River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-03

| where they had confronted each other
few days before in a keen moral
| struggle?
I'm going out myself today, so
We'll have to hurry Bit" was Broth
erson's first remark as they seated
themselves at table do you like your
coffee plain or with milk in it?"
plain. Gosh! what pictures!
Where do you get 'em? You must
have lot of coin" Sweetwater was
staring at the row of photographs,
mostly of a very high order. tackled
along the wall separating the two
rooms They were unframed, but they
were mostly copies of great pictures,
and the effect was rather imposing in
contrast to the shabby furniture and
| the otherwise homely fittings.
Eyes, I've enough for that kind of
thing" was his hosts reply. But the
tone was reserved, and Sweetwater
did not presume again along this line.
Instead, he looked we'll at the books
piled upon the shelves under these
photographs, and wondered aloud at
their number and at the man who
| could waste such lot of time in read
| ing them. But he made no more d.
rect remarks.
Yet there was one cheerful moment
It was when he noticed the careless
way in which those books were ar
ranged upon their shelves An idea
had come to him. He hid his relief
in his cup, as he drained the last
drops of the coffee, which really
tasted better than he expected
When he returned from work that
afternoon it was with an auger under
his coat and a conviction which led
him to empty out the contents of. a
small phial which he took down from
a shelf. He had told Mr.. Gryce that
he was eager for the business because
of it's difficulties, but that was when
he was feeling fine and up 10 any
game which might come his way. Now
he felt weak and easily discouraged.
This would not do He u,S4st regain
his health ct all ha ASS, so he poured
out the mixture WI ich had given him
such a sickly air. This done and a
rude supper eaten, he took UP his
auger He had heard Mr.. Brother
sons step go by But next minute
| he laid it down again in great haste
and flung a newspaper over it, Mr..
Brotherson was coming back, had
stopped at his door, had knocked and
must be let in.
You're better this evening" he
heard in those kindly tones which so
confused and irritated him.
eyes," was the suriy admission.
Then Mr.. Brotherson passed on, and
Sweetwater listened till he was sure
that his too attentive neighbor had
really gone down the three flights
between him and the street. Then he
took up his auger again and shut
himself up in his closet.
There was nothing peculiar about
| this closet. 1t was just an ordinary
one with drawers and shelves on one
side, and an open space on the other
for the hanging UP of clothes. Very
few clothes hung there at present;
but it was in this portion of the closet
that he stopped and began to try the
wall of Brotherson's room, with the
butt end of the tool he carried.
The sound seemed to satisfy him,
for very soon he was boring a hole
at point exactly level with his ear.
Neat as well as useful" was the
gay comment with which Sweetwater
surveyed his work, then laid his ear
to the hole. Whereas previously he
could barely hear tie rafting of Goals
from the coal-scuttle. lie was now able