Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-03

(: By RIPLEY D. SAUNDERS /:
Copyright 1slI. BY the Bobbs-Nsr- 9
rill Company. .
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER VI.
The striekland Tucker psu6.
~ YALF an hour later 10 Colooel
Todhunter emerged from The
law once Of Judge Boiling be
heard q sudden hurrying Of
footsteps, and Sim Birdscns Joined
him. breathless and much pefturbed.
whats on your mind now, simE
asked tho colonel. "Tain't ortsn y00
20 saIlopin' aroun' with your tongue
hanRin' out o your mouth like Q younl
dog's in his drst rabbit chase. What's
the troublel"
II was jes' startin' out to look you
I'D, colonel" replied Sim. There's
trouble enough, sub. Tom Strckland's
got to drinkin' and picked q quarrel
with STAN Tucker In the hote, bar
room. and you better come quick. sub
and prevent It's bein' . mighty serious
difaculty."
II amt got no patience With you
young fellows here In Nineveh, Sim
Birdsong," commented the colonel.
When Tom Strickland gets two OF
three drinks under his belt and wants
to pick a fuss why don't soms Of you
turn In and HEX the stuhnn' out'n him
That's one Of the best cures for the
whisky quarrelin' habit that ever was
invented, sub"
The colonel chuckled as he spoke.
The most quarrelsome man in his
cups ever knew. Sim. was old Bob
Prewitt, in my regiment durin' the
late unpleasantness. and he WIS cured
Just that way. sub. Sam Fossbrooks
made a point Of campin' on Bob's trail
ever time Bob got to naggin' any o
the other fellows. and Sand thrash
Bob till his own mother wouldn't ha'
war was over I'll be double hamstrung
If Bob Prew;t: wasn't teetotaler. sub.
and he never got nRhtin' drunk after
the war neither till he'd put two whole
counties between him and Sam Foss-
brooke. Some Of you boys ought to try
that plan on Tom Strickland. Sim"
Colonel" answered Sim solemnly.
Its a sort O. curse on the stricklands.
that fierce temper O their'n when they
get under the influence OF Ticker. sub.
You mustn't forget that Toms own I'M
Gle killed bis best friend. Lawrence
Tolliver, durin' . spree and then drank
himself to death Afterwards tryin to
forget 1t, sub. It's curse. sub. that's
what 1t Isl"
ut Amt no curse that can't be lifted
easy as ratsin' your little finger. Sim
Birdsong." said the colonel. "All in
the world Tom Strickland's got to do
is to leave whisky alone-he amt q
hard drinker now. and maybe be never
will be. but he's got to leave It alone
altogether. 1t don't agree with him.
The Todhunters has got that same kind
OF curse in their family. only it's Gu
cumbers stead OF whisky. Th' amt
none OF US Todhunters can eat cucum-
bers without bein' doubled up with
cramp colo. Well, sub, lifted that
curse by cuttin' cucumbers out O. my
list of vittles same as II such thing
never growed, and Tom Strickland or
any ether man can do the same thing
with whisky. sub"
Then the colonel tapped Sim on the
shoulder "And let me tell you one
thing, my boy" he continued. 'All
this here talk about the turrible hard
fight necessary to break OF from bad
habit makes me tired. sub. A man
don't never have to fight but one days
fight at a time. and there's always a
nights rest comm In between II he
don't lay awake pityin' himself, sub.
know what I'm a-talkin' about. It
amt but twelve hours fight no time,
and a man who can't fight that long Is
a mighty measly specimen Of a man.
suh.'
That's all very well. colonel" spoke
Sim uneasily, but Tom has egged
STAN Tucker on till STAINS hurried out
O the barroom. white in the face, hol-
lerin' over his shoulder that he'll be
back in minute-and yo,. snow just
what that means, subj
Colonel Todhunter's face grew In.
stantly grave. Hes gone to get hts
shootin' iron-the id little fool!'
he exclaimed. "Tell me. Sim, is Tom
Strickland armed?"
II don't think he IL, sub, but he's
a-waitin' for STAN Tucker in that there
barroom, and he's just feelin' reckless
enough to give STAN every chance in
the world for shootin' him after he
himself picked the fuss and forced the
persona, difficulty. colonel"
you come along with me. SIM" said
the colonel why the blazes and Sam
Hill didn't You tell me all this at the
start. subj"
Swiftly they crossed the town
square and entered the barroom Of the
Nineveh hotel. Tom Strickland, alone
now but for tho bartender. stood with
one elbow resting on the bar.
"Howdy. colonelr' he cried. You
and Sim are just in time to join me in
a drink, sir. what'll you have?"
"Tom." replied the colonel. 'ordinari-
~ I'd be glad to accept your invita-
ton. but not today. my boy. I want
you to go home, Tom"
Young Strickland smiled. I'm sof.
~ to disoblige you. colonel" he re-
piled. "but I don't feel like going