The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-05-23

| MT. r edT IOOhcu grave. OOu yOu
rec'lect meetin' me last night?"
| Louden shook his head. "No. Did
IY
The others jaw fell, and his brow
corrugated with self reproach. "Well,
if that don't show what a thick head I
am! l thought We was all right er I'd
gone on with We. Nobody cd "a walk
ed straighter ner talked straighter.
Said We was goin' to leave Canaan fer
good and didn't want nobody to know
it, Said We was goin' to take the 'leven
o'clock through train fer the west and
told me I couldn't come to the deepo
with ye. Said ye'd had enough O. Ca
naan and of everything. follered ye
part way to the deepo, but ye turned
and made a motion fer me to 60 back,
and done it because ye seemed to be
kind Of in trouble, and thought ye'd
ruther be by yerself. Well, sir, it's
one on me-"
mot at ALL" said Joe. II was all
right"
"was ye?" returned the other. "Do
remember. do yer
AluOSt, JUG Slullcu ldlulIy.
almost" echoed Happy, shaking his
head seriously. II tell We, Joe, eff was
you he began slowly, then paused
and shook his head again. He seemed
on the point of delivering some advice,
but evidently perceiving the snobbish-
ness Of such proceeding, or else con-
vinced by his own experience Of the
f,,%fl NE hn fn fyrI-
ness:
II hear the boys is all goin' to work
hard fer the primaries. Mike says ye
got some chances ye don't know about.
He swears yell be the next mayor of
Canaan"
Nonsense! Folly and nonsense, Hap
py! That's the kind of thing 1 used to
think when I was a boy. But now
pshaww Joe broke off with a tired
laugh. "Tell them not to waste their
time! Are you going out to the Beach
this afternoon?
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 soaked the night you come back
to Canaan. He's after Claudine to git
his evens with me. He's made raise
somewhere's and plays the spender.
And her-well, I reckon she's tired
waitin' table at the National House,
tired O. me, too. 1 got hint that
they're goin' out to the Beach together
this afternoon"
Joe passed his hand wearily over his
aching forehead. II understand" he
said, land you'd better try to. Cory's
laying for you, of course. You say he's
after your wife? He must have set
about it pretty openly if they're going
to the Beach today, for there is always
a crowd there on Sundays. Is it hard
for you to see why he's doing it? It's
because he wants to make you jealous.
What for? So that you'll tackle him
again. And why does he want that?
Because he's ready for your
The others eyes suddenly became
bloodshot, his nostrils expanding in
credibly. Ready, is he? He better be
ready. p
"That's enoughv' Joe interrupted
swiftly. "We'll have no talk like that.
I'll settle this for you myself You
send word to Claudine that I want to
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. "I'll do what
ever you tell me to. Any of US III do
that; we sure know who's our friend"
Keep out of trouble, Happy" Joe
turned to go and they shook hands.
"Good day, and-keep out Of troublew
When he had gone Mr.. Fears coun-
tenance again gloomed ominously, 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 chinks Of the
worn flooring he caught bright glimpses
Of running water. When he came out
Of the other end he felt enough re-
freshed to light a cigar.
swell, here I am" he said, "across
Main street bridge, and it must be
getting on toward noon!' He spoke
almost with the aspect of daring and
Immediately stood still listening. ere
member" he ventured to repeat,
again daring" remember! Across
Main street bridge at noonv" And
again he listened. Then he chuckled
family with relief, for the voice did
not return. ''Thank God, I've got rid
of thatv' he whispered. 'And Of the
circus band too!''
A dusty road turned to the right fol-
lowing the river and shaded by big
sycamores on the bank The mongrel,
intensely preoccupied with this road,
scamnarad awav- his nose tn the