The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-08-09
CHAPTER x

IN the course Of the next few days
Dan decided that there was no
danger of trouble from the hands.
customed rut. He was only little less
popular, perhaps.
He was indebted to Clarence for the
first warning he received as to what
was in store for him.
1t came about in this way Clarence
| cure from observation, he was indulg-
ing in quiet smoke, furtively keeping
an eye open for AIcClintock, whose
movements We're uncertain, as he knew
from sad experience.
A high board fence was in front Of
him. shutting off the yards from the
lower end Of the town. At his back
was freight car, back Of that again
were the interlacing tracks and be-
yond them a cornfield and Billup's
Fork, with its inviting shade of syca-
mores and willows and its tempting
swimming holes.
Suddenly he heard scrambing on
the opposite side Of the fence, and ten
brown fingers clutched the tops of the
boards, then battered straw hat came
on level with the fingers, at the same
instant bare foot and leg We're
thrown over the fence, aid the owner
| of the battered straw hat swuHg HIM
self into view All this while dog
whined and yelped; then followed q
vigorous scratching sound. and present
| ly small, dilapidated looking yellow
cur squeezed itself beneath the fence.
Clarence recognized the intruders. 1t
was Branyon's boy, Augustus, COM
monty called "Spide," because Of his
exceeding slimness and the length of
his legs, and his dog Pink.
/ As soon as Branyon's boy saw Clar-
ence he balanced himself deity on the
top Of the fence with one hand and
Shaded his eyes deliberately with the
other. An amiabJe, If toothless, smile
curle1 his lips. When he spoke 1t was
with deep righteousness.
Hi, come out from behind that roll
Of paper!'
| But Clarence said not word. He
puffed away at his cigarette, appar-
emily oblivious Of everything save the
contentment it gave him, and as he
puffed Spide'si mouth worked and wa
tered sympathetically. His secret adj
miration was tremendous. Here was
Clarence in actual and undisturbed
possession Of whole cigarette. He
had to purchase his cigarettes in part
nership with some other boy and go
halves on the smoking. Of them. It
made him feel cheap and common.
Say, got one Of them coffin tacks
that amt working?" he inquired. Clar-
ence gazed OF up the tracks, ignoring
the question and the questioner.
Spide's presence was balm to- bis soul
But as one Of the Office force of the
Buckhorn and Antioch he felt GER
tain lofty reserve to be Incumbent up
on him. Besides, he and Spide had
been engaged in a recent rivalry FOR
Susie Poppleton's affections. 1t is true
he had achieved brilliant success over
his rival, but that mere schoOlbOy
should have ventured to oppose aim,
a salaried man, had struck him as an
uHPuiuoHaoAe pleCe VI lApcltiueuce ioi
which there could be no excuse.
Spide, however, had taken the mat
ter most philosophically. He had rec
ognized that he could not hope to COM
pete with youth who possessed un-
limited wealth, which he was willing
to lay out on chewing gum and candy,
his experience being that the sex was
strictly mercenary and incapable of u
dlsinterested love. OF course he had
Continued on page four