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

/ through town he was settin' on the
| back seat with her. That's what STIR
red the town up 80. Nobody could fig
ger it out any way, and nobody got
much of good look at her then except
Judd Bennett. He said she had kind Of
new look to her. That's all any Of
'em could git out of Judd. He was in
sort of dreamy state. But Mildly Up
ton You know Mildly? She works out
at Briscoe's"
Eyes, know Mildly"
"She come in to the postoffice with
the news this lady's name was Sher-
wood and she lives at Rouen. Miss
Tibbs says that wasn't no news-you
could tell she was a city lady with both
your eyes shut. But Mildly says Fisbee
was goin' to stay for supper. and he
come to the lecture with 'em and drove
off with 'em Afterwards Sol Tibbs
says he reckoned 1t was because Fisbee
was the only man in Carlow that Bris
Goes thought had read enough books
Miss Seliny says if that was so they'd
have got you instead, and so they had
! to all jest about give 1t up. OF course
| everybody got good look at her at the
leeture-they set Oh the platform right
behind you and Holloway, and she did
look smart. What got me, though, was
the way she wore kind Of little dag
ger stuck straight through her head.
Seemed good deal Of sacrifice jest
to make sure your hat was on right.
You never see her at all?"
"I'm afraid not" answered Harkless
absently. Miss Briscoe stopped me on
the way out and told me she had a
visitor"
young man." said Bowlder, 'ycu
better 60 out there right away" He
raised the reins and clucked to the gray
mare. "Wcll, she'll be mad I amt in
town for her long ago. Ride in with
me-"
mo, thank You. I'll walk in for the
sake Of my appetite"
Wouldn't encourage it too much
livin' at the Palace hotel" observed
Bowlder. "Sorry you won't ride" He
gathered the loose ends Of the reins in
his hands, leaned far over the dash
board and struck the mare q hearty
thwack. The tattered banner Of tail
jerked Indignantly, but she consented
to move down the road. Bowlder thrust
his big head through the sun curtain
behind him and continued the CONVEX
sation. "See the White Caps amt got
you yet"
mo. not yet" Harkless laughed.
Reckon the boys 'druther you stayed
in town after dark" the other called
back well, come out and see us If you
git any spare time from the Judges
He laughed loudly again in farewell,
and the editor waved his hand as Bowl
der finally turned his attention forward
to the mare. When the flop. flop Of her
hoofs had died out, Harkless realized
that the day was silent no longer; it
was verging into evening.
He dropped from the fence and turn
ed his face toward town and supper.
He felt the life and light about him,
heard the clatter of the blackbirds
above him, heard the homing bees hum
by. saw the vista Of white road and
level landscape framed on two sides
by the branches Of the grove. vista
Of infinitely stretching fields Of green.
lined here and there with woodlands
and fiat to the horizon line, the village
lying in their lap. No roll Of meadow.
no rise of pasture land, relieved their
serenity nor shouldered up from them
to be called hill.
A farm bell rang in the distance, a
tinkling coming small and mellow from
far away, and at the lonesolneness of
that sound he heaved a long. mournful
sigh The next instant he broke into
laughter, for another bell rang over the
fields, the courthouse bell in the square.
The first four strokes were given with
mechanical regularity, the pride of the
custodian who operated the bell being
to produce the effect of a clockwOrk
bell, such as he had once heard in the
courthouse at Rouen, but the fifth and
sixth strokes We're hating achieve
ments, as, after o'clock he often lost
count in the strain of the effort for pre-
else imitation. There was pause after
the sixth; then a dubious and reluctan.
stroke, seven; a longer pause, followed
by final ring with desperate decision
eight! Harkless looked at his watch.
1t was twenty minutes Of 6.
AS he crossed the courthouse yard to
the Palace hotel on his way to supper
he stopped to exchange word with
the bell ringer, who. seated on the steps,
was hopping his brow with an air OF
hard earned satisfaction.
Good evening, Schofelds'," he said.
"You came in strong on the last stroke
tonight"
what we need here" responded the
bell ringer, lis more public sperrited
men. amt kickin' on you, Mr.. Hark-
less-no, sir; but we want more men
like they got in Rouen. We want men
that II git Main street paved With
block or asphalt; men that II put in
factories; men that II act-not set
round like that old fool Martin and
laugh and pollywoggle along and make
fun of public sperrit, day in, day out.
reckon do my best for the city,
ooh, nobody minds old Tom Martini
observed HAIRLESS. Its only half the
time he means anything by what he
says"
'aThat's just what hate about him."