Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-03-23

no limit to his outrageous exaggera-
lions. A light of credulity in hear
er's eye filled him with prodigious
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
a quiet delight, secure in the knOWl-
edge that all who knew him well re-
garded him as a rock of integrity. AS
matter of fact, his genuine exploits
were quite as sensational as those of
his manufacture.
When, after supper, Blaze had
hitched a 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 blue-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; L 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; I want you to see how
[ cringe."
In spite of BlaZe's plaintive tone it
was patent that he was inOrdinately
proud of Paloma and we'll content with
his serfdom.
Jonesville proved to be a 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 a 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 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; 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,
eh?" he inquired, finally, and Dave
agreed:
eyes. She's got grand framework,
Blaze. She'll be most as big as Fort
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 got
the whole blamed state to grow in.
And, Dave, / haven't got an enemy in
the place! It 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
me-except Paloma, and, she used to
sleep with a shotgun at her bedside"
you sure have been a responsible.
lty to her."
"But I'm as safe now as if I was in
church"
Law ventured to remark that none
Of Blaze's enemies had grown fat in
prosecuting their feuds, but this was
a subject which the elder man inva.
riably found embarrassing, and now
be said:
"Pshaw! I never was the blood.
letter people think. I'm as gentle as
sheep" Then to escape further GU
riosity on that point, he suggested that
they round out their riotous evening
with game Of pool.
X
The next morning at breakfast Pa.
Iona announced, "Father, you must
| Iclp 0dNC AuIt OOWI These CdlllG
thieves"
"Ain't that sort of a big order?"
Blaze queried.
Perhaps, but you're the very man
to do it. Ricardo Guzman is the only
person who knows the Lewis gang as
well as you do.'
Jones shook his head doubtfully.
"Don Ricardo has been working up his
own private feud with that outfit. 1t
was the kind that went looking for
fight, I wouldn't have paid freight on
myself from the Panhandle down here.
I could have got one right at home,
any morning before breakfast"
s'Ricardo GuZman is something of
black sheep himself" Law spoke up.
"Pshaw! He's all right. I reckon
he has changed a few brands in his
time, but so has everybody else. Why,
that's how old Ed Austin got his
| roll no