Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-08-15

, mighty glad you didn't go, after all,
; .Joe." he added, with a brightehlng
, face
/ "Go where, Happy?"
Mr.. Fear looked grave. Don't you
reclect meetln' me last nghtf'
I.ouden shook his head. "No. Did
/. II"
The others jaw fell. and his brow
corrugated with self reproach. "Well.
IL that don't show what thick head
am! | thought ye was all right er I'd
gone on with We. Nobody cd "a walk
ed straghter ner talked straighter.
Said We was goin' to leave Canaan fer
good and didn't want nobody to know
II. Said ye was goin' to take the 'leven
o'clock through train fer the west and
told me / couldn't come to the deepo
with ye. Said ye'd had enough o. Ca
naan and of everything, l follered We
part way to the deepo, but We turned
and made motion fer me to go back,
and l done IL because ye seemed to be
kind of in trouble. and thought ye'd
ruther be by yerself. Well, sir, it's
one on me-"
Not at ALL" said Joe. II was all
right"
"was YER returned the other. "Do
remember, do YER
almost" Joe smiled family.
almost" echoed Happy, shaking his
head seriously. 81 tell ye, Joe. eff l was
YOU he began slowly, then paused
and shook his head again. He seemed
on the point of delivering some advice,
but evidently percelving the snobbish-
ness of such proceeding, or else con-
vinced by his own experience Of the
futility of II, he swerved to cheerful
ness:
II hear the boys liz all goln' to work
hard fer the primaries. Mike says ye
got some chances ye don't know about.
He swears yen bs the next mayor Of
Canaan"
Nonsense! Folly and nonsense, Hap
py! That's the kind Of thing used to
pshaww Joe broke Off with a tired
laugh. Tell them not to waste their
timel Are you going out to the Beach
this afternoonT
The little man lowered his eyes
moodily. "I'll be near there" he said.
scraping his patched shoe up and down
the curbstone. THAT feller's In town
agin."
"What fellow"
NASHVILLE they call him. Eds the
name he give the hospital. Cory.-him
that l soaked the night you come back
to Canaan. He's after Claudine to git
his evens with me. He's made n raise
somewhere's and plays the spender.
And her-well, / reckon she's tired
waitin' table at the National House.
tired O. me, too. l got a hint that
they're goin' out to the Beach together
this afternoon"
Joe passed his hand wearily over his
aching forehead. "I understand" he
said, "end you'd better try TO. Cory's
laying for you. of course. You say he's
after your wlfe2 He must have set
about II pretty openly II they're going
to the Beach today, for there is always
crowd there on Sundays. Is II hard
for you to see why he's doing II? It's
because he wants TO make you jealous.
What for? SO that you'll tackle him
again. And why does he want that2
Because he's ready for your
The others eyes suddenly became
bloodshot, his nostrlls expanding In |
credibly. "Ready, is her He better be !
ready. r.
That's enough" Joe interrupted !
swiftly. "We'll have no talk like that. |
I'll settle this for you myself. You
send word 10 Claudlne that want 10 !
see her at my office tomorrow morning. /
and you-you stay away from the
Beach today. Give me your word"
Mr.. Fears expression softened. "All
right joe" he said. "Ill do what
ever you tell me TO. Any of us II do
that; we sure know who's our friend"
Keep out OF trouble. Happy" Joe
turned TO go and they shook hands.
Good day, nnd-keep out OF troublew
When he had gone Mr.. Fears coun-
tenance again gloomed omlnously, and.
shaking his head. he ruminatively en-
tered an adjacent bar through the al
ley door.
The Main street bridge was an old
fashioned wooden covered one, dust
colored and very narrow, squarely
framing the fair open country beyond.
for the town had never crossed the
river. Joe found the cool shadow In
the bridge gracious TO his hot brow,
and through the slender chlnks OF the
worn flooring he caught bright gllmpses
Of running water. When he came out
or the other end he felt enough re-
freshed 20 light a cigar.
"Well, here am," he said. across
Main street bridge. and IL must be
getting on toward noon" He spoke
almost with the aspect OF daring ana
Immediately stood still listening. Re
member" he ventured TO repeat. {
again daring" 'remember! Across II
Main street bridge al nOOn!" And II
again he listened. Then he chuckled ,
iaintly with relief, for the voice did /,
lot return. Thank God, I've got rid
~ fharrf h.a III