Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-01-03
H ARpsR & seornER,

shortly before noon. in the course OF
bis dissatisfied lneanderings. he found
his friend iE the office. lost in somber
thought. 1t was the first time in many
weeks that he had seen this mOoG in
Boyd. and after frlitless effort to
make him talk he fell into his old
habit Of imaginary reading. dron:ac
away to himself as if from II printed
page:
"'Your stay among us has not been
very pleasant has it| Mr. Emerson
inquired.
"'Not so that you could notice it,
replied our hero. ! don't like fish, and
! never did,
"'That is the result of prejudice;
the fish is a noble ANIMAL Mr.. Emer-
son declared.
"'He's not an animal at ALL our hero
gently corrected. He's biped-a reg.
ular wild biped. without either love of
home or affection for his children. The
salmon is of a low order Of Intelligence
roof. No person with retreating fore
head like that knows very much. The
only other member Of the animal king.
dom that Is as foolish as the salmon is
Alton Clyde. The fish has got shade
the best Of 1t over him. but as for
friendship and the gentler emotions
why. the salmon hasn't got them ut
ALL The only thing he's got Is million
eggs and a sense Of direction. If he
had a spark Of Intelligence he'd lay
one egg a year, like hen, and thus
live for million years. But does
he? Not on your Sarony! He's
spendthrift and turns his eggs loose
hatful at time. He's worse than
shotgun. And then. too. he's as clan.
nish as a Harvard graduate and don't
associate with nobody out of his own
set. No, sir: Give me a warm blooded
animal that suckles its young. I'll take
farmer every time
These are points I had never con-
sidered' said MIR. Emerson. but every
business has it's drawbacks. you'll
agree. IL l have failed as host. what
can do to entertain you while you
grace our:midst?'
"'You can do most anything re-
marked his handsome companion.
You can climb a tree or do anything
except fish all the time
"'But 1t is dark night without. and
! fear some mischief Is afoot'
True! But yonder beautcheous
ger"-
Reused by the familiarity of these
lines. Emerson looked up from his pre-
and smiled at Fraser's ser-
Gus pantomime.
what about that 'beautcheous gel
and the mischief that Is afoot?"
"Oh. heard all about your trouble.
! just left the pesthouse."
1.-THE what?"
1.-THE pesthouse-Clyde's Joint. Amt
he calamity?'
"In what way?'
"Well. like silence and quietude
! m fool about my quiet, but Clyde
He paused as If in search for suit
able expression. well. whenever |
Try to say anything he interrupts me-"
After another pause he went on: "He's
dead sore on this place. too. and
whines around like a litter Of pups. He
says he was misled into coming up
here and has bunch he's going to
ose his bank roll"
Last nights episode frightened him.
dare say"
"Yes. Ever since he got that wallop
IN the burr in Seattle guinea pig
'ould lick him hand to hand You'd
blink that ten thou he put up was all
he wealth Of the mixers"
1.-THE wealth of whatT'
mixers! That's a tribe Of rich Mex.
cans. However. suppose I'd hang
o my coin the same way he does II l
lad a mayonnaise head like his. He's
n awful shine as Il business man."
$50 he's homesick. eh?'
"Sure! offered to sell me his stock"
fraser threw back his head and gave
:ent to one Of his rare laughs "Ain't
hat raveY'
Here he comes now" Boyd an.
with a glance out the win.
low. and the next instant Alton Clyde
inferred. a picture Of detection.
Gee! This is fierce. isn't :t?'' the
lubman began. finging himself into
he nearest chair. "'rhey tell rue it's
II of finally. What are you going
o doT'
Put up what fish can with a short
rev." said Boyd.
We'll lose lot of money"
Probably"
Clyde's tone was querulous as he
ontinued:
I'm sorry ever went into this
hing. You bet If had known az
much in Chicago as | know now |
7ould have hung on to my money and
tayed at home"
You knew as much as we did,
lloyd declared curtly.
"Oh. it's all right for you to talk.
'ou haven't riskcd any coin In the
cal. but I'm a rotten business man.
nd I'll never make my ante back
gain If l lose it,
Don't whine about it, said Boyd
tittly. "You can at least be game
nd lose like man"
"'rhen we are going to lose. eh?'
ueried Clyde In scared voice. II
bought maybe you had a plan. Look
ere" he began an instant later,
Cherry pulled us out once before
Why don't you let her see what she
an do with Marsh?"
Boyd scanned the speakers face
arply before speaking.
what do you mean by that?''