The Irish standard., 1907-12-07

st a public eating house, the other
startling thought was to the ef1sct
that the invitation was redolent with
she was not expected to say, "a whis-
kew Gov me nlease."
"Guess you KIM answered Jim,
wonuel III his voice at the exceeding
barrenness of the order. "Mrs Hig-
gins, hello there, Mrs. Higgins! say,
there, bring on some tea and toast
for the LADY,"
'Where is the Three Bars?" asked
Louise, her thoughts straying to the
terrors Of a 15-mile drive through
strange and uncanny country with a
stranger and yet more uncanny man.
She had accepted him without ques-
tion. He was part and parcel with the
strangeness of her new position. But
the sudlennsss of the transition from
idle conjecture to startling reality had
raised her proud head and she looked
this new development squarely in the
face without outward hint of inward
perturbation.
"Say, where was you raised?" asked
Jim, with tolerant scorn, between
huge mouthfuls of boiled pork and
cabbage, interspersed with baked po.
tatoes, hot rolls and soggy dumplings,
shoveled in with knife, fork or spoon.
He occasionally anticipated dessert
by making sudden sortie into the
quarter Of an immense custard pie,
Fastening the end by means Of noisy
draughts of steaming coffee. Truly,
the Three Bars connection had the fat
of the land at the Bon Ami.
why, it's the Three Bars that's
bringin' you here. Didn't you know
that? There's nary a man in the
hull country with backbone enough to
keep off all-fours 'ceptin' Paul Lang
ford. Um. You just try once to walk
over the boss, will you? Lord! What
a grease spot you'd make!"
"Mr. Gordon isn't being walked
over, is he?" asked Louise, finished
with her tea and toast and impatient
to be off,
ooh, Gordon? Pretty decent sort O.
much about handlin' hoss thieves and
sich. Amt smooth enough. Acted
kind O. like chicken With its head
cut off till the boss got into the round
up"
"Oh!" said Louise, whose concep.
tion Of the young counsel for the state
did not tally with this delineation.
yep. Miss, this here's the boss
doin's. Yep. Lord! Whatn that
gang look like when we are through
with 'em. Spendin' the rest O. their
days down there in Sioux Falls. medi.
tatin' on the advisability O. walkin'
clear O. the toes O. the Three Bars in
the future and cussin' their stupendi.
fed stupidity in foolin' even once with
the Three Bars. Yep. sir-yep ma'am.
l mean-Jesse Black and his gang
have acted Just like nesky. little nl,ln',
fool moskeeters, and we're goin' to
slap 'em. The cheek Of 'em, lightin'
on the Three Bars! Lord!"
"Mr. Williston informed. did he
not?"
''Williston? Oh, yes, he informed
but he'd never "a done 1t If it hadn't
a been for the boss. The OIL jellyfish
wouldn't a. had the nerve to inform
without backin', as sure as a stone
wall. The boss is doin' this, tell
you, Miss. But Williston 8 a goin' on
! the stand to.morrer all right, and SC
am l."
The two cowboys at the corner table
had long since finished their supper
They now lighted bad-smelling cigars
and left the room. To Louise's great
relief Munson rose, too. He was back
very soon with a neat little runabout
and high-spirited team of bays.
''Boss's private" explained Jim with
pride. "Nothin' too good for lady
so the boss sent this and me to take
keer O. it, And O. you. too, Miss" he
added, as an afterthought
He held the lines in his brown, mus
cular hands, lovingly, while he slowed
away Louise's belongings and himself