The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-21
STRANGER COMES
TO ARKANSAS CITY
Finds a Game at Old Man
Grccnlaw's and sits In
With a Partner.
PARTNER GETS THE MONEY
~ DAVID 4. CURTIS.

"A man what's bo'ned Of a woman is
full O. trouble an liable to fy up'ards
like sparks. as the Good Book says"
observed old man Greenlaw thought
fully. He was standing in the door
way Of his little saloon in Arkansas
City gazing out on a vast expanse of
water. for spring was approaching
and the Mississippi River was spread.
ing Itself over enormous areas In
various parts Of the valley and the
food was threatening to submerge
the little town.
Already the water had found its
way behind the levee. which still stood
like a dead sentry. upright but un-
conscious hat the enemy had found
the way into the citadel to guard
which he was stationed. There was no
longer the semblance OF streets and
the lower floors Of most of the houses
were inundated. Some few houses had
been swep. away. but others stood.
for the full force of the irresistible
torrent had not yet reached Arkansas
City. though terrible devastation was
reported In other places and SEEM
ingly threatened this also.
What sidewalks there were had dis
appeared with the streets. but heavy
timbers had been fastened here and
there more or less continuously. SO
that II vas possible IL one were agile
and careful 10 go from one to another
of the houses still in use. and UGH
business as there was in Arkansas
City had not Yet been seriously dis
turbcd.
Despite these conditions Arkansas
City remained uneNcited. The peril
was realized. but II being regularly
%recurrent the citizens had grown ac-
Customcd to it. and as the town had
never been totally destroyed they
seemed to rake IL for granted that IL
never would be. Nevertheless the
situation was inks me and the old man
objected TO Il.
The others in the saloon were pos
Ribly as discontcnted as he was, but
sllcy were les given To complaining.
ind his utteranCc < emed to offer them
7hc opportunity for a little harmless
amusement.
"Sho' il liable to fy up'ards,' said
Sam Pcarsall. The old woman an
me had a turriblc time gittin' the Chi
dren up in the garnet last night. |
reckoned one time what we'd all rave
70 Git out on the roof. but she amt
went no further yet. Mebbc we c'n
hold out in the garret till she's went
by There was no necessity To en-
plain to his hearers that she" meant
tho food.
I'm be doreoncd IL | en- see what
starls Il, got 90 1a with - lp rnp-
tinued. We II was all tol'able wet
when W went up'ards. an ! don't
call to mind what | ever seen no wet
sparks"
TIL mint no cal 10 TO talk wry-
bald. said the old man ~reprovinely.
"Some troubles is wet an sore m
'em IL dry. Mo n likely the dry
ones + them that's meant by sparks.
Hut even II tn amt no sense into II
bla sphcmious language won't never
git nobody u%"whsres."
who's blasphcmious?' demanded
Pcarsa,l. higaly indignant.
~ al! be laid the old man. "talk-
:u' chou; We SPARES. TN "Huf no
rcr'rencc "a 'om in tho Good Book
"Dtdn'' ,av thy was," protested
Pcarsll, angri.y. "Yu' lrurg the Good
BOOK int" it yo' own self. II any
hodv's hlIsphemiouH it, va all"
Sans right saId Jim BlaiSdell
before tho old man could reply To this
counter threat. We ms = got troubles
enough in n""d Time 'thou''n bc!n'
preached at"
"Wh"'s p~r.ocH,n'?' exclaimed tho
Old man. himself Indignant.
'No' al" said lax W''a'ur' t,m
.