Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-12-23

FrObishcr. should say"
IL gasped Boyd to the reporter.
NO. sir. Alton Clyde! He
was pretty laxative the night saw
him." Tho reporter laughed meaning
ly.
Drunk. do you mean?'
"Oh. not exactly drunk. but pretty
wet. He knew what he was saying.
however. Can't you give me some
thing more?''
Nothing" Boyd hurried to his hotel.
prey to mingled anger and contrition.
So Fraser had told the truth, after all.
and with kind of sullen loyalty had
chosen to remain under cloud himself
rather than inform on friend. 1t was
quite in keeping with the fellows pc
culiar temperament As 1t happened.
Boyd found the two men together and
lost no time in acquainting them with
his discovery.
1--WE come to apologize to you," he
said to Fraser. who grinned broadly
and was seized with sudden abash-
ment which stilled his tongue. Emer-
son turned to Clyde. "Why did you
permit me to do this injustice?"
81 didn't mean to give out any
secrets-l don't remember doing it,"
Alton apologized lamely. You know
I can't drink much. don't remember
a thing about 1t. honestly" Boyd re-
garded him coldly. but the young
mans penitence seemed so genuine, he
looked so weak. so pitifully incompe-
tent, that the other lacked heart to
chastise him. 1t requires resistance to
develop heat. and against the absence
of character 1t is impossible to create
any sort Of emotion.
when you got drunk that night you
not only worked great hardship on
all Of us. but afterward you allowed
me to misjudge very faithful man."
declared Boyd. "1f you can't keep a
close mouth and do as you are told
you'd better go back to Chicago"
Don't climb any higher" admon.
ished "Fingerless" Fraser. Hes all
fufYed up new. I'll lay you to he
don't make another break Of the kind"
"No: was so com-cussed-pletely
picked that forgot I even spoke
about the salmon canning business. I'll
break my corkscrew and seal my flask,
and from this moment until we come
out next fall the demon rum and are
divorced. Is that good news?"
Everything Is Joke to you, isn't
it?' said Boyd. III this trip doesn't
make a man of you. you'll never grow
up"
AS IL billiards conversion had mark
ed the turning point Of their luck, the
partners now entered upon period Of
almost uninterrupted success. Boyd
signed his charter. securing a tramp
steamer then discharging at Tacoma:
Bait closed his contracts for Chinese
labor, and the scattered carloads Of
material which had been lost en- route
or mysteriously laid out on sidings be-
gan to come in as II of their own &C.
cord
A brigade Of orientals and NINA
ture army Of fishermen had appeared
as IL by magic and were quartered in
the lower part of the city awaiting
shipment. At the dock one throbbing
April evening the Bedford Castle
berthed. ready to receive her cargo.
and the two men made their way to-
ward their hotel. weary. but glowing
with the grateful sense Of an arduous
duty well performed. The following
morning would find the wharf swarm
ing with stevedores and echoing to the
rattle Of trucks, the clank Of hoists
and the shrill whistles of the signal
men.
Looks like they couldn't stop us
now" said Bait.
1T does" agreed Emerson. I'VE
ought to clear in four days-that'll be
the 18TH"
ut smells like an early spring. too"
the fisherman observed. smiling the air.
eff it is we'll be in Kalvik the first
week in May"
I'm OF t. tell Cherry" said Boyd.
His course took him past billiards
bank, and when abreast of 1t he nearly
collided with I. man who came hurry
ing forth. In the well groomed. fiery
haired. plump figured man Emerson
recognized the manager of the North
American Packers association.
Good evening. Mr.. Marsh"
Marsh whirled about. "Eh? All!
Why, yes. it's Emerson"
Marsh informed Boyd Of the anger
of Mildred's father at his canning en-
terprise and also that Mildred and
MIR. Wayland were to visit Kalvik on
a yachting tour. Emerson was great
ly amazed at this Information: also he
realized that Marsh had arrived on
the spot because Hilliard had granted
his opponents their needed loan. The
men separated.
The next morning Bait rushed in on
Emerson with news that the laborers
loading the Bedford Castle had gone
on a strike because the captain, Peas
ley, rightly refused demand of $4,000
by the union.
Its Marsh again." said Big George.
Yes" Emerson answered.: Its a
holdup pure and simple" A look Of
intense anxiety came into his eyes.
When Boyd returned some two hours
later he found the dock deserted save
for Big George. who prowled watchful-
ly about the freight piles.
"Well, did you fix it up?" the fisher
man inquired.
NO." exclaimed Boyd Its rank
frame-up. and refused to be bled."
Good for you"
There are some things fellows
manhood won't stand for. I'll carry
that freight aboard with my own
hands before I'll be robbed by labor