Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-09-17
CHAPTER II.

uaI s,und, saw a team of splendid coal
blacl. horses dash round a corn and
whill a strange vehicle to the door Of
the iLn.
TlIere were two extraordinary fig
ures on the front seat of the wagon.
The uriver was a sturdy, man
whoue enormous moustache suggested
q crow with outstretched wings. AS IL
to emphasize the ferociOus aspect lent
him by this hairy canopy which COM
pleteiy concealed his mouth, Nature
had duplicated 1T in miniature by
brows meeting above his nose and
spreading themselves, plume-like, over
a pair Of eyes which CLEANED so
brightly that they could be felt. al
though they were SO deep-set that they
could scarcely be seen.
Tnis fierce and buccaneerish person
summoned the doing hostler in a
coarse, imperative voice, fung him the
reiIDs. sprang from his seat, and assist
ed his companion to alight. She gave
him her hand with an air Of utter in
difference, bestowed upon him neither
smile nor thanks. and dropped to the
ground with q light fiutter like a bird.
Turning instantly toward the tavern.
she assembled the steps of the porch
under a fuslllade Of glances of aston
ishment and admiration. Young and
beautiful, dressed in a picturesque and
brilliant Spanish costume, she carried
herself with the ease and dignity of
a princess, and looked straight past
the staring crowd. Her great, dreamy
eyes did not seem to note them.
When she and her companion had
entered the hall and closed the door
behind them, every tilted chair came
down to the floor with q bang. and
many voices exclaimed In concert.
WHO is she?" Curiosity was satisfied
at s o'clock in the evening, for at that
hour Doctor Paracelsus Aesculapius,
as he Enthusiastically called himself,
opened the doors of his travelling
apothecary shop and exposed his uni
versal panecea" for sale, while at the
same time. "Pepeeta, the Queen of
Fortune Tellers," entered her booth and
spread out upon a table the parapher-
MALTA by which she undertook to dis
cover the secrets of the future.
When the evenings work was ended,
Pepeeta at once retired; but the doctor
entered the bar-room, followed by a
curious and admiring crowd. He was
in n happy and expansive frame of
mind. for he had done a land office"
- Aiiic Niiti ct 'ht'S'A
he was now for the first time visiting.
He looked over the crowd with an
inclusive superiority and waved his
HAND with an inclusive gesture. The
motley throng of ioafers sided up to
the bar with a deprecatory and auto
matte movement. They took their
glasses, clinked them, nodded to their
entertainer, muttered ~incoherent toasts
and drank his health. The delighted
landlord, feeling it incumbent upon
him to break the silence, offered the
friendly observation: "S-s-see you
s~-s-tutter. S-s%-stutter a little MN
my own self"
"Shake!" responded the doctor. who
was in too complacent a mood to take
o~ffense, and the worthless grasped
hands.
"TNOn't know any w-w-way to SIS
stop 1t, do your" asked the landlord.
mo, I d~-d-don't; t-t-tried every
thinN I've my universal p-p-pana-
cea' won't do 1t. and what that can't
do can't be d-d-done. Incurable did
diseTse. Get along all right when I go
slow like this; but When I open the
throttle. get all ~b-b-balled up. Bad
thinS for my business. Give any man
a thousand ~d-d-dollars that'n cure
me- The quack replied. slapping his
trousers pocket as If there were mil
ions in it.
"Co-co-couldn't go q-q-quite as high
as that; but wouldn't mind a hu-hu-
hundred" responded the landlord, cor
daily.
Tell you what 1t is, b-b-boys," said
the Quack, III 1t wasn't for this i'm
pediment in my s-s-speech, I wouldn't
need to work more'n about another
y-y-year!"
"How's that?" asked someone in the
crowd.
"C-c-cause il I could talk as we'll as
I c-c-can think, I could make a for
tune side Of which old John Jacob
Astor's would look like a p-p-penny
savings b-b-bank!"
you could?'
III I can find a mar that can do the
t-talking q mean real talk. you know:
talk a crowd blind as b-b-bats), I've
got something sbetter'n a California e
g-gold mine"
Better get Dave Corsoa," said the
crowd, and up went a wild shout of
laughter.
who's D-D-Dave Corson?" asked
the doctor.
"Quaker preacher. Young Teller
bout 90 years old"
Can he t-t-talk:?"
Talk! He kin talk a mule into a
trottin' boss in less'n three minutes"
Hes my mani" exclaimed the doc
tor, at which the crowd laughed again.
What are you laughing att" he
| asked. turning upon them savagely, his
| loud voice and threatening manner
| frightening those who stood nearest.
50 that they instinctively stepped back
a pace or two.
mo ofense, Doc" said one of them;
but you couldn't get him. He's pious."
''Pious! What do I carer"
We'll, these here pious Quakers are
stiff in their notions. But you kin jedge
fer yourself bout his talkin. fer there's
gofn' ter be an iappinted Quaker meet
In tomorrow night, and he'll speak.
You kin go an listen, If you want to-"
I'll be there, boys. and d-d-don't
you forget 1t. I'll hook hint! Never
saw anything I couldn't buy II I had a
little Of the p-p-proper stun about
me-"
II ", Doc, that daughter OF yours
knows her biz when It comes to telling
fortunes,"s ventured a young dandy.
whose head had been turned by Pc
p~eta's beauty.
.D-d-daughtsfs. snapped the quack.
turning sharply upon him: shes not
my daughter, she's my wtte!"