Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-08-08

don't blame no woman for old man
Redruth's abandonment of barber
shops and clean shirts"
Next in order came the passenger
who was nobody in particular. Name
less to us. he travels the road from
Paradise to Sunrise City.
But him you shall see. if the fire
light be not too dim, as he responds to
the judges call.
A lean form, in rusty brown cloth
ing, sitting like frog, his arms wrap
ped about his legs, his chin resting
upon his knees; smooth, oakum color
ed hair; long nose: mouth like a sa-
tyr's, with upturned, tobacco stained
corners; an eye like fish's; red
necktie, with a horseshoe pin. He
began with rasping chuckle that
gradually formed itself into words
Everybody wrong so far What-a
romance without any orange blossoms!
Ho, no! My money on the lad with
the butterfly tie and the certified
checks in his trouserings.
Take 'em. as they parted at the
gate? All right You never loved
me- says Redruth wildly, or you
wouldn't speak to a man who can buy
you the ice cream Il hate him. says
she. L loathe his side bar buggy; de-
spise the elegant cream bonbons he
sends me in gilt boxes covered with
real lace; l feel that l could stab him
to the heart when he presents me with
a solid medallion locket with tur-
quoises and pearls running in a vine
around the border Away with him!
IT'S only you l love- Back to the
coy corner" says Redruth. Was I
bound and lettered in East Aurora?
Get platonic, if you please. No jack
pots for mine. Go and hate your
friend some more For me the Nick
erson girl on Avenue B, and gum, and
a trolley ride
around that night comes John w.
Croesus. What! Tears" says he, ar
ranging his pearl pin. You have driv-
ell my lover. away says little Alice
sobbing. L hate the sight of you.
Marry me then says John w, light
ing perfecto. WHAT she cries
Indignantly. Marry you. Never she
says, until this blows over and [ can
do some shopping and you see about
the license. There's telephone next
door if you want to call up the county
clerk"
The narrator paused to give vent to
his cynical chuckle.
Did they marry?" he continued
did the duck swallow the June bug?
And then 1 take up the case of Old
Boy Redruth. There's where you are
all wrong again, according to my the
DRY. What turned him into hermit?
One says laZiness; one says remorse;
one says booze. l say women did it,
How old is the old man noW?" asked
the speaker, turning to Bildad Rose.
Il should say about sixty-ive."
"All right. He conducted his hermit
shop here for twenty years. Say he
was twenty-five when he took off his
hat at the gate. That leaves twenty
years for him to account for or else be
locked. Where did he spend that ten
y
up for bigamy. Say there was the fat
blond in Saint 10 and the panatella
brunette at Skillet Ridge and the gold
tooth down in the kaW valley. Red
ruth gets his cases mixed, and they
send him up the road. He gets out aft
er they are through with him and says:
ANY line foN me except the crinoline.
| The hermit trade is not overdone and
the stenogra piers never apply to 'em
for work. The jolly hermit's life for
! me. No more long hairs in the comb
or dill pickles lying around in the cigar
tray You tell me they pinched old
Redruth for the noodle villa Just be-
cause he said he was King Solomon.
Figs. He was Solomon. That's all of
mine. l guess it don't call for any ap-
| pies. Inclosed find stamps. 1t don't
| sound much like prize winner"
Respecting the structure laid by
| Judge Menefee against comments upon
| the stories. all were silent when the
| passenger who was nobody in partc-
ular had concluded. And then the in
| genious originator of the contest clear
ed his throat to begin the ultimate en-
try for the prize Though seated with
small comfort upon the floor you might
search in vain for any abatement Of
dignity in Judge Menefee. The now
diminishing freight played softly upon
his face, as clearly chiseled as a Ro-
man emperor's on some old coin, and
upon the thick waves of his honorable
gray hair.
"A womans heart" he began in even
but thrilling tones-"who can hope to
fathom it? The ways and desires of
men are various. | think that the
hearts of all women beat with the
same rhythm and to the same old tune
of love. Love to a woman means sac
rifice. If she be worthy of the name
no gold or rank will outweigh with her
a genuine devotion.
Gentlemen of the-er-I should say,
my friends-the case of Redruth YER
sus love and affection has been called.
Yet who is on trial? Not Redruth, for
he has been punished. Not those i'm