Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-09-19

| Dlrd IN the hand is W0rJn TWO II
the bush, but, great Scott can t
you see Winthrop's got the birds,
an you We got the bushes-the sage
bushes, an a mighty lot of them,
on your twenty-five lots2 'spect
the company's rejoicing this very
minute over the big sale they'vt
made you"
"What do you mean by the com
pany p" asked Fred.
why, you see the Waterville
Town Company owns mighty near
all the property in this town. That
man Winthrop is a member of the
company. Now, while | haven't as
many lots for sale as the town conf
pany, my prices beat theirs all
holler. "
"Do you think" asked Fred,
"that Mr. Winthrop charged me
too much for my lots?" @
"Think !" said Gibbons, "Think {?
Why, pardner, all the agents in
town are laughing about it; he took
you in, that's all. :"
Fred bit his lips and mentally
decided to investigate thoroughly
before leaving Waterville.
"You see,' said Gibbons, call
of us fellers are down ON the town
company We don't like corpora
tions, nohowi they don't give us
honorable intentioned fellers a fan
chance. We are the men that
buildin' up this ere town-givin
it the bone, an sinew, an the stand
ing, so to speak, Don't you see?'
eyes" said Fred, eyes, | under
stand. And begging to be excused
he turned and walked hurriedly
away from the honorable inten.
toned" Giedon Gibbons, nor die
he halt until he reached the privacy
of his room in the Ballard house
Dick Ballard was grand Army
man, and kept the least bad OF al
the bad hotels in Waterville. His
habit of talking witout moving his
lower lip, and the familiar gesture
of, lifting his left hand to his chin
to- protect the cracked member, as
if fearing it would receive an adj
ditional hurt, seemed almost part
of him. if not an important part
of his personality. His lip, while
undergoing repairs Of healing, was
an excuse at times for his not an
swering nagging Mrs. Ballard. He
would merely lift his hand pro
tectingly to his mouth, scowl ter
ribly and shake his head as il IN
eexcruciating pain
Mrs. Dick Ballard, however, was
not easily put off or subdued-she
had vixin way all her own, a
tongue sharper than two-edged
sword, was relentlessly incorrig1-
Bile. and shrew in all that the term
implies. She had habit of fol.
lowing Dick to the front door OF
the hotel when he started down tow
without giving good and sutfi'
cient reason for his going, and call
inc to him like barying burro UNI
til he was a block away, attracting
the attention of various shopkeep'
ers and people on the street. Al
first this was very amusing but lat
err. whenever a loud sonorous anc
lusty shouting was heard as If some
one were in mortal agony, those
within earshot would hastily looi
up to see whether it was Mrs
Ballard yelling or a band of cow
boys shooting up the town-tht
latter would provoke interest, the
former only smile.
One of Dick s favorite haunt'
was the brewery built on the banl
of the Thief River at the lower
edge of Waterville 1t was sale
that he labored for over two years
} persuading member of the brew
cry to join his state militia com
pany and when he finally succeed
] ed, Dick would immediately com
mission him to subordinate OF
D fee, that he might have an excus
Z for often going to the brewery
$ ostensibly to consult with his broth
er officer, but in reality that h
{ might crafty his Unsuitable thirs
for beer.
The waves of civilization wer
1. ~, IL. r.,.o,,,iincr tnuardc This unlln