The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-12-18
LUNDQUIST
By NORMAN Fl. CROWELL

cious sound, paused in his translation
and glanced up. The listener was
staring at him wide-eyed, his whole
soul pouring out through his blue
orbs. 1t confused him and he crum-
pied the paper neryousy. Lundquist
brought himself together with jerk.
How much money hem say?"
"A hundred dollars!' was the post
masters response,
Won hunderd dollars!" repeated
the stricken youth, Won hunderd-"
He reached out and took the sheet
from Banks fingers and placed it in
his pocket. Then he went out old
jim close at his heels, with his tail
down dejectedly.
An hour later the two emerged
from the door of the bank. Aimlessly
they strolled along the dismal street
until they came to where the team
was tied A mile out on the open
prairie the youth turned in his seat
and shook his clenched fist at the
receding town Once he glanced up.
ward--then settled firmly in a
straight stare ahead. and so remained
till the cabin was reached.
That night he did not go to bed.
He sat and walked and babbled to the
dog till daybreak In the morning
he eyed the rising sun with bloodshot
eyes. His body quiyered with the
protests of abused nerves and his
cheeks were sunken from lack OF
nourishment.
Won hunderd dolals!" he said,
bitterly
That day he visited the bank three
different times. The last time he
stood in the doorway and told the
banker a few of the hot things that
ranked in his brain. Old Jim stood
aside and snarled.
He visited the store and asked for
food When the storekeeper suggest
ed pay, he cursed beneath his breath
and left the place. He went to the
post office with letter he had writ
ten to Hilda-a letter filled with
scalding tears and heart burnings.
The postmaster spoke to him, asking
if he was sending the money on to
the girl Lundquist clenched his
teeth tightly and rushed out to con
ceal the tears that stole unrepressed
down his cheeks.
Two days later letter came. 1t
was cold and formal, Hilda had re.
turned TO Norway. Lundquist STUN
bled awkwardly when Banks read tie
letter and thrust his elbow through a
pane of glass. Banks, glancing up,
made light of the accident.
Don't worry about that, CARL" he
I'll fix that"
"Ay get yo glass;" said Lundquist,
hoarsely, as he went out
At the hardware store he brought
forth his paltry store of silver-four
dollars in all The glass took one OF
these. Inside the case something
caught his eye-something shiny and
cold. He inquired its price.
"Two-fifty,' said the man, "and it's
a 49,"
Lundquist slid the money hesitat-
ingly across the glass counter and
took the object gingerly in his hand.
Flushed and trembling, he started for
the door.
Wait! You want-you'll need
some of these" called the proprietor
as he slid out some little boxes.
ia, Won box." said Lundquist
1t was late that night when the two
reached the lone cabin on the prai-
rie. The dog sat on the floor before
his master and licked his lips ex-
pectantly, but his master needed him
not-he was reading. reading, read
ing Hilda's letters.
Two weeks later the newspaper at
the county seat printed the following;
"A party of sportsmen made a
gruesome find in a sod shanty IL
miles north of F. last week At
tracted by the mournful bowling of
a shepherd dog they drew up and
entered The body of young Scan
dinavian lay upon the earth floor
with a bullet wound in his forehead.
letters scattered about
create the impression that he COM
mitted the deed in fit of homesick-
ness or dependency. The dog re-
fused to leave the spot, although
wasted to a skeleton by hunger and
exposure"
Copyright. 1906, by Daily Story Pub. Coz