The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-05-17


, yerlfIcntion. "Didn't I, Palomn?"
Miss pnlomu's answer was unexpect-
! ed. and came with equal emphasis ::
"No. you didn't. father. The miserable
| thing lost money
Blaze was only momentarlly 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 I was thinking
about" Thereafter he confined him
self to statements which required no
confederation.
Dave had long since learned thut to
hold Blaze Jones to q strict account
ability with fact was to rob his So
cirty of its greatest charm. A slnvish
accuracy in figures, an arid lack of
imagination. reduces conversation to
| the inSipidneSS of fiat wine, and
BluZc'S talk was never dull. He was
! keen. Shrewd, practical man, but some
whore in his being there was con-
cralrd Il tremendous. lopSided sense
of humor which took the form of u
hcwildrring imagery. An attentive au.
di"ncr WAS enough for him, and once
his fancy was In full swing. there was
no limit to his outrageous exuggera-
i"nS. y light Of credulity in hear
rr,S eye filled him with DrodigiouS
mirth, and it is doubtful if his listen.
rrS ever derived fraction of the
amusement from his fabrications that
he himself enjoyed. Pulomu'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 10Y was
denied him.
or course his proclivities occasion.
ally led to misapprehensons chance
acquaintances 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, secure in the knowl.
edge that all who knew him we'll re.
garded him as Il rock Of integrity. AS
matter Of fact his genuine exploits
were quite rs sensational as those of
his manufacture.
When, after supper, Blaze had
hitched pair Of driving mules to his
DuckDoard, preparatory to showing his
guest the glories of Jonesville, Dave
said:
"Pnloma's getting mighty pretty"
shes as pretty as blue-bonne. /.
nower,' he father agreed. "And she
runs me around something Scandalous.
amt got the freedom of peon."
Blaze sighed and shook his shaggy
head. You know me, Dave; I never
used to be scared of nobody. Well, it's
uliterent now. She rides me with a
| spanish bit, and my soul amt my
, own With sudden tightening of his
gloom, he added: "Say, you're going to
stay right here with us as long ms
you're in town; 1 want you to see how
1 cringe."
In spite Of Blaze's paintive tone 1t
was patent that he was inordinately
proud of Paloma and we'll content with
his scrfdom.
/ Jonesville proved to be typical
Iexas town Of the modern variety and
altogether different to the pictured
frontier village. All in all, the effect
was much like that Of q prosperous
orderly northern farming town. To Its
happy founder 1t seemed well-nigh per.
feet, and It's destiny reused his mad
dest enthusiasm. He pointed out the
Odd Fellows hall, the Palace Picture
theater. with Is glaring orange lights
ana discordant electric piano; he con
Quoted Law to the First National
bank, Of which Blaze was a proud but
somewhat ornamental director: ther
to the sugar mill. the ice plant and
other points Of equally novel interest
Everywhere he went Jones was
hailed by friends, for everybod,
seemed to know him and to want t(
shake his hand.
"Some town and some body Of men
eh?" he inquired, finally, and Dave
agreed:
Eyes. She's got grand framework
Blaze. She'll be most as big as For
Worth when you fatten her up."
Jones waved his buggy whip in {
wide circle that took in the miles OF
level prairie on all Sides "We've go-
the whole blamed state to grow in
And. Dave, haven't got an enemy ir
the place! 1t wasn't many years age
that certain people allowed I'd neve,
live to raise this town. Why, 1t used
to be that nobody dared ride with
me-except Paloma, and she used to
sleep with shotgun at her bedside.
You sure have been responsible
ity to her."
but I'm rs snfe now as If I was In