Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-08-09
copyrigbt, By Lothrop Pubil.hlng COMPANY
CHAPTER Ix.-corrrrurp.


oldaker, wincing and turning to Miss
Bines for sympathy, heard her say:
YES, do, Mr.. Higbee! 1 do love
those ragtime songs-and then have
them play Tell Me, Pretty Maiden,
and the Intermezzo.'
He groaned in anguish.
The talk ran mostly on practical af-
fairs: the current values of the great
staple commodities; why the corn crop
had been light; what wheat promised
to bring; how young Burman, of the
Chicago board of trade, had been
pinched in his own wheat corner for
four millions-"put up" by his admir-
ing father; what beef on the hoof
commanded; how the Federal OIL COM
pany would presently own the state OF
Texas.
Almost every Barbarian at the table
had made his own fortune. Hardly
one but could recall early days when
he toiled on farm or in shop or forest,
herded cattle, prospected sought adj
venture in remote and hazardous wilds.
faint much like them old days,
Ell, Higher" queried the crown prince
of Cripple Creek-"when you and me
had to walk from Chicago to Green
Bay, Wisconsin, because we didn't
have enough shillings for stage fare?"
He gazed about him suggestively.
Corn beef and cabbage was pretty
good then, eh?" and with sure, vigor-
GUS strokes he fell to demolishing his
filet de dinde a la Perigueux, while
butler refilled his glass with Chateau
Malescot, 1873.
'Well, it does beat the two rooms
madam and me started to keep house
in when we was married." admitted
the host. That was on the banks OF
the Chicago river, and now we got the
Hudson flowin' right through the front
yard, you might say, right past our
own yacht landing"
From old days Of work and hardship
they came to discuss the present and
their immediate surroundings. social
and financial.
Their daughters, 1t appeared, were
being sought IN marriage by the sons
OF those among whom they sojourned.
"Oh, they're a nice band OF hand
shakers, all right, all right asserted
the gentleman from Kansas City. zone
of 'em tried to keep company with our
Caroline, but wouldn't stand for Al
He was crackin' good shiny player,
and he could lead them eotillon dances
BLOWN whistle and calm, 'All right,
Upi' or something, like a car starter
but, Tell me something good about
him, says to an old friend OF his
family. Well, he hemmed and haWed
~-he was a New York gentleman. and
says he: ] don't know whether / could
make you understand or not he saws.
but he's got Family Jest like that,
bearin' down hard on Family and
you've got money, he says. and Money
and Family need each other badly IN |
this town, he says. Yes, says, 4
met up with a number Of people here,
! says but amt met none yet that
you'd have to blindfold and back into
a lot Of money, J says, family or no
family ! says. And that young man,
he says, Is pleasant, charming fell
low; why he says, he's the best
coated man IN New York. Well. / /
looked at him and | says; Well says
!, he may be the best-coated man IN
New York, but he'll Do the best-booted
man IN New York, too says, ~ he
comes around trying to spark Caroline
any more-or would be II l had my
way His chin's pushed too FAR back
under his face I says, and besides,
says Caroline is being waited on By
4 young hardware drummer a good
STEADY young fellow travelling out Of
little old r. O., / says, and while he
lint ipdch for family, says, hen \
have ono Of his own before hs eots
says we start families
where coma from aayaa