The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-10

b'sit1 tsS SaA tiiN wen '''S $780,
its hot slanting rays into Jasper Thur
| goods sitting rooui. The lilies were
buzzing round the head of the farmer
who sat by the window staring between
the leaves and flowers of his plants
at the little gate of the fence, as III
he was expecting some one.
He had already reached middle liIe'
but looked considerably older. His
eyes We're sunk deep and wrinkles
scanned his face. His wife. who was
working by the table, did not seem TO
have her mind wholly on her task, FOR
whenever Jaspar made the slightest
movement she glanced to the door as
If she. too, were expecting some one.
Suddenly Ludovie Bartram. the mes
senge. for the circuit judge. entered
and shook hands With the couple. rms
guest. whose visit seemed TO AFFORD
neither pleasure nor surprise. sat down
at the table, and after a short silence,
lighted his pipe. He finally remarked
that is was really far too hot for .
o'clock in the afternoon.
Gradually the conversation grew
more fluent; they discussed he state
of the crops. the far eastern war, and
latterly, the charges at the sitting OF
the assizes on the morrow. Then Bar
train bad reached the point at which
he was aiming. Rising deliberately, he
went to the fireplace. knocked the ashes
from his pipe, and remarked as If cas-
ually:
by the way, you are summoned
there"
~ To the court. by whom"'
by Anthony Simons, your neighbor."
HIM! What is he after? Is it
about h beating l gave him?"
Not at all. He must put up with
that. 1t S about the affair of Ress. you
know"
Well, what's that to me?'
Il don't know. Come tomorrow II
you'll find out"
The messenger uttered a sigh of re-
lief, laid down the summons paper, rose
and took his leave. A painful silence
ensued.
Well, what do you mean to do, Jas
per-" asked his wife finally. There
We're no witnesses"
No, there are no witnesses against
me-: but, whatever they do with me
I'll tell them the whole story of Door
Bess."
Jasper rose th%oughtfully and went
out. Until late in the evening he wan
dered restlessly over the pastures of
his little farm.
How well he recollected the day m
thony Simons opened his shop in the
village. Everything that was previous
ly brought from the city could now be
bought at Simon's. How humble and
cringing the fellow had been then; how
we'll he understood how to ingratiate
himself with every one. Simons had
been everybody's humble servant,
doubling up like a pocket knife in his
obsequiousness. He had treated his
customers to tobacco and gifts, prom
Used them unlimited credit. and thereby
Won their hearts and patronage.
You haven't any money? No mat
ter, you can easily pay again."
If anybody needed a loan. who but
Simons lac the money? True. he asked
the money. no matter what the inter-
est? But when four years had passed
Simons. from being everybody's ser
want, had become everybody's master.
Now he carried his back as stiff as a
poker; now he used a very different
tone.
If anybody had cause to suffer from
this neighbor, it was Jasper Thurgood.
Their farms adjoined and he knew bet
ter than anyone what it mea to be
debtor. 1t seemed as though the flesh
We're being knawed from his body and
the marrow from his bones. He owed
Simons the enormous sum of $1,000.
and the latter had obtained a decree
against him for the immediate payment
of the full amount. How he could pos
sibly meet the debt Jasper little knew.
But in the hour of his sorest need,
help came. And the deliverer was poor
Bess-the animal that was all the world
to him. Bess had reached her sixth
year at Christmas.
Her black coat shone like silk. What
a tail, what a name she had? Her
hoofs We're like steel, her eye like
sparkling diamonds. She not only saw
in the distance. but in the mists, in the
drifting snow and in the dark. But of
even greater worth was her strength
and beauty, her noble nature. She was
insult that drove her nearly frantic.
And what a grateful heart she had!
How h would rub her velvety nozzle
on Jasper's arm when he offered her
oats or a bit of sugar! Had anybody
ever seen Bess shy? Had she aver
stumbled? No. Her equal
could not be found in the country.
The day after judgment for the debt
had been obtained against him Jasper
harnessed Bess into a light wagon and
set off for town, there to consult a
lawyer of repute. He could not believe
that Simon had written things down
correctly. His poor little purchases
flour, coffee, sugar and tobacco-could
never amount to so large a sum. Some
"~o NAOASS Ia akAlCIC was 81.
mons usurious interest too!
How wildly he remembered that
journey 1t was a clear, cold day in
January. The snow lay on the fields
and meadows as smooth and level as
the surface of a lake. He had almost
reached the town outskirts when he
heard someone calling and shouting,
Taking the pipe out IF his mouth he
looked behind him in the direction Of
the sound. A nan in a lofty racing gig
was following at full gallop. Jasper
stopped, and the traveller, a short. stout
man, driving a mouse colored horse.
soon reached him. "
Good morning, sir. That's a FLYER
you have!" the stranger exclaimed
eagerly. "To tell the truth, I have been
driving behind you for at least a mile
without being able to overtake YOU.
she?"
The stranger left his gig as he spoke
to examine Bess more closely, JASPER
pleased and proud. answered to the best
OF his ability, and praised the beast
to the newcomer. who seemed to be de-
lighted with her.
Well. of course. you'll come to the
trotting races on Thursday. AS the
nurr0S. re ~, n ,,S..n