Macon beacon., 1917-05-18


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 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 Il 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 flat wine, and
Blaze'S talk was never dull He was
keen, Shrewd, practical man, but some
where in his being there was con-
cealed tremendous, lopSidcd sense
of humor which took the form of Il
hewildering imagery. An attentive au.
diencc was enough for him. and, once
his fancy was in full swing. there was
no limit to his outrageous eXaggera-
tions. A light of credulty in hear
er's eye filled him with prodigous
mirth, and it is doubtful If his listen
ers ever derived a fraction OF the
amusement from his fabrications that
he himself enjoyed. Paoma'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 proclivities OCCASION
ally led to misapprehensions; chance
acQuaintances 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 well re-
garded him as rock Of integrity. As
Il matter Of fact, his genuine exploits
were quite MS sensational as those Of
his manufacture.
When, after supper, Blaze had
hitched n pair Of driving mules to his
blackboard, preparatory to showing his
guest the glories of JOnesville, Dave
said:
"Paloma's getting mighty pretty"
shes as pretty as bue-bonnet
flower" he father agreed. "And she
runs me around something scandaous.
| amt got the freedom of peon."
Blaze sighed and shook his shaggy
head. "You know me, Dave; / never
used to be scared Of nobody. Well. it's
different now. She rides me with a
Spanish bit, and my soul amt my
own" With a 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 1t
was patent that he was inordinately
proud of Paloma and well content with
his serfdom.
Jonesyille proved to be typical
Texas town of the modern variety, and
altogether different to the pictured
frontier village. All in all, the effect
was much like that of prosperous
orderly northern farming town. To its
happy founder it seemed well-nigh per-
feet, and its destiny reused his mad
deSt enthusiasm. He pointed out the
odd Fellows hall, the Palace Picture
theater, with is glaring orange lights
and discordant electric piano. he con
Quoted Law TO the First National
bank, Of which Blaze was proud but
somewhat ornamental director; then
to the sugar mill, the ice plant and
other points of equally novel interest.
Everywhere he went Jones was
hailed by friends, for everybody
seemed to know him and to want TO
shake his hand.
"Some town and some body Of men,
ehF he inquired, finally, and Dave
agreed:
"Yes. She's got a grand framework,
Blaze. She'll be most as big as Fort
Worth when you fatten her up"
Jones waved his buggy whip In a
wide circle that took in the miles Of
level prairie on all sides. "We've got
the whole blamed state to grow In.
And, Dave, haven't got al enemy in
the place! 1t wasn't many years ago
that certain people allowed I'd never
live to raise this town. Why, 1t used
to be that nobody dared ride with
Paloma, and she used to
sleep with a shotgun at her bedside"
you sure have seen a responsible
ty to her."
But I'm as safe now as If l was in