The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-03
M-eets, orderly, but looking hard into

jhreeCS, OTQeCly, DUC looking uAEu luLV
peoples faces, mostly women's faces.
Oncet, Looey says. they was big trou-
BILE over it. They was in store in
good sized town, and he took hold Of
womans chin, tilted her face back
and looked at her hard and most scared
her to DEATH and they was nearly be-
ing riot there. And he was Jailed
and had to pay big fine. Since then
Looey always folders him around when
he Is that-a-way.
The next day he is asleep all morn
ing. But that day he don't drink any
more, and Looey says mebby it amt
going to be one Of the regular pifflicated
kind. I seen Martha agin that day.
too-twicet 1 has talks with her
told her about the doctor.
ais he into a quest, do you Think"
I asts her.
She says she thinks it is remorse fur
some crime be has done But I couldn't
fgger Doctor Kirby would Of done
none. SO that night after the show
says to him. innocent-like:
doctor Kirby. what is a quest" He
looks at me kind of queer.
"Wherefore." says he. this sudden
thirst for enlightenment?'
81 Jest ran acrost the word accident
al like" told him.
He looks at me awful hard. his eyes
jest natcherally digging into me.
felt like he knowed I had set out to
pump him. I visit I hadn't tried it.
Then he tells me a quest is hunt
And I'm glad that's over with. But it
amt, for purity soon he says:
Danny, did you ever hear Of Lady
Clara We're de Vere:"
mo" says "Who is she:"
"a lady friend of Lord Tennysons,'
he says. whose manners were above
reproach.'
Well | says. "she sounds kind O.
like medicine to me-
Lady Clara" he says, land al! the
other We're de Veres were people with
manners we should try to initiate. If
Lady Clara had been here last night
when was talking to myself, Danny
her manners wouldn't have let her lis
ten to what was talking about"
II didn't listen!' | says. Fur seen
what he was driving at now with them
; We're de Vercs. Purity soon he says.
! cheerful-like:
There was a girl talking to you to.
, day, Danny"
, "Mebby they was" says, land meb-
by they wasn't" But | felt my face
! getting red all the same and was mad
| because it did He grinned kind o ag-
: gervating at me and says some poetry
at me about in the spring young
mans frenzy likely turns to thoughts
! of love.
well" says. kind Of sheepish-
! like, this is summer time and purity
nigh autumn" Then l seen I'd jest
as good as owned up liked Martha
and was kind of mad at myself fur
that. But ! told him some more about
her too. Somehow jest couldn't help
it. He laughs at me and goes on into
the tent. ~---ss-~" I'm
laid there and looked at the fire
fur quite a spell outside the tent. !
was thinking. if all them tales wasn't
jest dern foolishness. how | wisht |
would really find dad that was a
high mucky muck and could come back
in an automobile and take her away.
l laid there fur long. long time. 1t
must of been fur couple of hours. |
supposed the doctor had went to sleep
But all Of sudden looks up, and
he is in the door of the tent staring at
me. seen be had been in there at it
hard agin and thinking quietlike all
this time. He stood there in the door
way of the tent. with the freight
on to bis face and his red beard and
his arms stretched out holding to the
canvas and looking at me strange and
wild. Then be moved his hand up
and down at me, and be says:
| IF she's fool enough to love you
treat her well-treat her we'll. For if
you don't you can never run away
: from the hell you'll carry in your owr
heart"
And he kind Of doubled up and pitch
ed forward when he said that. and if
I hadn't ketched him he would Of fell
right acrost the fire. He was plumb
pif1icated.