The Detroit times., 1913-06-02


& His n the world-old cry against
keho new" murmured the Judge In the
y oolonsl's ear with q wise shake OF the
< head.
They say the governments stopped
work on the national roads," cried
Mr.. Bartlett more In sorrow than In
anger. And the canals Is done for,
TOO! Well, there's plenty OF sense In
= canal, for Its natural to ride on the
water. and amt opposed to anything
that's natural, but I'm again all fooi-
ishness."
An old man. bent and withered, and
leaning heavily on a cane, pushed ms
eager way into the center OF the little
group.
why, Mr. Randall, what are you
doing here?" said the stage driver. /
reckon you don't take much stock IN
J. this foolishness? You've heard heap
too much nonsense talked In your
time TO be fooled now
The old man shot him shrewd
glance out of his beady black eyes.
ITS fat Jim Bartlett" he said In a
4 shrill cracked treble. Fat Jim Bart
lett, who's seeing the last Of his easy
hoss-driving Job"
Don't you believe It. pap" said
\ the stage driver good-naturedly. the
old man raped on the new station
platform with his heavy thorn walk
ing stick.
"Why amt there more doing,
iedge?" he said. You should ha' seen
ia here when the fust stage coach
!. come through from clean acrost the
mountings'
DO you remember that" asked
Colonel Sharp interestedly
do | remember 1t. I've seen this
here country grow outen the timber.
Il was rolling green for two hundred
\ miles. smooth and round as duck $
n breast. when | crost the mountaings;
4 not q clearing. not road, not
4 house. | seen the fust booted foot
that was put onto the trace; the rust
shod hoOf; seen the fust grist or
corn that was ground on the Little
\ Wolf: / seen the fust barrel OF whis-
Nv that was run outen a still: seen
\ the fust fat-bottomed boat that was
poled up from the Ohio; | seen the
fust wheeled cart that General Lam
dray fetched in from Virginia, when
he come with his niggers; and ] seen
the fust stage coach, and rid In 1t. too.
long enough afore your time. fat Jim
/. BARTLETT That's enough TO crowd
/ into one life time. amt IT."
"You seen q plenty when you seen
I the stage. pap said Mr.. Bartlett. tol.
\ eruntly. II believe In letting good
\ enough alone. do. The world got on
pretty tolerable well for many year
I without none OF these here railroads."
But the stage driver had the argu-
ment to himself; the Judge and Ben
oon and their friends were entering
i the coach, and they had taken old Pap
:. Randall with them. And then pres
entity the miracle of steam and iron
\ rumbled OF down the track TO cross
the new railroad bridge which span
ned the Little Wolf River not two
\ hundred yards distant from where the
old covered bridge stood. stained and
weather-beaten. with here and there
~ board missing.
The river rippled beneath the
\ bridges. the old and the new. where II
4 had once swept In silent volume.
y ooundless and deep. From the bank
above, the big warehouses cast long
black shadows.
The day Of nat boats had come and
gone; the river. with It's failing fiow
z and the sand.bars that chOked Its
\ channel, had been the first means OF
/, pioreer trade and now the stage road /
u wa doomed too, this new marvel had
come to usurp It's use. to take Its
4 place. It's trade, its life: the life OF
cross-road shops, and stores, and tav-
ems. II would soon be shorn OF Its
4 dignity, its trafIic of herds and focks,
& and heavy merchandise. the hurry and
hustle of It's flying mail stages; to be
left q thing disused. q mere country
& highway, the relic Of day OF lesser
needs and smaller activities. Two
\. wizards Of wire. hung on poles. follow
"a the course OF the railroad and on |
these the wind played a dirge.
i II was midnight when their little |
\ journey by rail ended: and Judge |
Brady attached himself to Benson as
the party separated. The night was
cold and raw, and the two men walk.
Cd rapidly up the street. They came to
n the judges boarding house. and Ben |
ron paused.
Goodnight. Judge" he saio.
The Judge was searching his peck
ots one after another. II seem TO
have lost my key. This thing OF
( boarding Is great mistake. Every |
i man should have wife to let him In
\ when be stays out late"
See II you can make some one hear:
Il you can't, you'd better come with
me- said Benson.
The Judge mounted the steps and
began to pound vigorously on the
\ door. He continued this for q minute
or two. pausing at intervals to listen.
"Oh, come along.' cried Benson i'm
patiently.
The Judge abandoned the attempt.
Y however, with some reluctance, but he
srejolned Benson after delivering
anal kick to the door
Il Ike" said he, adjusting himself
( 70 . new and q pleasant train OF
B thought as they moved away. Il like
- hot whisky when come In late: it's
< boon one Of the little Injuries have
carried into my lonely state
You shall have your hot whisky,
4 Judge" said Benson.
MY dear Jake, you must not let me
put you 70 any trouble: for know
VI that admirably conducted an your
house n, you rather ignore,the liquids.
10 n hot whisky makes too great
/ demand, I'd suggest thatt just plain
Whiskey In preferable to sno whisky
ot ALL When man Is on the wrong
,oldo Of ffty. his little nipsA do him a
world Of good
They had reached their, destination.
nn4 Benson unlocked his once door
- ".