The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-18
that. Folks shoot bear that are loaded

that. Folks shoot bear that are loaded
for bear"
you look ahere. Amos Hardin,
wunst What do you 'spose I seen this
morning? Heh?" The company gath
cred nearer. when 1 come over this
morning 1 went up clost, and, subj" his
voice breaking, there want no tarck
In h snow anywhere oun it-noth-
Already. All round the house that aw-
full black ring, but there hadn't been
no track"
liant been no track in there all
winter, yetst," spoke up a voice. They
all fell to work again in silence. There
was a look of horror on all faces.
Wonder If Al Farthing has saw
anything?" Lem Fisher was the first
to speak. Wonder what he thinks OF
this devlishness?"
BET you won't never know. Ars
the most closest-mouthed man ever
his own eyes already, he wouldn't say
a wore about it.. No. suh.'
Say. did yeh ever think there might
be something strange about tt?" Lem
Fisher half closed his eyes and looked
knowingly at the group.
Now, don't you go to hintin' about
AL. Don't you do 1t. He's square s q
die. Yessuh." Dan Tressler hustled In
stantly, as II the remark was a per-
sonal thrust. "Als a quare. man, and
h best friend ew-uns have got in this
valley still. Yessuh. He sayes as how
he'll pay 5 cents a bushel more for our
corr than the squire will, and he's go
ing to nave a big load of flour come
for 80 cents q barrel less than what
we-uns are a-paying. Yessuh. He sayes
1t is a mean shame the way Ira Harris
wick's been bleedin' us. He's been out
and saw things, AL has, and he knows
what prices is Already. Yessuh. I
invited him over to the butcherin' to-
day n he's coming until s."
"Youinwited him 2" They all straight
enc up and looked at the man.
"Yessuh. I did, doggedly. Its a
mean shame to leave him out every
time Jest because he amt relation and
HI squirrels kreiseled at him. l invited
him, and his boys too"
But you know Squire Hartswick-"
u don't care a chincapin. No sir.
There was a note of bravado in the
voice. 1t was the tone Of the mall boy
at monday Dragging about ghosts. III
Squire Hartswick don't like Al Earth
ing. I can't help 1T. AIS done the fair
thing by me, n I'm going to do it by
him wunst."
"Al may be all right, but 1T amt safts
in this valley to butt up against the
old squire. I'll tell yeh that. You'd
better go slow, Dan"
There's going to be a tarnation big
explosion in this here valley IL AL
EdIlllllS Keeps Oh. fulll tIldl GOWN IA
your awmnick already. There can't be
two kings in this Bottom still. You
mind waht ] tell yeh."
Dan started to retort. thought better
of it, and relapsed into silence.
Allen Farthing had moved into the
valley the preceding April, coming from
no one knew just where. He had
bought the old Heller farm from a real
estate agency in whose hands 1t had
been placed by Squire Hartswick, and
had started In with energy to bring up
the place from its forlorn condition. He
had found the fences fiat, the buildings
in a uinou state. and the land fast
running to cookie weed and bushes. In
old place into a fairly respectable way.
But the advent Of the new family had
troubled the valley. Allen Farthing
was a singularly silent man, and his
boys were like him. There was an ele-
ment Of mystery in h affair that was
maddening to the little community, ac-
customed as 1t was to know all the
minutest details Of neighbors' lives.
The F%arthings, in spite OF many sub
terfuges, and of sly traps set to learn
of their past, disclosed nothing. and the
whispers rapidly grew into open gossip.
Who were these people? Why had they
Why had they bought, of all places in
the world, the notorious Heller farm
that for years had kept q tenant only
for a few months at most? Why had
they not complained Of the ghostly
revels in the deserted cabin not q
quarter Of a mile away2 There was
something mysterious and even I'M
canny about these people.
Continued Mex. Weekl