The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-01-01


a mutinous little sparkle in her eyes.
You are poking fun at me. You
haven't any right to, you know; but
that's your way. don't care, but Mrs.
Higgins doesn't understand"
Don't you, Mrs. Higgins?" asked
the judge.
NO, l DON'T snapped Mrs. Hig-
gins, and she didn't, but she thought
she did. Only if you mean Mr.. Rich
ard Gordon, I'll tell you now there
amt no one in this here God-forsaken
country who can hold tallow candle
to him. Just put that in your pipe and
smoke it, will you?"
She piled up dishes viciously. She
did not wait for her guests to depart
before she began demolishing the
table. 1t was a tremendous breach of
etiquette, but she didn't care. To have
an ideal shattered ruthlessly is ever
a heart-brealling thing.
But my dear Mrs. Higgins" ex-
postulated the judge.
You needn't" said that lady, short
ly II don't care" she went on, IF
the president himself or an archangel
from heaven came down here and
plastered Dick Gordon with bad-smell-
in names from the crown of his little
toe to the tip of his head, I'd tell em
to their very faces that they didn't
know what they was a talkin' about,
and what's more they'd better go
back to where they belong and not
come nosin' round in other peoples
business when they don't understand
one single mite about it, We don't
pie when they don't know thing
about us or our ways. That's my
say she closed, with appalling sig
niticance, iattering herself that no
one could dream but that she was
dealing in the most off-hand general
tiles. She was far too polite to an
tagonize, and withal too good wonl-
an not to strike for friend She
congratulated herself she had been
true to all her gods-and she had
been.
Louise smiled in complete sympa-
thy, challenging the Judge meanwhile
with laughing eyes. But the Judge
he was still much of boy in spite of
his grave calling and mature years
just threw back his blonde head and
shouted in rapturous glee. He
laughed till the very ceiling rang in
loud response; laughed till the tears
shone in his big blue eyes. Mrs. Hig-
Oil ;v,
ment, hands on hips.
Dear me, SUI" she sputtered, SIS
the man gone clean daffy?"
Won't you shake hands with me,
Mrs. Higgins9" he asked, gravely. II
ask your pardon for my levity, and |
assure you there isn't man in the
whole world | esteem more or hold
greater faith in than Dick Gordon-or
love so much. | thank you for your
championship of him. would that he
had more friends like you. Louise,
are you ready?"
Their walk to the hotel was silent
one. Later, as she was leaving him to
go to her own room, Louise laid her
head caressingly on her uncle's
sleeve
Uncle Hammond" she said, impul-
sively, you are-incorrigible, but you
are the best man in all the world"
The very best?' he asked, smiling
ly.
The very best" she repeated, firm.
ly.
There was full calender that term.
and the close of the first week found
the court still wrestling with Grimm
al cases, with that of Jesse Black yet
uncalled. Gordon reckoned that
Blacks trial could not possibly be
taken up until Tuesday or Wednes-
day of the following week Long be-
fore that, the town began filling up
for the big rustling case. There were
other rustling cases on the criminal
docket, but they paled before this one
where the suspected leader of a gang
was on trial. The interested and the
curious did not mean to miss any part
of it, They began coming in early in
| the week. They kept coming the re-
mainder of that week and Sunday as
we'll. Even as late as Monday, de-
layed range riders came scurrying in.
| leaving the cattle mostly to Shift for
themselves. The Velpen aggregation,
better informed, kept to it's own side
of the river pretty generally until the
Sunday, at least, should be past
| The flats southeast of town became
the camping grounds for those unable
to find quarters at the hotel, and who
| lived too far out to make the nightly
ride home and back in the morning.
| They were tempted by the unusually
mild weather. These were mostly In
dams and half-breeds, but with good
ly sprinkling of cowboys of the
rougher order. Camp-fres spotted the
/ plain. burning redly at night. There
was plenty of drift-wood to be had for
| the hauling. Blanketed Indians squat
ted and smoked around their fires-a
revival of an older and better day for
4 them. Sometimes they stalked ma
| jestically through the one street of
the town.
| The judicial party was safely housed