Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-31

| wagon came up.
 "Well, good day, Lettis," said Red. "If you can't get quarters anywhere else, come on and help me hold the barn down." .s...
 DO you sleep in the barn? Then I'll come back sure. Tell you how 1t is, MT. Saunders I've been stuck up in three by nine office for four years ;-nose held to "A to M, western branch and if I'm not sick of 1t there's no such thing as sickness. To get out and breathe the fresh air, to see the country, to be my own master-well, sir, it just makes me tremble to think of it! I hope you find the strawboard what you want to take up."
 q shouldn't wonder if it would be-" answered Red. "We'll make corking team to do business, Lettis, I can see that-so cautious and full of tricks and all that"
 The young man laughed and then sobered down. "Of course I know the whole thing would look insane to most people," he said sturdily, 'but I've been in business long enough to see sharp gentlemen come to grief in spite of their funny work. I don't believe a man'll come to any more harm by believing people mean we'll by him than he would by working on the other tack"
 Good boy!' said Red. skipping him on the back. You stick to that and you'll get a satisfaction out of it that money couldn't buy you. Another thing, you'd never get a cent out of me in this world if you were one of these smooth young men. My eye teeth are cut, son, for all I may seem easy. The man that does me a trick has chance for bad luck, and you can bet on that"
 Lord, I believe you" replied Lettis, taking in the dimensions of his new friend. "Well, goodby for the present, MT. Saunders. Thank you for the din ner and still more for the heart you have put into me-"
 At 6 o'clock the fence was not quite finished.
 If you'll stay with me until the things done, I'll stand another dollar all around" said Red q don't want it to stare me in the face tomorrow"
 The eldest spoke up. "We'll stay with you, MT. Saunders, but we don't want any money for it, do we, fel- lers?"
 "No," they replied in chorus, well meaning what they said.
 "Why, you're perfectly welcome to the cashw said Red.
 And you're welcome to the work" retorted the boy "We're paid plenty as it is.''
 If that's the way you look at it, I'm much obliged to you," said Red, who would not have discouraged such feeling for anything. He said to himself, This don't seem much like the kind of people I've heard inhabited these parts. Those boys are all right. Reckon if you use people decent they'll play up to your lead, no matter what country it is."
 At 7:30 the fence was done, gorgeous in a coat of fresh red paint, and the hands departed, each with slice of Miss Mattie's chocolate cake, a thing to make the heathen gods feel contemptuous of ambrosia.
 They went straight to the black smiths shop, where they were anxious ly expected.
 Good Lord" he said a little later. Eff you fellers will talk one at time, p'raps I can make out what's hap pened. Now, Sammy, s'p'ose you do the speaking?"
 Whereupon Sammy faithfully chron- icled the events of the day. The boys had behaved themselves as if there was nothing out of the common hap pening while they were with Red, be- ing held up by sense of pride, but naturally the splendid physique of the cowman, his picturesque attire, his abandoned way of scattering money around and the air of frolic he had managed to impart to a days hard work-all had effect on imagination, and the boys were very much ex- cited.
 I'd like to know how many Injuns that feller's killedw piped up the youngest. "Hy! He could grab hold of a man and wiring his neck like a chicken"
 'Aw, tstr' reconstructed the black smith. But the elders stood by the younker this time.
 "Yes, he could, Mir. Farrel" said they. You ought to seen him when he rolled up his sleeves. He's got an arm on him like the hind leg of d horse, and he uses an ax like a tack hammer. He got mad once when he pounded his thumb and busted the post square in two with one crack"
 Well, he looks like a husky man." admitted the blacksmith. But why didn't you boys take the extry dollar when he made the offer? He pears to know what he was about, and it looks kind of foolish to say no to it."
 There was a moments silence We wanted to show him we were just as good as the folks he knew" explained the eldest somewhat shamefacedly.
 The blacksmith strengthened himself. ''Quite right, too" said he. We air when you come to that" A little pride is a wonderful tonic. Each man of that gathering felt himself the bet ter for the display of it.
 In the meantime Red was repairing the ravages of the day opposite Miss Hattie at a supper table which was bOuntifuIly spread. Miss Matte put rv.sr. and fvr, snx,o+ha~ and fouud fhav