side of the
grade through forest of Spanish need
les between the saeging wires of fence
and then YOU struck a well-beaten path
/ than ran along the bank of this race to
| the mill. Two sycamore trees. as spotted
as leopards. locked arms and leaned to-
gether far out over the liStless current,
and some one had rugged up a board be-
tween the trunks which made a very good
seat and a capital place for the hayward
! small boys to smoke cigars and play
cards. Nathan picked up a stick and
opened his knife with click. Daniel
relit his cigar. tipped the match into the
water and settled his back luxuriously
against the tree.
1t WAS "a hazy DAY in mid-autumn. The
first frost had come and gone and the for
est had begun to don it's Joseph'a coat of
many colors.
\ flock of crows Tapped leisurely along
overhead. y jay screamed harshly in the
thicket Ared-head raped officiously far
up in the sycamores and a squirrel
whisked out to protest against the inter
rupuon. The schooibeu rang for recess
and the shouts Of the playing children
came loud and soft by turns with the ebb
and flow of the gentle breeze. The local
freight arrived and stopped at the drip
ping water tank.
Nathan" said Daniel solemnly, I'm
a-Coing to get married
IL
denly as If some concealed spring had
snapped. 'Why-why. you can't mean it.
Daniel" he suffered.
4 most certainly do replied Daniel.
with an assertion of nonchalance that
kse was far from feeling.
t''B-but at your age
Never too late to mend" observed
Daniel bEthely
! dom know If mend is the right word
for it. Nathan shook his head obviously.
and if is. it seems TO me that If I'd a
got along to the ripe old age of sixty
three unneuded Ia a sort a felt so natural
that was that I wouldn't bothered about
The rcp;irs"
Il ant but sixty-two.' objected his
friend.
As GOOD as sixty-three. know when
your birthday is by reckinin' from mine
Don't you remember. 1 had 10 lie about
my agt SOS we could enlist in the same
company
Wei, then. have 1t your own way then. /
do STty-three amt old.
Tn not SO sure. Now 1 am a great /
Erandla at that age an you just n startin' |
III. bu who's to be the happy Mrs. Free /
rnan2s