Lewiston evening teller., 1907-12-13

}, italy. and Lounsbury bent toward
him, SO that the smoke OF the pipe
| fed the storekeeper's, nostrils. They
talked for a half hour, the one relat-
| ing his story, the other putting In
quick questions. At the end of their
conversation Lounsbury held out his
than1.
iui1SIf their letter brings him, Nike" he
said. rdon't you fall to let me know" !,
AYE, aye" promised the pilot ear
nestly.
They parted. Old Michael continued
his way with an easy mind, but Leuns-
bury was troubled. Instead of carry
ing, as on his former visit, good news
to the little family on the bend he
must now be the bearer Of evil.
IL And when, having stalled his horse
with Ben and Betty, he entered the
cottonwood shack his heart smcte him
still more, for secretly he had hoped
7 that he was to tell them what they al.
ready knew. hut 1t seemed precisely
. the reverse. There was nothing in the
appearance and actions of the Lancas-'
ters that suggested anxiety. The sec
tiopI boss, though his manner was not
without certain reserve Gas If he halt
: believed something was about to be
wortned out OF himI greeted Louns-
Il bury good naturedly enough. Marylyn
hurried up in d timid futter to take his
/ cap and coat, while. facing him from
the hearthside. her hair coiled upon
her head like crown. her gray eyes
bright her cheeks glowing. was new
4 Dallas. #as am
well, howIve you ali been?" asked
a Lounsbury, accepting bench.
\ fOhs sprisht 'nough," answered the
section boss, @but it's cold; It's cold
Keeps me- tremblin' like guilty mig
ger /&4
o7'Yod'll set over that" assured the
other, rubbing the blood into his hands
4 trTtis natural for you to be soft as schalk
rock the first winter. You've been lfv-
ing sohth" @a%-.g
."'tAh reckon. r agreed Lancaster. He
sat down beside the younger man,
,eying him closely. ''How d y come Z
Il gitIaway firm business r. he .queried. &
A ~ We'll. you see," Lounsbury answer
ed 1--WE got an Al man In. my Bis
narcks storeA and Nat Clark 'g'g there's
nothing to do weekdays hardly. so
4 just took some tobacco to Skinpey'At
where the boys, could get at At, and
loped down here Then playfully,
4 ,HBut / don'e see much ahappening' ii
these PARTS" He stretched toward a
! windoW. "The town of Lancaster
Amt growing very fast."t as0se.IIs-4s
III Dallas, seated onra abenhh with Mary.
! lyns Looked across at him smiIingly
| :"Pm glad Of it," she declared. 1--WE
amt used to towns"
"You folks We never lived In onew
mo, I'VE. meyer even .been IN one, r,
He ppckered bis forehead. = Funny
he saia. Somehow, l always, think
Of You two as toynegirls.ps w 81
"Aw, shucks" exclaimed Lancaster.
hscowii1g. liz L.~I -.
iaaBut Dallas was leaning forward, H.
! terestea. That's on. account of our
teachers, >" she said There was d
4 schoolh House up the track. IN Texas.
and We went + to ! II, on the hand car,
Every year we had a different teacher,
and, alt of lem came from big eastern
places likel New Orleans or StoiIpuis,
$3.50, you see. we kinda got towny
from ohr schoolma,ams.",, LaaIj $
roneI had gold tooth, F" put in Mary.
iynI FER eyes, wide. With recollection.
. I were fixed upon .Lounsbury. +, .asn,,
"But syou passed through cities ctm-
Ing north" argued the ,storekeepes. =
N-n-no." said Dallas slowly. SWe
/ I'VE skirted EN-, rsb;a,rF-.a 81
What pity" he turned to the sec.
+ tion boss. t85% tetSF'J se@.@'
} "Pity.' echoed the latter. "Huhl
You save you pity. My gals is better
! off eff they don meet no town, hood
lums" s't lt ''-i
IL 1t had been soldier trash, before,
now. it was town hoodlums.P Louns-
} bury wondered why he had been, al
! lowed second call. He glanced at
the girls. There was a sudden shadow
on each young face. He changed to
the, fire and looked hard at It. How
cut off they were! Where was their
happiness-except in their homer And
could he tell them even that was
threatened?
"Not by a long shotw he vowed.
'pll trust old Michael"
He set himself TO be agreeable. and
especially toward the section boss. He
told Of the Norwegian at Medicine
mountain and OF the old man who liy-
ed with wife and children at the .lit-
tie bend" up the river. He admired
the Navajo blankets and explained
their symbolic figures of men, animals
and. suns He leaned back, clasping a
knee, and branched into comical sto-
rtes.
The little shack awoke to unaccus
toned merriment. Lancaster warmed
to the storekeeper's genial attentions
and burst into frequent, outlaws. Dal-
las and Marylyn followed his every