The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-11-20

| 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 10 play it was a friend of the
sharper, and probably at this moment
| they were dividing his sixty dollars
the price of old Slop-eye-between
them.
Early next morning he was awake
and astir. The recollection of his loss
sent a sudden pang through his morn
ing spirits, but he tried to close his
mind to it.
''NO use worryin' over that" he said,
jingling the few coins that now rep
resented his wealth. That's over and
gone. 1 traded sixty dollars for my
| first lesson. Maybe 1t was a bad trade,
but anyway I amt goin' to squeal."
He whistled as he finished dressing,
ate his breakfast cheerfulIy, and set
out in search of employment.
Almost the first person he met was
the stranger who had schOOled him in
the gambling game the night before.
There was something attractive about
his personality; something which in
vlted friendship and even confidence,
and yet beneath-these emotions Dave
felt a sense of dfstrust, as though part
of his nature rebelled against the &C
Quaintanceship.
hnf Incl
had last night the stranger was say
ing. az never saw the beat OF it. 1
was hopin' you'd stay and raise him
next time; you might have got your
money back that way"
"Oh, 1 don't mind the money!" said
Dave, cheerfully. 81 don't want it
back. In fact, figure it was pretty
well spent"
Lots more where it came from,
eh?" laughed the other. you're from
the ranches, 1 see, and suppose the
price of a steer or two doesn't worry
you hairs worth
From is right Dave replied. I'm
from them, an I amt goin' back. AS
for honeywell, spent my last nickel
for breakfast, so I've got to line up
job before nOon.''
The stranger extended his hand.
Shake" he said 81 like you. You're
no squealer, anyway. My name is Con
ward. YOurs?"
Dave told his name and shook
hands. Coward offered his cigarette
box, and the two smoked for a few
moments in silence.
''What kind of a job do you want?'
Coward asked at length.
"Any kind that pays wage,'' said
Dave.
81 know the fellow that runs an
employment agency down here" Con-
ward answered. Lets go down. Per
haps 1 can put you in right
Coward spoke to the manager of
the employment agency and intro
duced Dave.
Nothing very choice ON tap today"
said the employment man. "You can
handle horses, 1 suppOse?"
81 guess 1 CAM said Dave, "some."
81 can place you delivering coal.
Thirty dollars month, and you board
with the boss"
"I'll take it, said Dave.
The boss proved to be one Thomas
MetfOrd. He owned half a dozen
teams and was engaged in the carriage
business, specializing on coal. He was
a man of big frame, big head, and
vocabulary appropriate to the pur-
poses to which he applied 1t. Among
his other possessions were a wife, nu-
merous children and house and barn,
in which he boarded his beasts OF bur-
den, including in the term his horses,
his men and his wife, in the order of
their valuation. The children were a
by-product, valueless until such time
as they also would be able to work.