The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-01-27

art Webster answered.; and possibly.
by this time, the reader has begun to
understand the potency of, his middle
name-the Scotch are notoriously pig
headed, and Mr.. Webster had just
enough oatmeal in his blood to have
come by. that center fire name honest
~. sand you. you poor old horse,
you could not possibly understand
why. If you lived to be million years
-old."'> 49,. ia, t.,..
He got up from his chair to the full
height of'i':his. :six-feetone, and
stretched 190'pounds Of bone and mus
] I, f5""And so. I shall 80 to Sobrante and
lose all Of this all-important money,
shall To- he jeered. "''Then by all the
gods, of the Open Country, I hope I
may. Dad burn you, Neddy, I'm not a
Methuselah. want some fun in life.
want to fight and be, broke and, so
hungry ard thea make money for the
love of making it. and spending it, and
want.to live long time yet. I want
to see the mirage across the sagebrnsh
and hear it Whisper ..Hither, John
Stuart Webster! Hither, you fool,
and I'll hornswoggle you again, as in
an elder day hornswoggled you be-
fore.'"
Jerome shook his white thatch hope
lessly. -. -
II thought you were a great mining
engineer, john" he said sadly, ''but
you're not. You're a poet. You do
not seem to care for money"
swell" Webster retorted humorous
~, ut isn't exactly what you might
term 4 ruling passion. I, like to make
it, but there's more fun spending it.
I've made 100000, and now I want
to so blow it-and I'm going to. do
not try to argue with me. Pm luna
tic and will have my way: If: j
didn't go tearing off to Sobrante and
Join forces with Bill Geary, there to
play the game, red or black, I'd feel
rs if I had done something low and
mean and small. The boys appealed
TO me, and I have made my answer.
|iIf;jI come back alive but broke, you
know in your heart You'll give me ting
best job you have" q
"You win," poor Jerome admitted,
"Hold the job open 80 days. AT
the end of that period I'll give you a
definite answer, Neddy.
II sniff excitement and adventure
and profit in Sobrante and I've Just
got to look-see. I'm like an old burrO
staked out knee-deep in alfalfa just
now. I won't take kindly to the
pack" T
"And like an old burro, you won't
be happy until you've sneaked through
hole in the fence to get out into n
stubble-field and starve." Jerome
swore half-heartedly and promulgated
the trite proverb that life is just one
blank thing after, the other-an in
choate mass Of liver and disappoint-
? 1nent! :, -. -: 3D.:
"Do you find it 500" Webster queried
sympathetically.
Suspecting that he was being
twitted, jerome looked up sharply,
! prepared to wither Webster with that
glance. But no, the man was abso-
lutcly serious; whereupon Jerome
realized. the futility Of further argyll
ment and gave John Stuart Webster
up for a total loss. Still, he could not
help smiling as he reflected how Web
ster had planned a year Of quiet en-
Segment and Fate had granted him
one brief evening. He maryeled that
Webster could be SO light-hearted and
contented under the circumstances. ..
Webster read his thoughts. "Good-
bye, old man." he said, and extended
his hand. "Don't worry about me.
Allah is always kind to foo Is, my
friend; sorrow is never their portion.
In answering Billy's call I have feel
ing that I am answering the call Of
Il great adventure"
He did not know how truly he spoke,
Of course, but if he had,. that knowl-
edge would net have changed his an
swer. ..