The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-01

&sss . . &c 3
"There's picture of Henry Clay"
remarked Lands in obvious relevancy
TO his companions attire-''there's a
picture Of Henry Clay somewheres
about the house in swallow tail. Gov
ernor Ray spoke here in one, Bodeffer
says; always wore one, except it was
higher built up n yourn about the col
lar and had brass buttons, think.
Ole man Windy was here again to-
night" the landlord continued, chang
ing the subject. HE waited around fer
ye good while, but last he had to go.
Hes ben mighty wrought up sence the
trouble this morning an wanted to see
ye bad. don't know If you seen it, but
that Teller t knocked your hat off with
q club got mighty near tore to pieces
In the crowd before he got away.
Seems some of the boys recognized
him as one Of the Crossroads SkilletS
and sicked the dogs on him, and he
had pretty mean time Of it. Windy
says the Crossroads folks III be worse
N ever, and, says he, Tell him to stick
close to town. says he. They'll do
anything to git him now says he, and
resk anything l told him you wouldn't
take no stock in what any one says,
and knowed well enough you'd laugh
that away. But, see here, we don't
put nothin' too mean for them folks.
tell We, Mr.. Harkless, all Of US are
scared for ye''
The good fellow was so earnest that
when the editors supper was finished
and he would have departed, Lands
detained him almost by force until the
arrival of Mr.. Willetts, who, the land
lord knew, was his allotted escort for
the evening. When Lige came (wear-
ing a new tie, pink one he had has
tened to buy as soon as his engage
ments had given opportunity the land
lord Kissed savage word of reproach
for his hardness in his ear and whisper
fngly babe him not let the other out Of
reach that night. Mr.. Willetts replied
with a nod implying his trustworthi-
ness, and the young men went out into
the darkness.
CHAPTER VII.
fT HE moon had risen, and there !
was a lace of mist along the !
eS=ZTS5 creek when John and Helen /
80 reached their bench. (Of {
course they went back there) She !
turned to him with a little frown. ;
"Why have you never let Tom Mere /
dith know you were living so near him !;
less than a hundred miles-when he /
has always liked and admired you |
above all the rest of mankind? know |
that he has tried time and again to |
hear of you, but the other men wrote |
that they knew nothing, that it was i
thought you had gone abroad. 1 had |
heard of you, and so has he seen your
name in the Rouen papers-about the
White Caps and in politics-but he
would never dream of connecting the
Plattville Mr.. Harkless with his Mr..
though l did, just little, in
q vague way. l knew you, of course,
when you came into Mr.. Halloway's
lecture the other evening. But why
haven't you written to my cousin?'
"Rouen seems rather far away to
me-" he answered quietly. 1--WE been
there only once half day on business.
Except that, I've never been much far
ther than Amo-and then for a conven-
tion or to make a speech-since I came
here"
Wicked" she exclaimed, "to shut |
yourself up like this! I said it was fine
70 dro,, ont of tho ruorld huf why, hovo
you cut off your old friends from you? |
Why haven't you had a relapse now |
and then and come over to hear Ysaye |
play and Melba sing, or to see Mans
field or Henry Irving, when we have |
had them? And do you think you've |
been quite fair to Tom? What right |
had you to assume that he had forgot |
ten your
"Oh, l didn't exactly mean forgot |
ten," he said, pulling blade of grass |!
to and fro between his fingers and /
staring at it absently. tits only that |
I have dropped out of the world. you |
know. They rather expected me to do |
a lot of things, and I haven't done
them. Possibly It is because 1 am SEN !
sitive that never let Tom know. They |
expected me to amount to something, |
but 1 don't believe his welcome would |
be less hearty to a failure-he is /
good heart" i
"Failurev' she cried and clapped her
hands and laughed.
'Tm really not very tragic about it, |
though l must seem consumed with |
self pity" he returned, smiling. ct is
only that 1 have dropped out of the
world while Tom is still in it,
Dropped out of the worldv" she
echoed impatiently. Cant you see
you've dropped into it? That you
'Last night I was honored by your
praise of my graceful mode of quitting
itp'
"And so you wish me to be consist
ent," she retorted scornfully. What
becomes of your gallantry when we
abide by reason"
''True enough; equality is a denial of
privilege"
"And privilege is a denial Of equal
ity? 1 don't like that at ALL She
turned serious, suddenly illuminated
face upon him and spoke earnestly:
'It's my hobby, should tell you. and
I'm tired of that nonsense about WON
en- always sounding the personal note
1t should be sounded as we would
sound it. And 1 think we could bear
the loss of privilege -
He laughed and raised a protesting