The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-01-29

puDllSneO one culLlOn OIL Jack, ana
limited the edition to one volume;
then the plates were melted for the
junk we call the human race. Two
weeks ago, when I was sick and PEN
niless and despairing, the possessor Of
a concession on Il fortune, but with
out a centavo in my pockets to buy a
banana, when was veritable beach,
comber and existing on the charity Of
Mother jerks, I managed finally to
communicate with old Jack and told
him where ! was and what I had.
There's his answer, Miss Ruey, and
I'm not ashamed to say that when I
got it l cried like q kid" And Billy
handed her John Stuart Webster's re-
markable cablegram, the receipt Of
which had, for Billy Geary, trans.
formed night into day, purgatory into
paradise. Dolores read it.
mo wonder you love him." she de-
clared, and added artlessly: His
wife must simply adore him."
"'Hc has no wife to bother his life,
so he paddles his own canoe,'" Billy
recited. II don't believe the old sour
dough has ever been in love with any,
thing more charming than the goddess
of fortune. He's woman-proof."
"About Mrs. Jcnks," Dolores contin-
ued, abruptly changing the subject.
"How nice to reflect that after she
had trusted you and believed in you
when you were penniless, you were
enabled to justify her faith"
"You bet!" Billy declared. II feel
that I can never possibly hope to
catch even with the old Samaritan,
although I did try to show her how
much I appreciated her."
II dare say you went right out and
bought her an impossible hat" Dolores
challenged roguishly.
mo, didn't, for very sufficient
reason. Down here the ladies do not
wear hats. But I'll tell. you what did
buy her, Miss iRuey-and oh, by
George, Pm glad now did it. She'll
wear them tomorrow when bring her
to see you. 1 bought her new black
silk dress and an old-lace collar, and
4 gold breast PIN and 4 tortoise shell
hair comb and hired an open carriage
and took her for an evening ride on
the Malecon to listen to the band con-
CERT
did she like that?"
"She ate it up" Billy declared with
conviction. II think it was her first
adventure in democracy"
Billy,s pulse was still far from nor
NAL when he reached Ell Buen Amigo,
for he was infused with a strange,
new.found warmth that burned like
malarial fever, but wasn't. He wasted
no preliminaries on Mother jerks, but
b1untly acquainted her with the facts
in the case.
Mother jerks eyed him moment
wildly. "Gord's TRUTH" she gasped;
she reached for her favorite elixir, but
Billy got the bottle first.
t.Nothins DOING" he warned this
strange publican. Mother, you're
funking it-and what would your
sainted Emery say to that? Do you
want that angel to kiss you and get
Whit of this brandy?"
Mother jerks eyes actually popped.
"Gor', Willie" she gasped, "aven't iii
told ye she's lydy! Me kiss the lamb !!
Hi trust Mr.. Geary, as 'ow l knows
my place an can keep it."
Eyes, I know" Billy soothed the
frightened old woman, "but the trouble
Is Miss Dolores doesn't know hers
and something tells me if she does.
she'll forget it. She'll take You in her
arms and kiss you, sure as death and
taxes"
And she did! "My lamb, my lamb"
sobbed Mother jerks the next morn
Ing, and rested her old cheek, with its
rum-begottcn hue, close to the rose
tinted ivory cheek Of her ward. "Me
--wot I am-an' to thinks"
"Youre sweet old DEAR" Dolores
whispered, patting the gray head;
"and I'm going to call you Mother"
''Mr William Fl. Geary," the girl
remarked that night. II know now why
your friend, Mr.. Webster, sent that
cablegram. I think you're a scout,
too"
For reasons best known to himself
Mr.. Geary blushed furiously. It'd
better so and break the news to Moth
err" he suggested namely. She held
out her hand: and Billy, having been
long enough in Sobrante to have ac-
Quired the habit, bent his malarial
person over that hand and kissed it.
AS he went out it occurred to him
that had the lobby Of the Hotel Ma
teo been paved with eggs, he must
have flOatcd over them like a wrath,
so light did he feel within.
CHAPTER VII.