The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-01-06

awaited the fatted calf.
Webster struck the upholstery Of ar
adjacent chair a terrific blow with his
stick-the effect Of which was to III
everybody in the room to start and
to conceal Mr.. Webster momentarily
In a cloud Of dust, the while In a bel
lowing baritone he sang:
His father was a hard-rock miner:
He comes from my home town"
Jack Websterl The devils own
kin !" shouted Neddy Jerome. He
swept the cards into a heap and wad-
died across the room to meet this
latest assailant Of the peace and dig
nifty Of THE Engineers club. "You old.
worthless, ornery, no-goOd son Of a
lzardl I've been SO glad to see
a man that didn't w me money. I've
been combing the whole civilized
world for you, for a month, at least.
Where the devil have you been?"
John Stuart Webster beamed hap
PLY upon his friend. "Well, Neddy,
you old stocking-knitter," he replied
quizzically, "since that is the case, I'm
not surprised ut your failure to find
me. You've known me long enough
to have remembered to confine your
search to TIE unciv1lized reaches"
SWELL, you're here. at any rate and
I'm happy. Now you settle dow1."
Hardly, Neddy. I'm young yet,
you know-only forty. Still n real live
man and not quite ready to degenerate
into n c~ard-playing, eat-drink-and-be-
merry, determination, sink-to-oblivioa
and go-to-h-- fireplace spirit !" And
he prodded Jerome in the short ribs
with n tentative thumb that caused
the old man to vince. He permitted
his friend to drag him downstairs to
the deserted lounge, where Jerome
paused in the middle Of the room and
renewed his query:
where have you been, I askY'
"Out In Death valley, California, try
ing to pry loose a fortune"
"Did you pry it?"
John Stuart Webster arched his eye
brows in mock ~reproach. "And you
can see my new suit, Neddy, my six
teen-dollar, made-to-Order shoes and
my horny hoofs encased IN silken hose
and ask that question? Freshly
shaved and ironed and almost afraid
to sit down and get wrinkles In my
trousers! Smell thatl" He blew a
cloud OF cigar smoke into Jerome's
smiling face. The latter shifted. 1T
smells expensive" he replied.
"Yes. and you can bet II tastes ex-
pe1sive, too" Webster answered,
handing his c%igar-case to his friend.
Jerome bit the end Of his cigar and
spat derisively. "How much have you
nader he demanded bluntly.
ITS none Of your business, but I'll
tell you because I love you, Neddy. I've
made n hundred thousand dollars"
"Chicken-feed," Jerome retorted.
Johnny. I've been combing the min
eral belt Of North and South America
for you for a MONTH"
"Why this sudden belated interest
in mey"
81 have a fine Job for you. john
"King's X" Webster interrupted
and showed both hands with the fin
gers crossed. mo plotting against my
peace and comfort, Neddy. Haven't ]
told you I'm all dressed up for the
first time In three years, that I have
money in my pocket and more In
bank? Man, I'm going to tread the
primrose path for a year before I get
back into the harness again."
Jerome waved a deprecatory hand,
figuratively brushing aside such feeble
and inconsequential argument. Are
you fo~Ot-loOse?" he demanded.
I'm not. I'm bound In golden
chains"
Married, eh7 Great Scott, I might
have guessed 1t. So you're on your
honeymoon, ehT
"No such luck, you vichy-drinking
iconoclast. If you had ever gotten far
enough from this club during the past
fifteen years to get a breath of real
fresh air, you'd understand why /
want to enjoy civilization for q week
or W. before l go back to q mine SUI
perintendent's cabin on some bleak hill.
No, stree. Old Jeremiah Q. Work and
l have had a falling out. Dad burn
your picture, Neddy, / want some
classt I've been listening to q dagO
shift-boss playing the accordion for
three years-and he could only play
three tunes. Now I want SOusa's
band. I've been bathing In tepid, dirty
water In a redwood sluice-bOx, and
now l desire a steam room and a nee
die shower and an ~osteopath. I've been
bossing Greasers and Italians and was
forced to learn their language to get
results, and now / want to speak my
mother tongue to my old friends. BY
thunder I'm going to have a new deal
all around"
Every well, Jack. Don't excite your
self. I'll give you exactly thirty days
to sicken Of 1t all-and her I shall
come and claim my property"
"Neddy, I'll not work for you. I'm
mad. 1 won't play"
you're 1t. l just tagged you"
81 require a rest-but unfold your
proposition, Neddy. l was born a
rorr yraol> yoccaJ Dopc,nal with a