The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-10
"The King of Kansas"
BY PHIL. H. ARMSTRONG.
"Huh-need a hand? 2"

"Huh--need a hand?" The ruddy Kansas farmer looked up from
 the stock journal he was reading and sur- veyed the speaker critically. taking in every | inch of his frame. from the unkempt shock | of red hair to the ragged shoes. The figure that presented itself to his
 scrutiny was that of 6 haIf-witted, over grown boy.
 ''what can you do. chi" asked the farmer. | with c slight chuckle.
 Work" was the abrupt retort. What is your nameH"
 The reply that followed was so unexpsct- ed that 1t took the rustic gentleman clear | off his feet.
 'T-am--the--King--of ''The King of what7 Well. I'll be switch ed. Didn't know Kansas had q King. The King then started to recite a long
 harangue about his grievance in being
 cheated out of his throne and kingdom by | miserable usurpers. etc, etc, but was trn- | nediately shut off by his listener, Farmer stebbins puffed away at his pipe | like an oversrown porpoise | The fellow was evidently cracked" stni, he appeared hungry and only half | clothed: to turn him away would be simply an act of cruelty. Besides, he needed hand
 to help just now with the harvesting Again his gaze wandered back to the comical specimen of humanity before him. The fellow was standing on one foot chew ing a straw and grinning from ear to ear 'In give you a trial; go down 10 tne barn and tell Brown to put you to work'
 Step lively now-go-
 King disappear around the corner of The
 He soon found Brown tossing hay from
 A wagon into the barn loft. Stating his er=
 rand, he was invited to take hand and was
 given a long-handled pitchfork such as IS | used in the country for this work. The | King struggled away manfuly for half
 hour and then lay down to rest
 nrown began to chide him. but soon had
 to give in when he toid nm m 1 Sil serious a would make him earl as soon as he | reRained his throne.
 | Brown. seeing that he was half-witted'
 instead of abusing him only laughed at his
 funny speech and appearance, ana wltn
 many A Jest at the Kings expense worked on by himself He would probably leave on the morrow to tell others of his strange | halucination, ,, I... . l the farmer. He noticed that the latter
 made numerous trips Into the big woods, al l ways to the same place. He began to | wonder what he could be doing. He dared | not Follow lest he should rouse suspicion' but otherwise he would have hked very much to have seen why the farmer went there so often
 when the sun went down they returned to the farm house, and the family. consisting of the farmer, the hired man and the
 farmers wife. sat down to the table. Ihe King was invited to sit with them He displayed a ravenous appetite deyour- ing everything offered him. The farmer appeared 6 very shrewd ana well read man. and obriously one of educa- ton
 mentioned 10 Brown that he would pay off the &3 900 mortgage on the farm next day. lie told the family of his early days as an | en9raver's apprentice, when he had begun
 to save every dollar above expenses ana ,a"ra nSu added to the hoard until after many years oS toll he had accumulated the three
 thousand. ., a .. | listening for all he was worth Mrs' steo bins noticed his attitude and the eyes or inc former fell to his plate. Perhaps some | where in that added brain there was a l eleam of intelligence
 By and by each rose from the table ana
 sought their beds ~ = .,,. l floor in the attic, in q little room to him seif The farmer wasn't taking any chances | It was A cool night in October. The har-
 vest moon shone full upon the face Of the
 King he lay In ms ruae; nSiu 'I,a",,or
 wide awake and seemingly with no intention | of toine 10 sleep. Outside he could near 1 the monotonous chirping of eriekets ana katydids. From somewhere out In the l woods by a pond sounded the resonant OeI- l lowing of bullfrogs.
 
 stairs he heard the hours toled off with un- | erring accuracy. | Bv and by 1t struck twelve. He could not | yo to sleep, try as hard as he might l Rising and feeling for his tallow dip nc | found a match and lit 1t.
 l AS soon as he had located his clothes he | axtIneuished 1t and by the ald of the moon light in the window he hastily and nois- | essy dressed.
 | Putting bis ear to crack in the door, | he listened intently. The old couple were
 asleep and the heavy snoring of the farm
 CT betokened a weii-earned rest and It's re- | ward .
 Then the King crept softly down the lad
 der that led from his trap door into the | farmers bedroom and made his way sio"- | iy toward the bureau. .... For q moment he paused to assure himself that all was safe. then he quietly opened the top drawer wherein he had seen the farmer
 take out and replace long black wallet
 that day. ..
 Sure enough. his hand rested upon it, and he drew it forth, hastily glanced inside
 and seeing that the bills were all there.
 stole as softly from the room as he had
 He lost no time in steenRE back to che