Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-05-18

or her husband, but misfortune has
folded me to herself"
"HOw?" .h.ss,I
"Well, I'm sick"
"You don't look it."
81 don't exactly feel It, either, but
am. / don't sleep good, my hearts
actin up, I've got rheumatism, my
thing alive"
you're smoking too much" Alaire
affirmed, with conviction.
But skepticism aroused Blaze's in
dignation. With elaborate sarcasm, he
retorted: II reckon that's why my best
team Of mules ran away and dragged
me through ten-acre patch of grass
burrs, Ell? It's a wonder I wasn't
killed. I reckon I smoked so much
that I give tobacco heart to the best
three-year-old bull in my pasture!
Well, smoked him to death, all right
Probably it was nicotine pOisOnin' that
killed twenty acres of my cotton, too !;
and maybe if I'd cut out tobacco I'd
have fioated that bond issue on the
irrigation ditch. But was welded to
cigarettes, so my banks are closin
down ON me. Sure! That's what
man gets for smokin'."
"And do you attribute all these mis-.
fortunes to PalOma's dressmaker"
The man nodded gloOmily. '"That
amt half! Everything goes wrong
I'm scared to pack weapon for fear
I'll inquire myself. Why, I've carried
a bowie knife in my bootleg ever since
[ was a babe in arms, you might say;
but the other day I jabbed myself
with it and nearly got blood-poisonin'.
This fellow, Strange, with his fortune
tellin' and his charms and his conjures,
has hocus-pocused the whole neigh.
borhood. He's gettin' rich off of the
Mexicans. He knows more secrets
than parrot"
"He is nothing more than circus
fakir, Mr.. JONES'"
"Yes'm! Just the same, these greas.
ers ID vote him into the legislature if
he asked them. Why, he knows who
fetched back Ricardo Guzman's body
He told me So"
"Really?" Alaire looked up quickly,
then the smile left her face. After a
moment she said, perhaps he could
tell me something I want to know?"
mo, don't you get him started"
Blaze cautioned, hastily, cor he'll put
spell on you like he did on me-"
Il want to know what Ed had to dc
with the Guzman affair.""
Blaze shook his head slowly. "Well
he's mixed up somehow with Lewis
Dave thinks Tad was at the bottom
of the KILN, and he hoped to prove
1t on him; but our government won't
do anything, and he's stumped for the
time bein'. I don't know any more
about Eds dealins than you do, Mi2
Austin; all I knoW is that got SER
pent in my household and I can't get
shed of her. I've got a lapful Of
troubles of my own
'This is too occult for me-" she de.
clared, rising. "But-I'm interested in
what you say about Mr.. Strange. If
the Mexicans tell him SO much, perhaps
he can tell me something. l do hope
you have no more misfortunes.''
"You stay to supper" Blaze urged
Hospitality. "I'll be in as soon as that
tarantula's gone.'
But Alaire declined. After brief
chat with Paloma, she remounted
Montrose and prepared for the home
ward ride. At the gate, however, she
met Dave Law on his new mare, and
when Dave had learned the object of
her visit to JOnesville he insisted upon
accompanying her.
It was early dusk when they reached
Las Palmas; it was nearly midnight
when Dave threw his leg across his
saddle and started home.
Alaire's parting words rang sweetly
in his.ears: '"This has been the pleas
ATTEST Gay l can remember"
The words themselves meant little,
out Dave had caught wistful under
tone in the speakers voice, and fancied
he had seen in her eyes queer, half
frightened expression, as of one just
awakened.
Jose Sanchez had beheld Dave Law
at the Las Palmas table twice within
few days. He spent this evening la
boriously composing letter to his
friend and patron, Gen. Luis Longorio
CHAPTER XIV.