Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-03-23

the door, ASKED, Gan come mi!
Sure. come in!' cried Polly, glad to
find any excuse to shake Off the de-
preston Of Echos dream.
"Howdy, Mrs. Payson? Just come
over to see Jack" was the Jolly sher-
ifs greeting.
He's down at the corral" she In
formed him.
Mrs. Allen hurried In from the kitch-
en- at this moment, calling: Echo,
come here an look at this here cake
1t looks as If it had been sot on"
Echo closed the lid Of the piano and
presence Of Slim Hoover.
How dye do. Slim Hoover? You
might have left some of that dust out
SIDE"
The sheriff was greatly embarrassed
by her Gliding. In his ride from
Florence to the Sweetwater the alkali
and sand stirred up by the hoofs Of
the horses had settled on his hat and
waistcoat SO freely that his clothing
had assumed a neutral gray tone,
above which his sun tanned face and
red hair doomed like the moon in
fog. Josephines scolding drove him
to brush his shoulders with his hat,
raising cloud of dust about his
head.
stop it!' Mrs. Allen shouted shrilly.
''Slim Hoover. If your brains was dy-
Mantle you couldn't blow the top OF
your head off,"
Polly was greatly amused by Sims
encounter with the clearly Mrs. Allen.
Slim stood with open mouth, watch
Ing Mrs. Allen founce out Of the room
after Echo, who was trying In vain
to suppress her laughter. Turning to
Polly, he said. "Ain't seen you In some
time"
Slim was thankful that the girl was
seated at the table with her back to
him, Somehow or other be found he
could speak to her more freely when
she was not looking at him.
"That's so?" she challenged. Come
to the birthday"
mot regular" he answered.
Polly glanced at him over her shout
der. The look was too much for Slim.
1 He turned away to hide his embarrass-
ment. Partly recovering from his
bashfulness. he coughed preparatory
to speaking. But Polly had vanished.
As one looks sheepishly for the ma
gician's disappearing coin, so Slim
gazed at floor and ceiling as If the girl
might pop up anywhere. Spying an
empty chair behind him, he sank into
1t gingerly and awkwardly.
Meantime Polly returned with q
broom and began. sweeping out the
evidences Of Slim's visit. She spoke
again.
Get them holdups yet that killed
Old Man Terrill?" she asked.
"Not yet. But we had new shootin'
over'n our town yesterday"
Slime was doing his best to make
conversation. Polly did not help him
out very freely.
! 'That SOP was her reply.
Spotted Taylor shot two China
men,"
Polly's curiosity was aroused.
"What for?" she asked, stopping her
sweeping for q moment.
Just to give the new graveyard a
start" Slim chuckled.
Polly Joined in his merriment.
Spotted Taylor was always public
spirited citizen" was her comment.
"He sure was" assented Slim.
get up there. want to sweep I'M
der that chair" Polly brushed Sims
feet with the broom vigorously. With
an elaborate Excuse me!' Slim arose.
but reseated himself in another chair
directly In the pathway of Polly's
broom.
"Get out of there, ! too" she cried.
"Shucks! There amt any room for
me nowhere" he muttered disgusted.
ly.
"You shouldn't take up so much of
It,"
Slim attempted to take a seat on the
small gilt chair which was Jacks
wedding present to Echo. Polly caught
sight OF him In time. Look out" she
shouted. THAT chair wasn't built for
a full grown man IKE you"
Slim neryously replaced the chair
before writing desk Polly welded
her broom about the feet of the sher-
ID, who danced clumsily about trying
to avoid her.
you're just tryin' to sweep me out
Of here" he complained.
"Well, IL you will bring dust in with
you. you must expect to be swept out"
Polly replied, with show of spirit
Polly was shaking the mat vigorous
ly at the door when Slim said:
II see they buried Poker Bill this
mornin'."
lis he deadi" It was the first Polly
had heard Of the passing away Of one
Of the Characters OF the territory. She
had expressed her surprise in the form
Of an interrogation, emphasizing the
"he," a colloquialism of the south.
west.
Slim, however, had chosen to ignore
the manner Of speech and, with q
grin, answered: "Ye-es. That's why
they buried him"
Polly laughed In spite Of herself.
what did he die OFT" she asked.
As Slim was about to take a drink
at the ola he failed to hear her.
"Eh?" he grunted.
What did he die OFT" she repeated.
Five aces" was the sober reply Of
the sheriff before he drained the gourd.
Polly put the broom back of the door
and was .rearranging the articles on
the table before Slim could muster up
enough courage to speak on the topic