Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-25

habit called upon his daughter fol-
verification. Didn't l. Paloma?'
Miss Paloma's answer was unexpect
ed, and came with equal emphasis
mo, you didn't, father The miserable
thing lost money"
Blaze was only momentarily dis.
mayed. Then he joined his visitors
laughter. 'How can a man get along
without the cooperation of his own
household" he inquired naively. MAY
be 1t was next year was thinking
about" Thereafter he confined him
self to statements which required no
confederation.
Dave had long since learned that to
hold Blaze Jones to strict account
ability with fact was to rob his So
ciety of its greatest charm. A slavish
accuracy in figures, an arid lack of
imagination, reduces conversation to
the insipidness of fiat wine, and
Blaze's talk was never dull. He was a
keen, shrewd, practical man, but some
where In his being there was con-
cealed a tremendous, lopsided sense
of humOr which took the form of a
bewildering imagery. An attentive au.
dience was enough for him, and, once
his fancy was in full swing, there was
no limit to his outrageous exaggera-
tons. A light of credulity in hear
er's eye filled him with prodigious
mirth, and it Is doubtful if his listen
ers ever derived fraction of the
amusement from his fabrications that
he himself enjoyed. Paloma's spirit
OF contradiction was the only fly in
his ointment; now that his daughter
was old enough to keep books" on
him, much of the story-teller's joy was
denied him.
OF course his procliyities OCCASION
ally led to misapprehensiOns chance
acquaintance who recognized him as
an artful romancer were liable to con-
slider him generally untruthful. But
even in this misconception Blaze took
a quiet delight secure in the knowl-
edge that all who knew him we'll re-
garded him as a rock of integrity. As
a matter of fact, his genuine exploits
were quite as sensational as those Of
his manufacture.
When, after supper, Blaze had
hitched pair Of driving mules to his
blackboard, preparatory to showing his
guest the glories Of Jonesville, Dave
said:
"Paloma's getting mighty pretty"
"She's as pretty as a blue-bonnet
flower" he father agreed. "And she
runs me around something scandalous,
amt got the freedom of q peon."
Blaze sighed and shook his shaggy
head. "You know me, Dave; I never
used to be scared Of nobody. Well, it's
different now. She rides me with
Spanish bit, and my soul amt my
1wn." With sudden tightening of his
gloom, he added: "Say, you're going to
stay right here with us as long as
you're in town; want you to see how
cringe."
In spite Of Blaze's plaintive tone II
vas patent that he was Unfortunately
proud Of Paloma and we'll content with
lis serfdom.
Jonesville proved to be q typical
Texas town of the modern variety, and
lltogether different to the pictured
rontier village. All In all, the effect
vas much like that of prosperous,
'rderly northern farming town. To its
lappy founder it seemed well-nigh per.
ect, and its destiny reused his mad.
lest enthusiasm. He pointed out the
odd Fellows hall, the Palace Picture
heater, with is glaring orange lights
nd discordant electric piano; he con-
ucted Law to the First National
ank, of which Blaze was a proud but
omewhat ornamental director; then
0 the sugar mill, the ice plant and
Their points of equally novel interest.
Everywhere he went Jones was
allied by friends, for everybody
eemed to know him and to want to
bake his hand.
"Some town and some body of men.
h?" he inquired, finally, and Dave
greed:
Eyes. She's got grand framework,
laze. She'll be most as big as Fort
Worth when you fatten her up"
Jones waved his buggy whip In a
'ide circle that took in the miles of |
vel prairie on all sides. "We've got
lie whole blamed state to grow in.
nd, Dave, / haven't got an enemy in
lie place! 1t wasn't many years ago
lat certain people allowed I'd never
We to raise this town. Why, 1t used
} be that nobody dared ride with
Paloma, and she used to
eep with shotgun at her bedside"
you sure have been responsible
Y to her"
"But I'm as safe now as If l was In
lurch."