Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-12-18


Dale Morton felt that he had done
a good months work and had earned
a few days vacation. He had been
sent on a mission of looking up the
rights of his employer, city mer-
chant, to an estate In his pocket was
mass of notes and copies of docu-
ments sufficient to prove handsome
addition to the already opulent re-
sources of John Wylie. There was a
small outside interest. Morton had
the name of its possessOr. The hunt
ing up of this person could come later,
he decided.
1t was at the pleasant little town of
GraSSmere that he got Off the train,
put up at it's hotel and settled down
to a few days sojourn. The next day
affected his destiny more than he had
ever anticipated and held him at Grass
mere for over a week. Morton was
idling at a spot of GOODNESS and shade
at the riverside at the edge of pretty
stretch of the woods next day, when
juvenile howl arrested his attention.
ooh, it's broke. Oh, Cousin Kate!
My slingshot is all gone to pieces!
and a tearful-faced boy came Into
view.
whats the trouble, sonny?' in
CURED Morton, and the lad held up a
wreck represented by two tattered
suspender ends, a crotched stick and
q ctrir1 of leather
Don't cry" advised Morton sooth-
ingly. Maybe it can be fixed"
It was many a year since Morton
had possessed like boyish contriv-
ance, but he set his inventive genius
at Work.i The crotched stick was in
tact and his wallet was surrounded by
two heavy elastic bands. In jiffy
he had adjusted these to the stick, the
piece of leather was set in place, and
the boy fairly danced with delight as
he was handed the finished article.
ooh, amt it just dandy!" he exu-
berated. why, it beats Nat Rood's
sling all to nothing!'
II hope you won't use it to annoy
ooh, no, sir-never that! Just for
targets. Sister-look, just look!'
The lad was twenty feet away dig
ging for munitions in heap of peb-
bles. The girl drew back shyly and
started after him. 1t was brief cas-
ual conversation and he was sorry
when they reached house at the edge
of the wood and he raised his hat in
adieu.
Morton took the self-same ramble
the following day, to come upon his
young friend with a paper target
lacked to a tree upon which he was
trying his skill Morton tried a few
chance shots himself. Then he caught
sight of fitting form in the garden
of the house and the boy called out:
ooh, Cousin Catherine! Here is the
same gentleman who was so kind to
me yesterday. Maybe he'd like bou-
quet of our flowers"
eff you care for them at all, l will
be glad to give you our choicest" she
said, coming to the fence.
Dale Morton went back to his hotel
with a nosegay made up of the pretti-
est flowers in Kate's garden. He had
fingered among the roses and lilies for
a full hour, and had come away deem
ing his pretty hostess a veritable
queen of loneliness and grace.
""The mischief.' he calculated as he
reached his room at the hotel and
stood rooted with dismay. During his
absence some one had entered the
room and had gore away with his
wallet, carelessly left on a bureau. 1t
contained little money, but it held the
papers he had been at such pains and
expense to secure and he felt the loss
Of them to be a serious matter.
Morton at once wrote to his en-
ployer, telling of the theft and asking
for instructions. He hoped that the
the ground he had already covered, for
that would keep him in the district at
least where he would be in proximity
of his peerless Kate. It would take at
least two days. to receive reply to
his letter He made a new slingshOt
and took it to Ned. The following eve
ming he strolled past the house that
held his divinity. Just as he passed
the gate, excited and white-faced, Ned
came rushing around the corner of the
house.
ooh, say!' he gasped,' give killed
somebody! The folks are all away
and as was crossing the lot to go
over to Nat Roods house, 1 saw man
prying up one of our side windows.
fired with my slingshot to hit the side
of the house to scare him away The
stone must have hit him instead, for
he fell fiat"
eve must look into this" said Nor
ton and entered the yard. A man with
blood trickling down his face was
blindly staggering to his feet He had
acted the thief and looked one Nor
ton led him to the street just as a vii
lage Waterman came along. 1t was a
fortunate action, for, upon searching