Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-10-23

L,oment or two before ne realize,
that his money was gone Then. re
CARELESS OF those about, he RUSHED
through the crowd. flinging bystand
ers right and left. and plunged into
the night.
He walked down a street until Il
lost itself on the prairie; then he fol
lowed prairie trail far into the cOun
try. The air was cold and a few drops
of rain were falling in it. hut he was
! unconscious of the weather. He was
in Il rage through and through Stop
| eye was now dream, memory,
gone-gone. Everything was gone
only his revolver and a few cents re-
manned. He gripped the revolver
! again. With that he was supreme. No
man in all that town of men schoOled
in the ways Of the West was more
than his equal while that grip lay
in his palm. At the point of that
muzZle he could demand his money
bGck-and get it.
Then he laughed. Hollow and
empty it sounded in the night air, but
it was a laugh, and it saved his spirit.
why you fool" he chuckled, "you
came to town for to learn sOmethin',
didn't you? Well, you're learnin'.
Sixty dollars a throw. Education
comes high, don't it2 But you
shouldn't kick. He didn't coax you
in, an gave you every chance to back
away. You butted in and got stung
Perhaps you've learned somethin'
worth sixty dollars"
In his innocence of the ways of the
game it never occurred to him that the
friendly stranger who had showed him
how to play it was a friend of the
sharper, and probably at this moment
they We're dividing his sixty dollars
the price of old Slop-eHe-between
them.
Early next morning he was awake |
and astir The recollection of his loss |
sent sudden pang through his morn
ing spirits, but he tried to close his
mind to it.
mo use worryin' over that" he said,
jingling 1.-THE few coins that now rep
resented his wealth. "That's over and
gone. l traded sixty dollars for my
first lesson. Maybe it was bad trade,
but anyway / amt goin' to squeal."
He whistled as he finished dressing,
ate his breakfast cheerfully, and set
out in search of employment.
Almost the first person he met was
the stranger who had scho0ied him in
the gambling game the night before.
There was something attractive about
mis- personality; something which in.
rited friendship and even confidence,
md yet beneath these emotions Dave
'elt sense of distrust, as though part
If his nature rebelled against the ac-
workmanship.
THAT was the rottenest luck you
lad last night" the stranger was say
ng. II never saw the beat of it.
vas hopn' you'd stay and raise him
lext time; you might have got your
money back that way"
ooh, | don't mind the money!" said
)ave, cheerfully. Il don't want it
ack. In fact figure it was pretty
'ell spent"
Lots more where it came from
h?" laughed the other. you're from
ne ranches, l see, and l suppose the
rice of IA steer or two doesn't worry
on hairs worth"
"From is right" Dave replied. I'm
'om them, an l amt goin' back. As
n honeywell, spent my last nickel
" breakfast, 50 I'VE got to line up a
,b before noon"
The stranger extended his hand
Shake" he said. 81 like you. You're
} squealer, anyway. My name is Con
ard. Yours?"
Dave told his name and shook
inds. Coward offered his cigarette
*, and the two smoked for few
in silence.
"What kind of a job do you want?'
onward asked at length.
ANY kind that pays a wage" said
ave.
81 know the fellow that runs an
lployment agency down here" Con
lrd answered. Lets go down. Per
ps | can put you in right"
Coward spoke to the manager OF as
e employment agency and intro re-
ced Dave tn
Nothing very choice on tap today ra
id the employment man. you car ric
ndle horses l suppose?" he
Il guess l can" said Dave, "sOme.' ~
Il can place you delivering coal 9u
irty dollars a month, and you board o..
tn the boss"
III take it," said Dave. -
The boss proved to be one Thomas c.,
tford. He owned half dozen -,
ms and was engaged in the carriage e
Siness, specializing on coal. He was Co.,
nan of big frame, big head, and 8 ,,.,,
appropriate to the pur ,,'
'es to which he applied 1t. Among .n
other possessions were wife, nu w
rous children and house and barn 49,, 49,"
which he boarded his beasts Of bur ~
/, including in the term his horses va.
men and his wife, in the order OF .
ir valuation. The children were nor
valueless until such time soc