The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-05-06

Whereupon he repaired, as fast as
ne could shuttle with his fore-and aft
burden of signs, to his favorite liquid
refectory, which was a very malo-
dorous cellar, lighted by three pre-
carious looking kerosene lamps scat
tered around on the tops Of the bar
rels that leaned against the moist,
clammy walls. Seven or eight more
or less visible pals of Dipper the
blinks sat up-they had been reclin-
ing on the sawdust-littered fioor-and
regarded the sandwich man curiously
when he swung in, his signs a-clatter.
Ing. Obviously the Blink had nailed
the price.
"Somethin' doin', Dip?" one of them
asked him, with much cordiality.
F'on answer Dipper the Blink threw
on his sign-sandwich, kicked the same
full of holes-to the intense astonish-
ment of his pals and the bull-necked
giant who presided over the barrel
splgots-and airily cast his twenty
dollar gold certificate at his feet-be-
Ing careful, however, to keep his right
loot elevated so that he could step
on the bill in case of necessity.
"All han's!" said Dupper the Blink.
husk1ly. I'm it. What, me woik wit
dat?"' casting an affectionate look at
the piece of currency reposing on the
sawdust. Hey, Butch" condescend-
1ngly addressing the low-browed bar.
rel-house proprietor, who grinned
amiably, if horrifically, behind the bar,
rels, push 'em out f'r de bunch, an
keep on a-pushin' 'em till flags youse.
De're all on me, tsee?"
The castaways gathered around Dip
per the Blink, knocked their filled pan
nikins against his musically, and drank
to his eternal damnation with the best
spirit In the world, at the same time
patting him upon the back and telling
him that he would "do," that he be-
longed to de stake Glass; that "he
knowed no t go de distance" and
that they always had him piped Fl
one O. de big winners Within some.
thing less than 20 minutes the Blink
was telling them the story of his life
with whistled variation; within an
hour he was radiantly, blissfully un.
conscious.
When he came to be was being
swiftly, but not gently, pushed up the
cellar stairs. A powerful knee was in
the small of his back, and two brawny
hands were at his coat collar. The
Blink was stretched out in the middle
Of the cobbled street before he was
able to achieve any continuity of
thought. Then it all came back to
him. He hastily searched his pockets
They were all empty.
Touched" he mused miserably, "an
after de way I blowed de bunch
touched" He picked himself up and
started down the cellar stairs. Fear
full of flying bungstarters, he did not
60 in, but paused at the threshold.
"Hey, Butch" he said plaintively to
the proprietor, whom he could not see
"w'ere's me cash? Gimme wot's lef o
me twenty an I'll"
"G'wan, ye mutt" came the harsh
tones of the barrel-house boss, "Twen
ny me eye! Youse guzzled dat all uI
wit de gang las night. Nottin' doin'
Went away quick, now, or I'll come
out dere an bite off wan O. youse's
fine"
"Hey, Butch" mournfully inquired
the Blink, after a pause, don't I gil
couple O. chasers t. clear me lid out
O. dat wad 1 blowed in?" He knew
that he had been robbed, but he didn't
dare complain.
"Git nottin'!" savagely replied the
barrel-house Boniface. "Youse'll gil
some dents in youse's shins if youse
don't went away right sudden. Git dc
price an youse'll git de booze. Niz
de price, nix de booze. OATS me- Drill
out, now!"
pipper the Blink sadly climbed the
cellar stairs. His head was bursting
His tongue ratified around in his mouth
like the clapper of a bell. But he was
sorer mentally than he was physically
"Me wit twenty on'y yistiddy aft
noon," he murmured, as he trudged
along, "an' dem porch-climbers gifts II
all! An, after de way l blowed 'em!
An de skate wouldn't han me out
wan or two t. fix me out, hey?"
1t was about seven o'clock, and the
morning was fine and clear. The Blink
plodded along, with his hands in his
pockets and his shoulders hunched for
ward, and wrath in his soul.
AS he passed a cheap little barber
shop, spry, middle-aged marketman
whom the Blink had often observed
presiding over his stand, emerged
whistling The Blink stopped and
looked the marketman over. The mar
ketman looked fresh and rosy. 1t was
obvious that the marketman had had
his breakfast, and that he had also
had good nights sleep. Revolt and
resentment swept the Blink all Of a
sudden. The thought Of the way he
had been imposed upon in the matter
of that twenty, the spry, cheerful ap
pearance of the 'marketman and the
BARRIERS powder on the marketmans s
round cheeks
Hang youse!" exclaimed Dipper the
Blink, suddenly shooting out his right
fist and catching the marketman with
a blow on the chin that felled him