Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-01-14

shoe-string. Yes, Doc, / had the leg.
acy in mind all right"
Norton's smile held the radiance of
sunshine after a storm. "The money
couldn't have come in more handy,
Joe. That little mother of mine is all
worn out. Now I shall take your $500
and send her to the shore for as long
a time as I can coax her to stay"
you amt a-frying your chicken be-
fore you've catched it, be you, Doc?"
T-don't quite-understand?" The
Doctors mind fumbled for the point
of humor In Joe's joke.
This here sleek, bobtailed fortune
amt no hack horse to haul a load of
debts. She's to be ridden for sport
see?"
Come, joe" said the doctor quiet,
ly, quit your fooling. I'm in dead
earnest"
$50 am II"
Norton's eyes blazed. "Joe Riley, !
give you fair warning-Il put up with
no nonsense! You'll pay me that 5000
or I'll have the law on you'll"
"And / the laugh on you, Doc Nor
toni" cried Joe, mimicking the doc,
tors tone. "Your bill was outlawed
yesterday had that in mind, too,
when / asked you to give me another
week."
For an instant the doctor sat mo-
~tionless, then he threw the lines out
of his hands and jumped from the
buggy. Dashing off his coat and toss
ing it on the sidewalk, he cried: "The
bills outlawed, is it? BY heaven,
we'll settle it without the law then!'
The astonished Riley skunk back
from Norton's threatening fist.
you're making a pretty good bluff,
Doc" he laughed derisively, "but it
don't cut any ice with me! You book
ish men amt got the ginger to fight,
and"
A blow from Norton's fist stung a
crimson trail down Riley's left cheek.
With a cry Of rage Joe sprang upon
his antagonist.
Out of hurrying clouds of dust up
and down the pike men came running
Something was doing in front O.
Watson's-in the field the plow was
left in the furrow; in the butcher
shop the cleaver flung down upon the
chopping-block!
There was no time for explanations
and the crowd was not one of fine dis
elimination, but for the past ten years
Doc Norton had come into intimate
touch with their lives and hearts, ant
they championed him to a man.
60 it, Doc! Steady there! That's
the boy, Doc!" were cries given in al
ascending scale of enthusiasm.
Riley's great bulk was now a wal
Of self-defense, now a battering ran
of danger against his foe. But Nor
toms staying power, his habit of ig
noring fatigue, aches and pain in tn,
performance of a physicians duties
had stored the strength of resistanc,
in every fiber of his being, while hi
a%lertness, both of mind and body
gained in telling force when brough
into prolonged play with Riley's lum
bering clumsiness.
The blow upon Joe's left cheek n
longer showed-his whole face was
purplish crimson, drops of sweat trick
ling from his forehead, his breatl
coming and going ~pantingly.
1
Come, Joe-give in" cried Norton
Lets call it a finish"
"Never!" yelled back Riley.
With a new squirt of fury the igh
continued.
Suddenly Joe staggered, threw II
his arms, Keeling to one side. On til
instant Norton dropped the attach
standing off guard. In a flash 10
swung down his arms, gave a lung
forward, a devilish CLEAN in his cur
ming eyes.
A moment more and Norton, tricke
a second time, would have bee
tripped up and thrown to the grount
but in that moment an intuitive sens
of danger made him spring aside b.
fore Riley's outstretched fingers coul
snatch at his ankles.
Riley, c~lutching at the air, lost hi
balance and pitched forward-as h
struggled to regain his footing a han
Of steel gripped the back Of his sh!,
collar, a weight bore down upon bi
shoulders, forcing him firmly to til
sidewalk, where he sprawled in tn
dust, Doc Norton's hold still on hi
collar.
A shout arose from lusty throat
and even Riley's cronies, who had s
recently drank his whisky, now joine
the crowd waving their hats when Jo
Riley whimpered: It'll SETTLE"
But the doctor was ~oblivious to til
ovation. One shining thought f1oode
his mind-that of his little mothe
her hand no longer hot and f1utterine
her face no longer haggard, nerv
strained, but her cheeks flushed wit
health; the sunlit sparkle Of the SC
in her tired, l~usterless eyes.
Coloring an Abysslnlan Bride.
Western brides have an easier tim
than their Abyssinian sisters. On ii