Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-03-12

proceeded to shave himself carefully.
after which he donned the white trou-
sers, the gray coat and, rummaging in
the trunk again, found gay pink era
vat, which he fastened about his tall
collar (alsO a resurrection from the
trunk) with pearl pin. He took long
time to arrange his hair with pair OF
brushes. When at last it suited him
and his dressing was complete, he sal
lied forth to breakfast.
Xenophon stared after him as he went
out of the gate whistling heartily. The
old darky lifted his hands, palms out
ward
Lam name, who DATE" he exclaimed
aloud. ''Who dat in dem panjingeries!
He gone jine de circusw His hands
fell upon his knees, and he got to his
feet tically, shaking his head
with foreboding. "Honey, honey hit
bald luck, bald luck sing TO breakfus'.
Trouble TO de day be done. Trouble,
honey, great trouble. Bald luck. bald
luck!"
Along the square the passing of the
editor in his cool equipments was
progress, and wide were the eyes and
deep the gasps Of establishment caused
by his festal appearance. Mr.. Tibbs
and his sister rushed from the post
office to stare after him.
''He looks just beautiful, Solomon"
said Miss Tibbs.
Harkless usually ate his breakfast
alone, as he was the latest riser in
Plattville There were days in the
winter when he did not reach the hotel
until 8 O'Clock This morning he found
q bunch of white roses, still wet with
dew and so fragrant that the whole
room was fresh and sweet with their
odor, prettily arranged in bowl on
of all with a pin through the stem. He
looked up smilingly and nodded at the
red faced, red haired waitress who was
waving long fly brush over his head.
''Thank you. Charmion," he said.
That's very pretty"
''That old Mr. Windy was here" she
answered, land he left word for you to
look out The whole possetucky of
Johnsons from the Crossroads passed
his house this mornin', comm this
way, and he see Bob Skillet on the
square when he got to town. He left
them flowers. Mrs. Windy sent 'em to
ye l didn't bring EN-"
THANK you for arranging them"
She turned even redder than she al.
ways was and answered nothing, zig
orously darting her brush at an mag
mary fly on the cloth. After several
minutes she said abruptly, You're wei.
come"
There was silence finally broken
by long, gasping sigh. Astonished.
he looked at the girl. Her eyes were
set INTENTIONALLY upon his pink tie.
The wand had dropped from her nerve
less hand. and she stood rapt and i'm.
movable She started violently from
her trance. "Ain't We goin' to finish
yer coffee?" she asked, plying her in
strument again, and. bending slightly.
whispered, Say, Eph Watts is over
there behind ye."
q
q large gentleman in a brown frock
coat was quietly eating his breakfast
and reading the Herald. He was of an
ornate presence, though entirely neat.
A sumptuous eXpanse of linen Exhibit
ed itself between the lapels of his low
cut waistcoat. and an inch Of bedia-
mOnded breastpin glittered there like
an ice ledge on snowy mountain side.
He had steady blue eye and a dissi
pated iron gray mustache. This per-
sonage was Mr.. Ephraim Watts. who.
following calling more fashionable in
the eighteenth century than in the lat
ter decades of the nineteenth, had
shaken the dust of Carlow from his
feet some three years previously at the
strong request Of the authorities. The
Herald had been particularly insistent
upon his deportation. i, In the local
phrase. Harkless had run. him out O.
town." Perhaps it was because the
Herald's opposition. as theseditors had,
explained at the time. had been ''mere
ly moral and impersoha1.' and tia ed
itor had confessed to liking for the
unprofessional qualities Of Mr. Watts.
that there was but slight .embarrass-
ment when the two gentlemen met to-
day. His breakfast finished, Harkless
went over to the other and extended
his hand. Cynthia. the waitress. held
her breath and clutched the back of a
chair. However. Mr.. Watts made no
motion toward his we'll. known hip
pocket Instead he rose. flushing slight
Iy. and accepted the hand offered him.
"I'u, glad to see you, Mr.. Watts
50 the journalist cordially. "And
also. if you are running with the cir
Gus and calculate, CON- doing business
here today. I'll have youSfred fout of
town before noon. How are you?
You're looking extremely well"
''Mr. Harkless." answered Watts. II
cherish no hard feelings. and | never
said but what you done exactly right
when I left. three years ago. No, sir;
I'm not here in professional way at
all. and don't want to be molested.
Two connected MYSELF with an oil COM