The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-11-01
Hank somers' Eighty dollars.

TaHN oOfHSTS GIYnty DOLLARS.
Ezra Norton was the model clerk
at Bington's grocery and usher in the
Mt. Hope Saviour church.
Hank" Somers was the not always
genteel cow-puncher out at Big Mans
Elbow, and he chewed plug!
Ezra did not chew plug, but circum.
stances forced him to sell it--and that
is why, on this particular raw fall
day in Platts Corners, Ezra and
Hank" faced each other over the
chocolate-colored counter and ex-
changed pastoral courtesies.
Cold enough for you, Hank?" que
ried the clerk, showing the packages
toward his customer graciously.
Purity burned chisely, e." fun.
bling beneath the bunglesome overall
for roll Of bills in his hip pocket.
How much?"
Tobacco $1.10, sugar twenty-five
cents, coffee forty cents and candy
fve-$1.SO all toldl How's things out
on the Elbow"
Things is - bad. Ef we don't git a
warm spell of Injun summer fust
thing we know they won't be a bushel
O. good corn in this hull county.
Frostll git 'er surel Well, so long.
Ell! and Henry slouched off to the
hitching rail alongside the town park.
10 get his team and lumber away over
the country roads toward his shack
In the Moquin valley to the north.
In the village store, Ezra Norton.
shivering at the sudden inclemency of
boreas, opened the door of the cavern
GUS sheet-iron stove and peered within
its sooty nav The accumulated
debris from the sweepings half filled
the heater, and would make a whole
some blaze with the scattered whit
things left by the dilatory loafers of the
village during the morning, as they
whitfield and sailed the ship of state.
Every little helpsl" unused the
clerk in ancient axiom, reaching for
the broom.
Coin to freshen 'er up a bit, be !
YER queried Alt Squiggs, forging into
the store and rubbing his blue hands
vigorously.
Hey, there! Wait a minutel Look
a-here!" and Aft bobbing quickly to
the floor, picked from amidst the shay
ings a plump roll of bills!
Don't we care nuthin' fer this sort
o truck, Ez, or are We gittin' so dod-
gasted rich We kin afford to burn er
like corncobs?"
Ezra Norton gasped!
That's risky place for Hetty
Brown to be losing her money, Alfl''
excitedly, after moments hesitation.
She's just left, too! Here" hurried
ly thrusting the money into his poclS-
ct, you watch the store minute and
III just run and catch her! She leaves
for Denver tonight"
Sure, Ez, sure! Skip! / won't
suck no eggs while yer gone! Gitl"
Norton slammed the door behind
him, and Aft raising the lid to the
,heese-box with alacrity in his heart
and water in his mouth, cut off lib
sral hunk" of cheese. Cramming this
nto his cheeks, he speared a half
iozen olives, took a splinter of cod
ish and an apple, and grinned!
"Keepin'-store's-a' right" between
lunches. "ef ye-hungry-an' (swal.
owl most (swallowl allus ami"
gulp).
NOrton's face was aglow when he
"Hetty was mighty glad to get her
money back" he painted. Said she
ouldn't have gone west without 1t.
lucky, wasn't it,"
"How-how (choking) how much ,
gasped Alt, striving to ,
lear his strangling and outraged {
hroat from its last almost super {
uman gulp. and looking bit sheep.
sh.
"Oh. there wasn't much, but she was s
aighty glad to get It just the same!" q
Looked to me like II nd most choke Y
COW" grinned ALT. gazing longingly h
I the cheese-box. "One dollar bills.
s'pose, MOSTLY" 4
Il suppose so. acquiesced Ezra. n
Have cigar. Alf?" 4
No, thank We" reaching eagerly G
'r 1t, i don't smoke se-gars any more. h
'eptin' when kin git EN-! Hawl h
anvil" and Alfred laughed immoderate- S
at his waggishness as he scratched 8
match where it would do the most I,
ood, and Tit up" q
Silence and smoked
Then, "When's tn boss comm home .,
~"
Tomorrow" =,
1877" :,
yes" =
|
Wei, I'm goin'. GOod-day. Ez."
~God-day, Alf' =,
Grocer Bington and Clerk Norton tc
ere talking it over earnestly, as be. a,
lme the subject in hand.
Ezra. we've belonged to the same E