Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-07

king. Then he went In and examined
the room with fla3hlight, ana lis
tened to the crown princes breathing.
He had been croupy baby. And, at
last, he turned the flashlight on to the
bed. A pair Of shoe-button eyes
stared at him from the pillow.
swell, I'm -" said the wet nurse.
And went out, looking thoughtful.
In shop where, that afternoon, the
countess had purchased some Lyons
silks, one of the clerks, Peter Niburg,
was free at last. At seven o'clock,
having put away the last rolls Of silk
on the shelves behind him, and covered
them with calico to keep off the dust /;
having given final glance Of disdain
at the clerk in the linens, across ;
having reached under the counter for
his stiff black hat Of good quality and
his silver-topped cane; having donned
the hat and hung the stick to his arm
with two staggering gestures; having
prepared his offensive, so to speak, he
advanced.
Between Peter Niburg and Herman
Spler of the linens, was 6 feud. Its
source, in the person Of pretty
. cashier, had gone, but the feud re-
NAMED. It was Of the sort that smiles
with the lips and scowls with the eyes.
that speaks pleasantly quite awfal
things, although it was Peter Niburg
VINO did most of the talking.
And Herman hated Peter. The CASH
Ter was gone, had married restaurant
Keeper, and already she waxed fat.
But Berman's hatred grew with the
days. And business being bad, much
of the time he stood behind his linens
and thought about a certain matter,
which was this:
How did Peter Niburg do 1t?
. They were paid the same scant
wage. Each Monday they stood to-
gether, Peter smiling and he frowning,
and received into open palms exactly
enough to live on, without extras. And
each Monday Peter pocketed his cheer
fully, and went back to his post, twirl-
ing his mustache as though all the
money of the realm jingled in his
trousers.
To accept the inevitable, to smile
over ones poverty, that is one thing:
But there was more to it. Peter made
his money go amazingly far. It was
Peter, for instance, who the summer
before, the American Scenic Railway
had opened to the public, with much
crossing Of flags, the national emblem
and the stars and stripes, it was Peter
who had invited the lady to an eve
ming Of thrills on that same railway
at definite sum per thrill.
1t was Peter, then, who made the
impossible possible, who wore good
clothes and did not have his boots
patched, who went, rumor said, to the
opera now and then, and followed the
score on his own battered copy.
How?
Herman Spier had suspected him Of
many things; had secretly audited his
cash slips; had watched him for sur
reptitious parcels Of silk. Once he had
thought he had him. But the package
of Lyons silk, opened by the pro.
prietor at Herman's suggestion, proved
to be material for fancy wnistcoat,
and paid for by Peter Niburg's own
hand.
With what? Herman stood con.
fused, even COMPOUNDED, but still
suspicious. And now, this very day,
he had stumbled on something. A
great lady from the court had made a
purchase, and had left, under roll
of silk, q letter. There was no/mis-
take. And Peter N!hurg had put
away the silk, and pocketed the letter.
- S,a..a,,