The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-07-03

between them
Putnam Jones spoke suddenly at
Barnes shoulder. He started invol-
UNFAIRLY. The man was beginning to
get on his nerves. Hs seemed to b
logging his footsteps With ceaseaess
persistency. f
THAT Teller over there In the cor
ner," said Jones softly, is . book
agent from your town. He sold me /
Get Of Dickens when hs was here last
timA about stx weeks ago. A years.
subscription 70 Two magazines thluved
In BY gosh thee book agsnts ars
Click ones,~f }s& WEI. ~ %.#
.He's : shrew6 looking chap," COM
mented BarneA
"says he won't be satisfied TIL hens
made this section OF the country the
most cultured, refined spot in the, Unit
ed stataA" said Jones doleful1y., sEr-
cuse me. There goes the telephone.
Maybe i1 news from the sheriff.
With the spasmodic tnkling Of the
telephone belt the book agent arose
and made his way to, the little Office.
Barnes glanced over his shoulder a
moment later and saw him studying
the register. The poise Of his eleek
head, however, suggested q listening
attitude. Putnam Jones, not four feet
away, was speaking into the telephone
receiver. As the receiver was re-
stored to its hook Barnes turned
again. Jones and the book agent were
examining the register, their heads
almost meeting from opposite sides Of
the desk.
The latter Strengthened up, stretched
his arms, yawned. and announced In 1
loud tone that he guessed he'd stop
ont and get . bit Of fresh air before
turning In
ANY newsT". inquired Barnes. ap-
preaching the desk after the door had
closed behind the book agent.
ut wasn't the sheriff." replied Jones
shortly, and Immediately resumed his
interrupted discourse on books and
book agenta Ten minutes elapsed be.
fore the landlords garrulity was
checked BY the sound Of an automobile
coming to 4 stop tn front OF the house.
Barnes turned expectant1y toward the
door. Almost Immediately the car
started again, With a loud shifting Of
gears and q moment later the door
opened to admit, not q fresh arrival
but the little book agent.
Party trying to make Hornville to
night" he announced casually. "Well,
good night. See you In the morning."
Barnes was not tn q position to
doubt the fellows word, for the car
Enthusiastically had gone on toward
Hornville. He waited q few minutes
after the. man disappeared up the mar
row stairway, and then proceeded to
test his powers Of divination. He was
as sure as he could be sure Of anything
that had not actually come to pass that
In q short time the automobile would
again pass the tavern, but this time
from the direction Of Hornville.
Lighting a cigarette he strolled out
side. He had barely time to take 6
position at the darkened end Of the
porch before tie sounds of an ap.
preaching machine came to his ears. A
second or two later the lights swung
around the bend In the road a quar-
ter of a mile above Harris Tavern,
and down came the al at a high rate
Of speed. 1t dashed past the tavern
with q great roar and rattle and shot
of into the darkness beyond. As II
rushed through the dim circle Of light
in front of the tavern Barnes succeed.
ed In obtaining a brief but convincing
view of the car That glance was
enough, however. He would have
been willing to go before a Jury and
swear that It was the same car that
had deposited him at Harris Tavern
the day before.
Having guessed correctly in the one
instance he allowed himself another
and even holder guess-the little boob
agent had either received q message
from or delivered one to the occupant
or driver Of the q from Green Fancy
49,