Mower County transcript., 1904-10-05

it. : It was five or six hard tack crack
ers and some slices Of cheese; he was
always eating such things between
meals. v" : y;
II see the governors in town." he re-
marked, little puffs of powdered crack
er issuing from his lips and falling like
fakes of snow on his beard. ~.
George started; an unpleasant thrill
passed over him and his heart sank. Il
didn't know it," he said, giving Hanks
steady stare.
eyes was at the train when the
.Cranstons driv up to take i'm home
with 'em You cayn't rarn folks any
sense. I>reckon fully a hundred was
crowdin' around tryin' to git look at
i'm. An as the carriage driv along the
street whole passle o. loafers run aft
er it, maxim big to-do. They'd "a had
the brass band out, they say, eff the
majors gal hadn't put 'er foot down
on it. Mrs Dugan come over an told
US he was expected-she struck US
while we was at the breakfast table.
She never had no use fer me-says I
don't talk enough to suit 'er. She new
er would "a let us in on the racket this
mornin', but she come through our
yard to make a short cut through
hole in the fence to Alexanders. She
said Mrs. Cranston was in fer givin'
the governor big blowout an in
vitin' all the upper ten, but her daughr
ter set on that too. Mrs. Dugan flowed
it was beca'se Lydia was afeared ef be
ketched sight O some O. the other gals
in the town he might transfer his at
tentions. I dunno-Tm jest tellin' you
what that old hag said"
Buckley did, not encourage the old
man >to continue talking. He dipped
his pen in the ink as If to resume
work, and Hanks sauntered away.
The ink dried on the pen in George
Buckley's tense fingers. Finding him
self alone, he turned around and for
several minutes sat staring vacantly in
front Of him. His face was pale, his
brows. drawn together.
"Oh, my God, how am 1 going to
face this ?" he said suddenly. Il have
been blind, stupid idiot. She has SIM
ply been treating me as she has out of
pity. She'll marry that man; she'll
do it. It's the way of the world-her
world. Oh, God, give me the man
hood to meet itv'
Suddenly Hillyer loomed up in the
outer doorway and came into the Office.
He had heard nothing that had fallen
from the lips Of his clerk, but he saw
his gloomy face. "Somebodys told
'im,'' he thought. Vie started to speak,
but changed his mind and sat down,
his eountenance very grave There
was one subject he had never broached
to George Buckley-a subject that the
young man had made him feel was not
to come up between them, and yet
George" was the result Of the old
mans sudden impulse, and he stood
near Buckley elbow, Il axed the Al
mighty fer sign that was on the
right road to peace o. mind an got
it. I want to say to you now, my boy,
that in every prayer I send up from
this minute on I'm goin' to plead with
i'm to give you all you want in this
life. Do you understand? All-every-
thingv
George turned; the tensity of his
features had given place to an mex
pressible softness, into which a deli
cate flush was rising. He laid his
hand on the old mans shoulder and
smiled.
"I'm getting already more than
deserve, Mr.. Hillyer,'' he said. Don't
bother about me-" !
'I've told you what my prayer is
to be, George; We'll see If God as
good as ourn is won't grant it,
"a fellow can stand great many
disappointments. Mr.. Hillyer, when he
has as good friend as have in you"
The old mans lower lip was Quiver-
ing helplessly. Its awful-simply
awful" he said, "to want to help folks
you love an cayn't, an have to stand
by with hands, an feet tied. An,
George, that fellow they're all maxim
so much over today is a low ring poll
tician without any honor or a soul big
germ a gnat's. He heads the process
sion, with his white shirt full O. dia-
smond studs, shiny broadcloth an silk
hat, an weak women fawn on i'm an
think he's God Almighty, but tell you
he's as empty as a bottle O. wind. He's
goin' to make speech to the children
at Sunday school, an the programme
is fer 'em to decorate the altar with
flowers. hain't a-goin', George. That
hain't what Gods house is fer, an ee
I went I'd set thar with heart full O.
rebellion. ~" ,.--
George stared at his friend with an
expression on his face the old man had
never seen before. 1t contained frank
admission of his helpless captivity to
Lydia Cranston's charms, and yet it
reflected tense mapliness-manliness
bound, bowed and beaten. -.
He has been courting her over i
year. MI. Hillyer," Buckley sai>! un-
der his breath. fzt5s<4, II.
$50 I've heard George {
"She writes to him-she mentioned
that to me once. She showed me some
presents he had sent her-fowers from