Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-10


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 1t suited him
and his dressing was complete, he sal
lied forth to breakfast.
Nenophon stared after him as he went
out of the gate whistling heartily. The
old darby lifted his hands, palms out
ward.
Lam name, who dat?" he exclaimed
aloud "Who dat in dem panjingeries!
He gone iine de circusw His hands
fell upon his knees, and he got to his
feet rheumatically, 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 shis cool equipments was
progress, and wide were the eyes and
deep the gasps of astonishment caused
by his festal appearance. Mr. 1ibbs
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 lie 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
a bunch Of white roses, still wet with
dew and so fragrant that the whole
room was fresh and sweet with their
odor, prAtily arranged in bowl on
the table, and at his plate the largest
of all with 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"
'sThat 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
We. didn't bring EN-"
THANK you for arranging them"
She turned even redder than she al
ways was and answered nothing, Wig
orously darting her brush at an imag-
mary fly on the cloth. After several
minutes she said abruptly, You're well
come"
There was a silence, finally broken
by long, gasping Sigh. Astonished.
he looked at the girl Her eyes were
set unfathomably 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 ye goin' to finish
yer cotfee?" she asked, plying her in
strument again, and, bending slightly,
whispered, Say, Eph Watts is over
there behind ye.'
At table in far corner Of the room
a 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 beCia
monded brsastpin glittered there like
an ice ledge on snowy mountain side.
He had steady blue eye and dissi-'
pated iron gray mustache. This per-
sonage was Mr.. Ephraim Watts, who,
following a 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. In the local
phrase, Harkless had run him out O.
town" Perhaps it was because the
Heralds opposition. as the editor had
explained at the time, had been .'mere-
ly moral and impersonal," and the ed
itor had confessed to liking for the
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 well known hip |
pocket. Instead he rose, flushing slight
~, and accepted the hand offered him.
"I'm glad to see you, Mr.. Watts"
said the journalist cordially. "And |
also, If you are running with the cir
Gus and calculate on doing business
here today, I'll have you fred out of
town before noon. How are you?
You're looking extremely we'll"
'.Mr. Harkless," answered Watts, Il
cherish no hard feelings. and l never
said but what you done exactly right
when l left, three years ago. No. sir;
I'm not here in a professional! way at
all, and l don't want to be molested.
I've connected myself with an Oil COM
pany, and I'm down here to look over
the ground. 1t beats poker and fantan
all hollow, though there amt as many
chances in favor of the dealer, and in
oil it's the farmer that gets the rakeoH.
I've come back, but in an enterprising
spirit this time, to open up a new field
and shed light and money in Carlow.
They told me never to show my face
here again, but If you say / stay |