The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-03-06
Old Man
HOrnbeck's
Conversion
BY c, E. C. PEABODY
Copyright. BY shortstory Pub. Co.)

Copyright, BY shortstory Pub. Cob
It was in the spring OF the year, and
the wild flowers were running riot
over the mesas as only the wild flow
ers Of California can when once coaxed
out by the warm spring rains. The
wash. usually nothing but a sinuous
streak of cleaning sand and rocky
powders, vas now raised. by the melt
ing SHOWS in the mountains, to the dig
nifty of a turbulent river. Hobbling
along the road like a gigantic grass
hopper with the rheumatism came
Seth Lane. a moving blot upon a
peaceful landscape.
Bin rollin' in the mud" said old
Seth as, mud-encased, he paused be-
fore WEIGH and alphabetically mopped
his leathery face with a piecs of -four
sacking which. owing to the old mans
rigid se,ifs of economy, did duty for a
handkerchief.
so see" said Welch, severely. 1T
would seem to ME hat an old mar
like"
Bin biddin' old man Hornbeck good
by interrupted Lane, blandly. He's
bin Twin down there by the bend near
the wash"
"on the claylands?" asked WEIGH.
a~bsently.
Yes, on them claylands," chuckled
the old man. HE kim up here about
four months ago from the Downey
country, where he had been raisin'
hogs an alfalfa, an dom we'll, too.
But he thought he wasn't maxim
money fast enough, so he kim up here
In the citrus belt, where he could git
rich in a hurry. | rather liked Horn.
beck when he first kim here. cause he
was so straightforward an honest.
Why, he is the only man I ever trusted
In my life to buy my terbacker. There
kim a time, however, when | had my
faith somewhat shattered in him. But
here | am tryin' to husk my pun'kins
when | amt even planted the seed
yet; so I'll git back where the trail
starts. an commence right!
you see, Hornbeck, he kim up here
lookin' for an orange ranch an Newly
got hold of him. An when Newly gifts
hold of a nan you kin bet that some
body is gittin' experience an that Il
amt Newly. When that man Newby
comes around me walkin' on his toes
like a cat, an smellin' of hair oil an
~cussedness, | always feel like holdin
my nose an yellin' ~'polecatl' He was
an undertaken before the boom struck
the country, an then he went into the
real estate business, jes' like every.
body else did. But like everybody else
he didn't git ashamed of it an quit
when the boom busted, but hung on
Ike the toothache when you are 40
miles from a jawsmith! An when the
little church, that you kin see down
there by them blue gums, got so poor
that they couldn't afford to hire a
preacher. Newly volunteered to All
the pulpit for what he could find on
the plate. That wasn't much, but II
gave him a certain genteel standin'
an that was what he was after.
We'll. Newly nosed out Hornbecs
Just like a dog does a rat, an the mex
thing | heard was that he had sold
Hornbeck his ten-acre ranch down
near the wash for $1,000, which was
highway robbery. Hornbeck hadn't
been here long before he commenced
to look thoughtful, as II he was dom
a heap of thinkin', an ! saw right
away that he had something on his
mind. had a pretty good idea wha'
It was, too, for he wasn't the first mar
to e a great light In this settlement
Seth said he one day to me
Is that man Newly honest?'
We'll said |. 4 saw Newby's
grandmother yesterday an she still
had her false teetthl But then she
knew Newly before she had any use
for false teeth, an | suppose she
knows enough now TO keep her mouth
shut when Newly is around. II Il
wasn't for that, I'm bettin' that Newly
would have them teeth
81 asked him. said Hornbeck, with
risin' indignation, IL them orange trees
was all navels! an he said they was.
$50 they be-. said /. with a chuckle
but did Newly say anything abou.
them bein' Australians trimmed In t
look ike the Washington navel?'
AN | asked him If the water RICH.
was a good one!' shouted Hornbeck
an he said that 1t was just as gooC
a right as my neighbor had. and tia.
he raised ducksl'
$50 he does said /, but did New
by say anything about them ducks be
in Pekins, what git along better with
out water?'
"'Seth,' said he, kinder solemn-like
'aii the money that l have is in thii
ranch. an l can't afford to lose It,
q Hornbeck, says /, you're stuck
an there amt no use denyin' It
Everybody around here knows It 5u
you. an it was time that you wa
graspin' the situationl Newly has BIZ
tryin' to unload that claybank on som,
one for the last ten years. Now Their
amt but one thing for you to do. Yol
can't expect to stay on this rancl
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