The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-14

! while to take part in such an under
taking. even If 1t ended In failure.
And somehow, against his judgment,
he felt that his leader would find q
way.
For the most part O'Neil was as ST.
lent as q mar Of stone, and only on
those rare occasions when he craved
relief from his thoughts did he encour-
age Dan to talk. Then he sometimes
listened. but more frequently he did
not. Slater had long since become a
dumb draft animal, senseless to dis
comfort except in the hour Of relaxa-
ton, when he monctonously cata-
logued his ills.
"Are you a married manT' O'Neil in
Quired once of Dan.
mot yet. SIR
"Family?"
Sure! A great big, fine one, con-
sisting Of a sister. But she's more than
u family-she's a religion" Receiving
encouragement from his employers
look Of interest, he continued: W
were wiped out by the San Francisco
Cht NlNuihC olIl w III SiS piNoU ih1S
for awhile. We managed to save $4,000
from the wreck, which we divided
equally. Then we started out to make
our fortunes. 1t was her idea"
"You anne to Cortez?"
Yes. Money was SO easy for me
that l lost all respect for it. The town
rang with my mirth for awhile. / was
an awful fool"
"Education!'
Now. it's my ambition to get settled
and have her with me. | haven't had
a good laugh, a hearty meal or a Chris
tian impulse since | left her"
What did she do with her half OF
the f%ortune?'
Invested it wisely and went to work.
l bought little round celluloid disks
with mine; she bought land Of some
sort with hers. She's a newspaper wo-
man, and the best in the world-or at
lease the best in Seattle. She wrote
that big snowslide story for the Review
last fall. She tells 'em how to raise
eight babies on 81 a week or how to
make a full set of library furniture out
Of three beer kegs, a packing case and
an epileptic iceboX. She runs the Do
nestle Economy column, and she's the
sweetest, the cleverest, the most stun
ming
Appleton's enthusiastic tribute ceas-
ed suddenly, for he saw that O'Neil
was once more deaf and that his eyes
were fixed dreamily upon the canyon
far ahead.
On the evening of the sixth day a
splintered, battered polling boat with
its seams open swung in to the bank
where O'Neirs men were encamped.
and its three occupants staggered out.
They were gaunt and stiff and heavy
eyed. Even Tom Slater's full cheeks
hung loose and fabby. But the leader
was alert and buoyant; his face vas
calm, his eyes were smiling.
You'll take the men on to the coal
fields and finish the work" he told his
boss packer later that night. Apple
ton and l will start back to CorteZ in
the morning. When you have finished
go to Juneau and see to the recording"
"Ain't that my luck?" murmured the
d%yspeptic. Me for Kyak, where there
amt a store, and my gum all wet"
Chew it, paper and ALL" advised APP
pleton c~heerfully.
"Oh, the good has all gone out Of it
now" Slater explained.
Meet me in Seattle or the 18th of
next month";" his employer directed.
The clerk Of the leading hotel in Sc
attic whirled his register about as a
man deposited a weather beaten war
bag on the marble floor and leaned
over the counter to inquire:
SIS Murray ONeil here?"
This question had been asked re-
| peatedly within the last two hours, but
heretofore by people totally different
in appearance from the one who spoke
now. The man behind the desk mea
ured the stranger with a suspicious
[ eye before answering. He saw a rag
ged, loose hung, fat person of melan-
choly ~countenance, who was booted to
the knee and chewing gum.
"Mr. O'Neil is not here"
The fat man stared at his informant
: accusingly. "Ain't this the 15th?" he
asked.
{ ut is"
"Then he's here, all right!'
, "Mr. O'Neil is not in" the clerk re-
peated, gazing fixedly over Mr.. Skaters
left shoulder.
"Well, l guess his room will do for
me. I amt particular"
His room is occupied at present. If
you care to wait you will find
l Precisely what it was that he was to
find Tom never learned. for at that
moment the breath was driven out OF
his lungs by a tremendous whack, and
be turned to behold DR.. Stanley Gray
towering over him, an expansive smile
; upon his face.
"He's around somewhere"
Slater turned a resentful, %smoldering
gaze upon the hotel clerk and looked
about him for a chair with a detach-
able leg, but the object of his regard
disappeared abruptly behind the key
< ponIy