Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-25
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CHAPTER VIII.

~ was ready for business by the
latter part of September. The official
opening was set for the 27th, Miss
Mattie's birthday, and the village of
Fairfield was invited to a picnic to
be held at the mill In honor of the &C.
casion. 1t is needless to say that the
Fairfield Strawboard Manufacturing
company did the thing up in shape.
Wagons loaded with straw and drawn
by four horse teams went the rounds
of the village collecting the guests. 1t
is doubtful If Fairfield was ever more
surprised than at the realization of
how much there was of her, using the
pronoun out of respect to the majority.
when she was punched" as Red said
You would not have believed that
struggling, lonesome looking place held
so many people. AS Red could discov-
err no means in the towns resources to
provide n meal for 300 people, it was
necessarily a basket party. which
struck Mr.. Saunders as being grievous-
ly like a Swede treat He made up
for 1t In measure by having barrels
of lemonade and cider on tap at the
grounds, stronger beverages being bar
red, and by hiring a quartet of strings
''clear from town.
At half past on Il Respondent but
hot September afternoon the caravan
started for the mill grounds. the wom-
en- dressed in the most unpicnicily cos
tunes imaginable, and the men oSten-
tatiously at ease in their store clothes.
Every one was in the best of spirits,
keen for the excitement and pleasure
that was sure to mark the occasion.
Red rode old Buckskin. who had
succumbed to the inevitable and only
Jumped around Il little" us Red put
It, on being mounted. 1t was pretty
lively jumping around" but perhaps
Mr.. Saunders found some satisfaction
in sitting perfectly ut his ease, smok-
ing his cigarette. while Buck jumped
and Fairfield admired. And, at any
rate, Buck had legs of iron and the
wind of locomotive. carrying Red all
day and willing to kick at anything
which bothered him when night came.
he was n splendid beast through and
through, from forelocl TO tail tip. but
he had learned who was his master
and obeyed him accordingly.
1t was five mile ride. mostly under
the shade of fine old trees. The road
wound around the hills: here and there
break in the arboreal border showed
views of rolling country, well shaped
and pleasing, winding up grassy slopes
in groves of verdure. OF course most
of the freshness of leaf was past, yet
the modest gray green gave a silvery
sheen to the landscape that brought il
into unity.
One member Of the party felt that
his heart was very full as he looked al
1t. That was Lettis. BLAST the old
Office he kept saying to himself
"Blast its six dingy windows and the
clock at the end. Doesn't this loot
good, and doesn't it smell good, dust
and all?" and then he'd howl at the
horses in sheer eXuberance of goot
feeling, making the mild old brute.
put a better foot of it to the front
Red cantered up beside his wagon
"Well, Lettis.'' he said. here we e
for the opening overture with the full
strength of the company-we're grea
people this day, amt WEI" And tn,
big man smiled like pleased big boy
''Oh, what a bully old fellow yol
arev' thought Lettis as he looked a
him. Lettis was thinking of othe
qualities than flesh. but the physica
Red Saunders on horseback was de
serving of glance from anybody; tn
massive figure so we'll poised; the clea
cut, proud profile; the shapely hea,
with It's crown of red gold hair; tn
easy grace of him by virtue of hi
strength-it would be a remarkabl
crowd In which Chanta Seechee Re-
cry inch of that from the ground up.
Lettis had come to bow down to hir
In alteration, with all an affectionat
boys worship. To those eyes Re
was just right in every particular
likewise to Miss Matte. who eve
now was filing her eyes with hir
from behind the vantage of broa
brimmed straw hat.
At Last the whole party disembarke
at the fat before the mill and mad
ready for the official starting of til
machinery. The big doors were throw
open, so that the company could Sc
within while resting outside in til
shade and under the cooling infiuenc
of what breeze there was. The mi
was officially started. Red climbe
the bank to the fiume and raised til
gate. The crowd cheered as the In
prisoned waters leaped to freedol
with hollow roar, raising In pitch g
the penstock filed and the wheels b.
gan to go round. Speech was Gale
for. and the vigorously protesting Re
was forced to the front by his formt
friends, Demilt and Lettis. Thus b
trayed by those he trusted, Red mad
the best of 1t.
Ladies and gentlemen, fellow cit
Zens," said he, 1.-The mill is now opC
to all corners. We hope to make tn
thing success. We hope to see ever
horny handed, hump backed farmer
the country rosin the soles of his mo
casins and shove his pillow throue
twice as much ground as he ever Ill
before and IL he comes here with h