The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-04-26

habit called upon his daughter for
verification. "Didn't I. Paloma?"
Miss Paloma's answer vas 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 it was next year I 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 a 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 i%nsipidness Of flat 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 Il tremendous, lopsided sense
of humor which took the form Of a
b~ewlldering imagery. An attentive III.
dience was enough for him, and, once
his fancy was in full swing, there was
no limit to his outrageous exaggera-
lions. A light of credulity in a hear
er's eye filled him with p]rodigious
mirth. and it is doubtful if his listen
ers ever derived a 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 proclivities 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
! Il quiet delight. secur in the knowl
!, edge that all who knew him we'll re
| garded him as II rock Of integrity. As
u matter of fact, his genuine exploits
were quite as sensational as those OF
I, his manufacture.
, When, after supper, Blaze hat
hitched n pair Of driving mules to his
I blackboard, preparatory to showing his
guest the glories Of J%onesville, Dave
said:
"PalOma's getting mighty pretty"
Shes as pretty as a b%lue-bonnet
!, flower" he father agreed. "And she
runs me around something scandalous
!, amt got the freedom of a 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 6
Spanish bit, and my soul amt m,
own" With a sudden tightening of his
gloom. he added: "Say, you're going t.
stay right here with us as long a,
you're in town I want you to see how
I cringe."
In spite of Blaze's plaintive tone II
was patent that he was inordinatcly
proud Of Paloma and we'll content witt
his serfdom.
pAOVcu " Dc IL CyUlCu
Texas town Of the modern variety, and
altogether different to the pictured
frontier village. All in all, the effect
was much like that Of a 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 glazing orange lights
and discordant electric piano; he con
Quoted Law to the First National
bank, Of which Blaze was a proud but
somewhat ornamental director; Their
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 tc
shake his hand.
: "Some town and some body of men
chi" he inquired, finally, and Dave
agreed:
Eyes. She's got a grand framework
Blaze. She'll be most as BIZ as Fort
q Worth when you fatten her up"
e Jones waved his buggy whip in q
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, I haven't got an enemy in
the place! 1t wasn't many years ago
that certain people allowed I'd never
live to raise this town. Why, it used
to be that nobody dared ride with
f me-except Paloma, and she used to
sleep with a shotgun Mt her bedside"
you sure have been a responsible.
r ity to her."
r but I'm as safe now as If I was in
!, church."