The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-11-12

1414 WC4S WVGs Gs@'' S@~S 60 . W
hand was upon his shoulder and there
was joy upon his face.
Abruptly Jim turned and walked to
his dray. They watched him until Q
grove hid him from sight, but not once
did he look back. Then the tive men
returned to the store. and the woman
went into the house, leaving BIZ and
the girl talking blissfully together over
the back fence.
Shortly afterward Mr.. Tunk de-
parted for home, cogitating deeply
within himself
"Now maybe them two boys Is the
biggest fools in these parts'-thus ran
his thoughts-"but / doubt 1t consid-
cradle. doubt il there amt a bigger
fool than either one Of 'em keepln'
store right in Wigglefork this inmate,
and doubt If he'd get out from under
strain Of emotion half as graceful as
they did, Jim especially. Wouldn,
be bit surprised if he'd break right
down and blubber-I wouldn't, by GIN
ger!" He chuckled softly and filcked
with his whip bush by the roadside.
tits Just possible now things can De
Axed sos the Widow Ruggles will be
able to pay me for that cow and still
have little left to make up for what
Ezra beat her out OF. She certainly
made fine figure holdin' them horses
fine. I never realized what she was
for looks before. I reckon I'll have to
go to town again tomorrow. Tonight
Ill write letter to teller know.
Mr.. Tunk became almost a daily visi-
tor to Wigglefork after that, ostensl-
bly,, us he told Mr.. 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 lnd1g-
nation, that he had become weary of
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 Mr.. Rol.
Inns. Mr.. Rollins was distinctly in
favor OF the widow settling her old
accounts before he married her.
Then one day young man arrived
from somewhere Mr.. Tunk 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 Mr.. Tunk drove him
about, seeing things, and Mr.. Tunk
during this period added a new word
to his vocabulary. This word was
"Dolomite''
Three weeks went by-weeks Of most
delicious May weather. And on GER
tain afternoon, when Mr. Collins was
lounging in the doorway Of his store,
Mr.. Tunk, clad in new habiliments. ap-
peared TO him.
ezra, Mr. Turks voice was soft
as spring mud-"Ive just come from
Mrs. Ruggles's. She's sold the bal
ance OF her land"
What land-them bluffs?"
Mr.. Tunk nodded.
"Humph! Who's the foo1?"
ME, Ezra Mr. Tunk was very
meek. I'm it,
well, of all dun foolishness!" Mr.,
Rollins stared at his friend pityingly.
Got any objection to tellin' what
you gave her, Salem?"
.'I gave her 5000 and the COW, Ezra.
What did you get for your bluffs that
join hers on the south?'
Zone hundred and eighty, and that
was hundred more than they was
worth, too. Why, dunn it, man! have
you gone stick, stark, starin' mad?"
Mr. Tunk smiled sweetly. 81 reckon
not, Ezra" He drew a bundle OF
papers from his pocket and draWlingly
enumerated them. There's the deed,
all signed and witnessed; there's let
ter got from 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,
sayinS he'd give me for the property
MIR. Turk paused, moistening his lips
with his tongue-ssayin' he'd give me
$4,000, which offer I took up as soon
as could get Mrs. RuggIes to make
out the papers shown me to be full
owner in fee simple, etcetery. There's
an almost inexhaustible deposit of
dolomite there, Ezra,-best buildin'
stone in the world-but it's way down
deep in.
MIR. Rollins lay back in his chair,
his face purple, AiS eyes bu1ging from
his head.
With rather enjoyable expression of
injury upon his face, Mr.. Tunk sauntered
forth into the street Mingled pleas
ingly with the humming Of insects
came to his ears the tinkIing of bells,
and presently Bill Elliott's dray, with
Bill occupying the high seat beside the
blushing daughter of the Widow Rug
giles, appeared over the brow of the
depot hill.
II reckon I'm d fool to do it, he
reflected; "but don't know. there's
that $4,000 I'd have to give her to
make me feel right if didn't; I amt
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 jump at Ezra that way.
Pears like everybody's fool streak has
been shown lately"
On he went, through the fields ana
woods,-a wide circle, back to the
store.
Mr.. Rollins was inside, alone. He
was standing before mirror, arrsng-
ing white tie about a standup collar.
Il was well known in Wigglefork that
he never wore white tie nor stand
up collar excep. when engaged in
projects matrimonial.
Mr.. TunlS merely put his head in at
the door. Ezra he announced, I'm
goin' to yoke up with Mrs. Ruggles to-
MORROW eYenin'." and hurr:ed away