The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-07-13
younger sons OF men blasphemc this

younger sons OF men blasphemc this
metropolis of the mid-west--a city the
creation Of which Is, by many persons
of discrimination, held to be the chief
romance and abiding miracle OF the
nineteenth century.
Let us rejoice that one such partisan
was now at hand to stem the torrent
Of abuse. AS Percival held back the
door for his sister to pass out, a stout
little ruddy-faced man with trim gray
sidewhiskers came quickly up the steps
and barred their way with CHEEKY ag-
gressiveness.
"Ah! Mr.. Higbee-well, WE'LL" ex-
claimed Percival, cordially.
Thought 1t might be some OF you
folks when | saw the car" Daid Hig-
bee, shaking hands all around.
"And Mrs. Bines, too! and the girl,
looking like a Delaware peach when
the crops failed How's everybody,
and how long o going to be in the
good old town."
"Ah! we were just speaking of Chi
cago as you came in," said Percival,
blandly. Isn't she a great old town,
though-a wonder!"
my boy" said Higbee, in low, SOL
emn tones that came straight from his
heart, "she gets greater every day you
live. You can see her at 1t, fairly.
How long since you been here?"
81 came through last June, you
know, after | left your yacht at New
port"
Eyes, yes; to be sure; so you did
poor Daniel J.-but say, you wouldn't
know the town now II you haven't
seen it since then. Why, I run over
from New York every 80 days or so
and she grows out of my ken every
time, like a five-year-old boy. Say, I've
got Mrs. Higbee up in the New York
sleeper, but if you're going to be here
a spell we'll stop a few days longer
and I'll drive you around-what say?
packing houses-Lake Shore drive
Lincoln park"
He waited, glowing confidently, as
one submitting irresistible temptations
Percival beamed upon him with
moist eyes.
by Jove, Mr.. Higbee! that's clever
Of you-it's royal! Sis and | would
like nothing better-but you see my
poor mother here is almost down with
nervous prostration and we've got tc
hurry her to New York without ar
We're ~afraid'-he glanced a%nxiously al
the astounded Mrs. Bines, and lowered
his voice-"we're afraid she may no
be with us long"
"Why Percival," began Mrs. Bines
dazedly, you was just saying"
Now don't fly all to pieces, NAL
take it easy-you're with friends, bt
sure of that. You needn't beg us to gt
on. You know we wouldn't think of stop
ping when it may mean life or dealt
l to you. You see just the way she is,
he continued to the sympathetic Hig
~bee--"we're afraid she may COLLAPSE
any moment. So we must wait for an
other time; but I'll tell you what yol
do; go get Mrs. Higbee and your trap
I and come let us put you up to New
York. We've got lots Of room-rul
along now-and we'll have some o
: that ham, the kind you have Away
bought for lunch. A. L.. Jackson is
miserable cook, too, if I don't know
: the truth"
: Gently urging Higbee through tn
? door, he stified a systematic inqui-.
; into the details of Mrs. Bines' Attic
!, ton.
4 Come along quick! I'll go help yo,
i and we'll have Mrs. Higbee back be
fore the train starts"
do you know" Mrs. Bines thought
fully observed to her daughter, ="
sometimes mistrust Percival amt jus
right in his head; you remember he di,
d have a bad fall on it when he was tw,
years and five months old-two years
five months and IS days. The way h
carries on right before folks faces
That time l went through the asylum
at Butte there was a young man KEEP
going on with the same outlandish RIG
marole just like Percival. The ide
of Percival telling me to eat a lemon
ice with an ice pick, and oh, VIII,
S don't the flesh brushes wear nice, prop
t er clothes brushes!' and sure an
4 hammer my nails good and hard afte
| get them manicured.' And back hom
he was always wanting to know wher
e the meat augers were, saying he'd jus
bought 900 new mes and he'd have t
S order a ton more if they were all los
| don't believe there is such a thin
as a meat auger. l don't know wha
on earth a body coAld do with ont
And that other young man." she cor
e cluded, significantly, they had him i
a a little bit of room with an iron
barred door to it like a prison-cell."
o CHAPTER VII.
MIR. HIGBEE COMMUNICATES SOM