Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-01-11
: CHAPTER XIV.
Two Strong Men.

re 1.-TWO Stroh9 WeH' ~
inside Judge Garvin's store we came
upon a group of slovenly loungers.
Had my mind been free enough of its
own troubled thoughts to spare REM
nant of interest, I should have found
this new and strange scheme of things
engrossing. I was in scrap of Amer.
lea which the onrushing tide of the
worlds advancement had left strand
ed and forgotten. Here people of un.
mixed British stock lived primitive
lives, tough feudal wars, and shrined
every virtue high except regard for
human life. t.. {
These four narrow walls in part cpl
tomized that life. The shelves back
of the counters displayed what things
they held essential-rough crockery,
coarse calicoes, canned goods, barrels
of brown sugar, brogans, stick candy
and ammunition.
About small stove loafed some
eight or ten men and several "hound
dogs" The shoulders of these men
.slouched; their hands were chappel
and coarse, their clothes muddied;
but when they walk it was with some.
thing of the catamount's softness, and
their eyes were alert.
Behind the counter stood man OF
fifty. I knew, without waiting for
Weighborne's greeting, that this must
be Garvin. There was something pro-
nounced, yet hard to Define, which
gave him the outstanding prominence
of master among minions.
He was large man and inclined
to stoutness. His hair and mustache
were sandy, and his forid face was
marked with purplish tracery OF
veins in which the blood appeared to
bank and stand currentless. His neck
was grossly heavy and bovine. but his
forehead was broad and his eyes dis.
armingly frank and blue. His mouth,
too, fell into the kindly lines OF per.
petual smile.
His clothing was rough and his
neck collarless, but one forgot this
and noted only the suavity of his bear.
ing and the ingratiating quality of his
voice.
Such was the man who should have
gone long ago. to death or imprison.
ment for the orders he had issued
to, his assasins.
aJudge Garvin," said my, conpan.
U,,,,, ,,o~,o,c u1a;ohhorva mot
you once in the court house. You
probably don't remember me-"
The gigantic reprobate smiled af.
fably.
Sure remember you," he affirmed.
Fl mighty seldom forget man." He
came out from his place of Office be.
hind the counter and proffered his
hand It was not caaoused hand
like those Of his henchmen.
/ had leisure to glance about the
faces of the group as this colloquy oc.
Cured They had been stolidly silent,
gazing at us with unconcealed curl.
.osity
When Weighborne introduced him.
self there was no overt display of in.
terest, and yet, unless / was allowing
my ina gination to run away with me,
/ sensed from that moment forward
that the lazy Incidence OF the atmos
phere was electrified. The men
lounged about in unchanged attitudes,
yet each of them was carefully ap
praising us.
II reckon you gentlemen came up
to look over this here coal and timber
projeck?" Garvin's voice seemed to
hold only a politely simulated interest
in our affairs.
Weighborne nodded.
"Do you think, judge, as a man In
good position to gage the sentiment
OF the people, that we shall have their
sympathy in our efforts?"
/ studied Garvfn's face closely, but
II there was spark of interest in his
eyes could not detect-it. He smiled
and shook his head non-committally.
"Well, now, as to that" he replied,
judicially, 81 couldn't hardly say"
I'VE want to develop the coal and
timber interests of the section" sum.
married. Weighborne briefly. 1T will
mean railroad facilities, better schools
and fuller enforcement Of the law"
Garvin nodded in fashion of re.
served approval. There was no be.
trayed hint of his perfect understand.
ing that it meant other things as we'll:
an end of "Garvinism," a period to his
baronial powers; the imminent dau-
ger which lurked for him in courts no
longer afraid to try, and witnesses no
longer terrified into perjury.
That sounds purity promisin'," he
agreed. at sounds purity good"
"Then why would the people not
co-operate?"
Garvin gave the question deliberate
consideration.
well, now" he finally said, "that
amt such an easy question to answer
just right off. The people hereabouts
have been Twin purity much the same
way for nigh onto a hundred years.
They're satisfied"