The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-16


Weakness and self indulgence there
were, and those writ large and deep,
on the face of Warren Rodney, and, in
default of an expression of deeper sig
nl6cance, the wavering lines Of insta-
bility produced curiously ambiguous
effect of a fine head modelled by a
prentice hand; lady's copy Of the
3Belvedere, attempted in the ardors of
the first lessons, might approximate it.
A smoking kerosene lamp revealed
supper table Of almost institutional
proportions. There were four sons and
two daughters of the Tumlin union,
strapping lads and lasses all of them,
With more than a common dover of
lusty health and beauty that was
something deeper than the perishable
iridescence of youth. There was Ere
mont, named from the explorers soldier;
there was Orlando, named from his
mothers vague, idle musings over pa
per backed literature at certain "un-
clancy" seasons; there was Richards,
named from pure policy, for local
great man of whom Warren Rodney
had anticipated helping hand at the
time; there was Eudora, whose NOM
inal origin was uncertain, unless it bore
utilization to that Of Orlando: there
was Sadie, thus termed to avoid the
painful distinctions of "old Sally" and
young Sally and, lastly, like post
script, came Dan-with him, fancy, in
the matter of names, seemed to have
failed. Dan was now six, a plump
little caricature of a man in blue over
alls, which, as they had descended to
him from Richards in the nature of an
heirloom, reached high under his arm
pits and shortened the function of his
suspenders to the vanishing point.
Eudora was now sixteen, and the
woman famine in all the land had gift
ed her with a surprising precocity
Eudora knew her value and meant to
make the most of it, Unlike her moth
er in the old Black Hills days, she ex-
pected more than "home of her own"
Tonight four sritors sat at table with
Eudora, and she might have had forty
had she desired it. Any one of the
four would have cheerfully murdered
the remaining three had opportunity
presented itself. Supper was a mock
cry to them, Barmecide feast. Each
watched his rivals-and Eudora
Her mother, mumbling her supper
with toothless impotency, renewed her
youth vicariously, and, while she quar-
relied with her daughter from the ris-
ing Of the sun to the setting of the
same, she added the last straw to the
burden Of the distracted suitors by an
nouncing what comfort Eudora was
to her and how handy she was about
the house.
=. Warren Rodney supported the air OF
an exile at his own table, Beyond a
preliminary greeting to his daughters
guests he said nothing. His family, in
their dealings with him, seemed to ac-
cord him the exemptions of extreme
age. He ate with the enthusiasm of
man to whom meals have become
the main business Of life: >#>
Flows your mine up to Bad Water
comm along, Iry?" Orlando inquired,
not from any hospitable interest in
Ira's claim, but because he had sundry
romantic interests in that neighbour
hood and hoped to make use Of the
young prospector's interest in his sis
ter by securing an invitation to return
with him. Ira regarded the inquiry in
the light Of a special providence. Here
was his chance to impress Eudora With
the splendor Of his prospects and at
the same time smite the claims CT his
rivals, and, behold, brother of his
lady had led the way! ~ 81.
Ira cleared his throat. "They tell me
she air like to yield a million any
day" At this Eudora gave him the
wealth of her. eyes, and her mother
reached across two of the glowering
suffers and dropped hot fapjack on
his plate. , 3
"Who sez that she air likely to yield
a million any day." inquired =. Ben
Swift, openly. fouting such prophecy.
Eyes; who SEE it?' inquired Hawks
and Taylor, joining forces for the over
throw Of the common enemy
"a sharp from the Smithsonian in
stitute at Washington, he said it, and
he has taken back speciments with
him.
aye can't keep lackings from freight
in round specimens nav, sir, We
can't, not till the fool killer has fin
ished his job" Ben Swift charged the
table with the statement as the prose-
cution subtly appeals to the high grade
Of Intelligence on the part of the jury.
The point told. Eudora, wavering in
her donation Of hot fapjacks, gave
them to Ben Swift.
Hawks now leaned across the table
with sinuous, beguiling motion, and,
extending his long neck toward the
prospector With the air of a turkey
gobbler about to peck, he crooned soft
ly: "Ira, it's heap risky putin your
faith in maverick sharps that trail
around the country remaining little old
rocks into precious stones, SEEM gold
mites in every gopher hole they come
M ho