Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1909-01-30


pompously toward the buggy. the
boys" in his triumphant wake.
We'll. Doc" said Riley with bolster.
Gus joyiality, what is it to-day-tea,
oats. or q clothes-wringer?
The doctor laughed Il guess it's
congratulations first. isn't it, Joe?"
"Pete's been leaking?" Riley play
fully slapped the mans shoulder.
There followed general exchange
of bantering plcasantries, then in
little drift of silence the doctor said
genially: $50 this legacy was in your
mind a week ago, Joe. when you
asked me to wait to settle that little
business affair of ours?"
Riley lifted one foot to the buggy
step and bent over to tie a dragging
shoe-string. Yes, Doc, l 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 / shall take your $500
and send her to the shore for as long
time as | can coax her to stay"
You amt a-frying your chicken be-
| fore you've catched it, be you, Doc?"
''I-dont 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 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"
so am L."
Norton's eyes blazed Joe Riley,
give you fair warning-I'll put up with
no nonsense! You'll pay me that $500
or III have the law on you!"
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.
Wen settle it without the law them"
The astonished Riley skunk back
| from Norton's threatening fist
You're making 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 Rileys 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 of
| Watson's-in the field the pillow 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 Mc.t-n had come into intimate
! zach with their lives and hearts, and
they championed him to a man.
Go it, Doc! Steady there! That's
the boy, Doc" were cries given in an
ascending scale of enthusiasm.
Riley's great bulk was now a wall
CT sef-delense, now a battering ram
Of danger against his foe. But Nor
toms staying power, his habit of ig-
noring fatigue, aches and pain in the
! performance of a physicians duties,
had stored the strength of resistance
! in every fiber Of his being while his
| alertness, both of mind and body.
gained in telling force when brought
into prolonged play with Riley's lum-
| boring clumslncss.
The blow upon Joe's left cheek no
! longer showed-his whole face was q
! purplish crimson, drops of sweat trick
ling from his forehead his breath
coming and going pantingly.
Come, Joe-give in" cried Norton.
Lots call it finish
"Never!" yelled back Riley.
With new squirt of fury the fight
continued.
Suddenly Joe staggered, threw up
his arms, Keeling to one side. On the
instant Norton dropped the attack,
standing off guard. In flash Joe
swung down his arms. gave lunge
forward, a devilish CLEAN in his cum
hing eyes.
moment more and Norton, tricked
second time, would have been
tripped up and thrown to the ground
but in that moment an intuitive sense
of danger made him spring aside be-
fore Riley's outstretched fingers could
snatch at his ankles.
Riley. clutching at the air, lost his
balance and pitched forward-as he
struggled TO regain HE footing hand
OF steel gripped tho back of his shirt
collar, a weight bore down upon his
shoulders, forcing him firmly to the
sidewalk, where he sprawled In the
, dust, Doc Norton's hold still on his
collar.
A shout arose from lusty threats,