Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-02

now" he answered a. he offered her
his box with . smile.
Are you taking your hat on for me
in the rain? Put 1t on again!" she In.
sisted with little tone Of command,
and che was conscious Of qualification
when he obeyed amiahly.
n won't take your box unless you
can md another!" she said. "Oh, you
have anotherl / came out to tell you
what a dreadful man thought you
were, and to apologize"
Never mind apologising. Lots OF
people think worse than that Of me
and don't apologize. I'm sorry I have
no shelter to otter you, except to cit
on this side and take the rain"
why should you take the rain tor
met"
You are . woman" -
But = stranger to you =
"Only in way"
Dicksie gazed for q moment at the
fire. "You won't think me abrupt, will
you?" she said, turning to him, "but,
as truly as I live, cannot account for
you. Mr.. Smith. gxess at the ranch
we don't know what goes on in the
world. Everything I see of you con-
tradicts everything have heard Of
you"
"You haven't seen much Of me yet,
you know, and you may have heard
much better accounts of me than
deserve. Still, it isn't surprising you
can't account for me: in fact, it would
be surprising il you could. Nobody
pretends to do that. You must not be
shocked II can't even account for
myself. Do you know what derelict
is? A ship that has been abandoned
but never wholly sinks"
please don't make fun of me! How
did you happen to come into the
mountains7 I do want to understand
things better"
why. you are in real earnest,
aren't you? But I am not making fun
OF you. Do you know President Bucks!
No? Too bad! He's very handsome
old bachelor. And he is one of those
men who get all sorts of men to do
all sorts of things for them. You
know, building and operating railroads
In this part Of the country is no Joke.
The mountains are filled with men
that don't care for God, man, or the
devil. Sometimes they furnish their
own ammunition to fight with and
don't bother the railroad for years; at
such times the railroad leaves them
alone. For my part, never quarrel
with man that doesn't quarrel with
the road. Then comes time when
they get after us, shooting our men or
robbing our agents or stopping our
trains. OF course we have to get
busy then. A few years ago they wor-
ried Bucks till they nearly turned hia
hair eray. At that unfortunate time
happened into his office with a letter
of Introduction from his closest Chi
caso friend. Willis Howard. prince Of
good men, the man that made the
Palmer house famous-yes. Now
had come out here. Miss Dunhing-l
almost said Miss Dicksie, because
hear It SO much"
Il should be greatly set up to hear
you call me Dicksie. And have won.
dered q thousand times about your
name. Dare ask-why do they call
you Whispering Smith? You don't
whisper"
He laughed with abundance Of good
humor. "That Is q ridiculous accident,
and Il all came about when lived In
Chicago. Do you know anything about
the Internal climate there? Well, II
Chicago used to lose my voice when
ever caught cold-sometimes fol
weeks together. So they began call.
ing me Whispering Smith, and I've
never been able to shake the name.
Odd. isn't It? But came out to go
into the real estate business. I was
looking for some gold-bearing farm
lands where could raise quartz. don't
you know, and such things-yes.
don't mind telling you this, though
wouldn't tell it to everybody"
Certainly not" assented Dicksie,
drawing her skirt around to sit in
closer confidence.
Il wanted to get rich quick" muir.
INJURED Whispering Smith. cont
dentially.
Almost criminal, wasn't it,"
II wanted to have evening clothes.s
Eyes"
"And for once In my life two pairs
OF suspenders-a modest ambition, but
gnawing one. Would you believe It?
Before left Bucks office he had hired
me for railroad man. When he asked
me what could do, and admitted a
little experience in handling real es.
tate, he brought his fist down on the
table and swore should be his right
of-way man."
GLOW about the mining?'
Whispering Smith waved his hand
In something of the proud manner In
which Bucks could wave his presi.
Dental hand. "My business, Bucks
said, need not interfere with that. not
in the least: he said that could do
all the mining l wanted to, and l
have done all the mining I wanted to.
But here is the singular thing that
happened: opened up my Office and
had nothing to do; they didn't seem to
want any right Of way just then. l
kept getting my check every month,
and wasn't doing a hands turn but rid
Ing over the country and shooting
jack-rabbits. But. Lord, love this
country! Did you know I used to be
a cowboy in the mountains years ago?
Indeed I did. know 1t almost as we'll
as you do. mined more or less in
the meantime. Occasionally would
go to Bucks-you say you don't know
him H-tno hadt-aoA %o,i hluo .o.S,s