The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-23
-.- OUR DAIL Y SHORT STORY

| 6N-tAA v AAlot fSARIS5hGu al01tiLY. | Just what expected,"' Tracey de. clared later to the fair cause Of dis pute. Your father, my dear. is pno found student of humanity. F4e sfxet me up at a glance; saw that wasn't half good enough for you-and neve, could be. I didn't argue the question He was right-and I know 1t. I'm mol half worthy of you, and there's no man Tracey's nature was resilient. How ever heavily he might be sat upon, the natural and resultant rebound would , soon restore his normal cheerfulness He proposed to own Mildred sooner or later, whether he was worthy of her or not. Many men get more in life than they deserve, reasoned he. But elopement Is the last resort dear.S he asserted. We won't take that route unless compelled to. If we could only win Papa Maxwell over if would be better for all concerned, don't you think? It keeps down hard feel ings in the family So the two between them plotted the obdurate parents undoink. But small things like love affairs were soon obscured. The railway pro- ject loomed suddenly large upon the Cactus horizon, and all other things were forgotten in the intense desire of a united citizenship to secure the iong-hoped-for road.
 It was two nights after the railroad committee's return from Kansas City with such a hope-blighting report that Tracey took the center of the stage. The curtain of moving events went up sharply at 8 o'clock of a murky eve ming. revealing Tracey in the act of ringing the heavy doorbeli attthe Max well home.
 A servant answered the ring, and an- nounced the arrival of Mir. Bernard Tracey.
 ITO see you. sir"
 The grizzled old judge apparently absorbed in a volume of Carlyle, but in reality revolving the railroad com mittees humiliating fiasco in his mind, looked up In surprise. His bushy brows lifted Questiouably.
 ITO see me?" he asked, incredulously. what can he ,want7"
 second thought followed.
 Show him tn."
 Tracey entered, wefl-groomed, keen eyed, alert. unabashed. No seat was proffered, but he failed to note the discourtesy. Standing at perfect ease in the center of the library he pro- ceeded to business with brisk direct ness.
 T have come to talk with you, Judge Maxwell, on a matter of great im~ portance." he said.
 The Judge raised hand impatient Iy.
 T thought told you never again to mention" s..@-@
 And so you did, interrupted Ira cey But this, assure you, Is an en- tirely different matter. The other has been thoroughly gone over, and you have expressed yourself most emphat- ically. Only three people were con cerned, but this other matter srof vt- tai importance to every citizen of Cac- tus. yourself included"
 The Judge sat silent. His exterior was that of an iceberg Without en- courageemntnto proceed, Tracey went on: &
 securing this new railroad, you know, would in time make hustling town out of Cactus. Failing to secure 1t will deaden and eventually depopu- late it. Already a number of citizens are preparing to move. But, so far as I am concerned. I propose to stay by the town. More than that, l propose to give 1t railroad and make It the seat of county government
 Judge Maxwell gasped. The sheer audacity of the statement was breath taking. He proposedl After the fail ure of Q committee headed by Judge Maxwell himself---to make such 8 statement! Tracey was young. Ira ceys head was affected.
 The Judge almost smiled.
 "You propose, do you? And howT' he asked.
 nay, ''but can only be carried out with your hearty cooperation and financial
 And what if withhold themT' !
 The answer came like a bolt from the blue.
 "Then. sir. you are unworthy to bear the name of an American citizen"
 The iceberg exterior was affected. The Judge showed signs of thawing.
 And If promise you both-what Is your plan?'
 ''This in a nutshell: You doubtless remember the old adage, If the noun tain will not come to Mahomet. Ma homet will go to the mountainT
 Judge Maxwell nodded.
 "Reasoning similarly" pursued Ira cey, If the railroad will not come to Cactus, Cactus will go to the rail- road"
 For the first time the Judge seemed interested.
 ''very good" he said. But how?"
 T propose to move the entire town to q point almost half way between Milburn City and Winford, set up stores and houses, lay out city streets and lots, and surprise Winford, the Oklahoma Southwestern, and the world some morning, with a transplanted town"
 Something akin to admiration shone for a second in the Judges eyes.
 But how?" he repeated.
 By employing the very latest im- proved house moving methods and bringing Aout a veritable army of skilled labor from Kansas City or -. .ALn- h,,fY5;.a oAufar have selected a town site at point about three miles distant, where the rail- road will intersect the northwestern end of your pasture. By agreeing to exchange town lots there for the land left vacant here. and by pledging f. nancial backing to see this project through, you can make success more than possible"
 And you shall have them both"
 The Judge leaped to his feet trans formed, retuvenated The very bold ness of the scheme intoxicated him. He forgot his dislike, for the man be- fore him, forgot the difference in years. and struck Tracey's shoulder a resounding slap.
 you're a wonder-you're a geniusi I'm with you. man, heart, hands and pocketbook!"
 The startling change in the Judges attitude had no perceptible effect on Tracey's composure. He seemed the embodiment of serene self assurance.
 There's work ahead, then" he de- clared, "and we must get at it-at once Another mass meeting must be held, admitting men only. Cur plans will be announced, and after assur- ance of unanimous cooperation. we must begin to put them through quiet ly, but speedily and effectively Should vVinford get wind of the contempla-