Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-04-26
THE new
CLARION
BY...
WILL N.
HAIR BEN
Copyright. 1914. by Harper e
Rrothers
CHAPTER ",
The Die Is Cast,

The Die Is Cast.
HNEE returned to his chair He
tilted it back Oh its two rear
IN legs and chewed his quid. 1T
- is Il big price" he said. You
need new presses OF up to date make
an more type an fixtures generally.
It would take another thousand to put
1t in runnin' order. Say. Hilhouse.
thar amt no use beatin' the devil
around a bush till it is plumb dug up
by the roots. don't tell all my bust
ness to anybody, but I've had a notion
o buyin' paper myself"
You have?' The editor was gen.
timely surprised.
Yes, an, While I can't be positive,
want to know here now, man to man
no woman to be conSulted-ef III
plank down $1,000 in cold cash by 3
O'Clock today may have the plant?'
Hillhouse flushed with eagerness,
and then his face became rigid, his
lips shook.
X was wondering what my wife,
Hold! Hold!' Abner rose and
turned toward the door. We've talk
ed enough about women for one day
I amt maxim no proposition to no
woman nor to no man tied to ones
apron strings or corset laces nuther,
house, man to man. whether 1t is a
deal or not"
Hillhouse was quite pale by this
time. He walked to a window and
looked out on the street. Abner from
the corner of watchful eye saw his
shoulders rise convulsively. The next
moment the editor faced him.
"Ill take you up" he said grimly.
I'll give you till o'clock to close the
thing. I'm going to Augusta. She can
stay here If she wants to. but I'm 60
ing"
That's the talk"' Abner shook
hands with him. ~ wouldn't buy you
out eff it wasn't for yore good an bern
too. Let me have pen and a sheet O
paper. will your
Hillhouse got the things, and Abner
moved his chair to table and wrote.
his hand cramped, his eyes close to the
writing. He dipped his pen often, now
and then driving the sharp point into
the unglazed paper. Suddenly he look
ed up and smiled sheepishly. I'm
purity fair speller. I used to git to the
head O. the class nine times out o ten
at spellin' bee an stay thar. to boot,
but thar was one word that l never
could tell whether it was spelt with ie'
or 'el-the word Is 'received'"
Hillhouse, who was quite nervous and
excited, told him the correct form and
Abner finished writing He went to
the stove, pulled out the drawer below
the CRATE and slfted handful OF ashes
over the wet ink. and then, shaking the
paper we'll. he extended it to the edi-
tor, and as he did so be took out a
long leather pocketbook and extracted
a ten dollar bill. which he laid on the
table. Hillhouse glanced at the writ
ing and then at the money.
What is this?" he asked nervously.
ITS just receipt for So" Abner
answered. Pm great hand to pass
money In any DEAL 1t sort o. cllnches
J l
go out an fetch in the rest O. the spon-
dOolix."
But you said you wanted till 3
fclock," Hillhouse stammered, lrreso-
luton stamped on his whole being.
"Oh, yes; that was only a matter O.
form. can git back quicker than that.
I've just got to go to the bank. This
ten makes you safe. you see. Ell was
mean enough to back down you could
hold me by law. When you git with
Joe down thar In that crackin' good
business you will learn more about
sech things. Newspaper editors always
seemed to me to be more or less like
children. Eff you had been In any
other line, Hlllhouse, yore wife would
not have sech a tight clamp on yore
nose an twist it so often"
Every we'll" Hillhouse breathed out
a sigh. go ahead. Alb; the die Is cast
III be my own boss this time If ahe
sues me for divorce"
AS Abner was passing Tarp's store
few minutes later no met Mary Just
coming out
"Hellov he said jovially. Have
you finished up already? lowed the
proprietor would hash up some pre-
text or other to keep you in thar till
dinner time. Tarp's got a long head
on I'm. He knows It will help his
courtin' along for you to see I'm d.
rect1n' all them busy clerks. Say.
Mary, don't want to make you jeal-
Gus, but I see Tarp has got couple
o powerful nice lookin' gals helpin'
I'm out. That slim I'm that keeps his
books fer i'm takes the rag off the
bush.
'She sure looks mighty cute with
them straw cuffs on an her little
shiny heels cooked up on a rung O. that
high stool. The sight O. her hat hang
in above his desk might make Tarp
think it would look better hangin' up
in his house. don't know. 1t is won.
derful how much cooler female looks
In a business office than she kin over
washtub or cookin' stove. Now. 8
man looks about as we'll in one place
as another, an that ort to argue in ia
vor Of the opposite sexes swappin
jobs"
Mary eyed him curlously as the two
turned down the street toward the
bank. "What is the matter with you?'
she asked. Coming into town YOU
said so many nice things about How
ard. You almost cried, and here you