The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1921-09-30


effect around his orb, enabling him.
the third day, to saunter forth among
his fellowmen. BY the end of the
week he was being reilcarnated, and
so he packed huge new wardrobe
trunk with his latest purchases and
journeyed on to Denver. Concident
with his arrival there, we again take
up the thread of our story.
One hour after his trunk arrived the
gentleman from Death Valley might
have been observed standing before
cheval glass looking long and
earnestly at the reflection of his mid
dle-aged person, the while he marked
the fit of his new raiment. John
Stuart Webster was all dressed up for
the first time in three long, labOr-rid-
den years, and was tremendously glad
OF 1t. He lighted cigar and stepped
forth into Seventeenth street, along
which he strOlled until he came to
certain building into the elevator of
which he entered and was whisked to
the twelfth floor. where he alighted
and found himself before a wide portal
which bore in gold letters the words:
Engineers Club"
The Engineers club was the closest
approach to home that John Stuart
Webster had known for twenty years,
aad save for the slight job of kali
somining which Father Time had done
on the edges of the clOse-crOpped Web
sterian mustache, the returned prOdi-
gal might have stepped out of the club
but yesterday. He would not have
taken the short end of modest bet
that even fresh log had been placed
on the fire or that the dOminO-players
over against the wall had won or lost
a drink or two AID then resumed play
ing-althougE perchance there were a
few more gray hairs in the thickly
matched head of old Neddy Jerome.
sitting in his favOrite seat by the
window and turning the cards in his
eternal game of s"'it"i~e ~ hHaSFu'
ignorance that John Stuart Webster
stood within the portals Of home and
awaited the fatted calf.
Webster struck the upholstery of an
adjacent chair terrific blow with his
stick-the effect Of which was to cause
everybody In tire room to start and
to conceal Mr.. Webster momentarily
In cloud of dust. the while In bel
lowing baritone he sang:
His father was a. handbook miner;
He comes from my home town."
Jack Webster! The devils own
kin! shouted Neddy Jerome. He
swept the cards into heap and wad-
died across the room to meet this
latest assailant of the peace and dig
nifty of tie Engineers club. You old,
worthless. Ornery, nO-gOOd son of a
lizard! I've never been so glad to see
a man that didn't owe me money. I've
been cOmbing the whole civilized
world for you, for 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 at your failure to find
me. You've known me long enough
to have remembered to cOntine your
search to TIE uncivilized reaches"
"Well, you're here, at any rate and
Tn happy. Now you settle down."
Hardly, Neddy. "Tm young yet
you know-Only forty. Still real live
man and not quite ready to degenerate
into card-playing. eat-drink- and-be
merry. discrimination, sink-tO-ObliviO1
and gO-tO-h-- fireplace spirit! !" And
he prOdded Jerome in the short ribs
with tentative thumb that caused
the, old man to vince. He permitted
his friend to drag him downstairs tC
the deserted lounge, where Jerome
paused in the middle of the room and
renewed his query:
"Where have you been. ask?"
"Out In Death valley, California. try
ing to pry loose n fortune"
did you pry it,"
John Stuart Webster arched his eye
brOws in mock reprOach. "And yOl
can see my new suit, Neddy. my six
teen-dOllar. made-tO-order shoes ant
my horny hoOfs encased in silken hos'
| anu "SN tHut 4ucStiUuF FTtSiii.
shaved and irOned and almost afrait
to sit down and get wrinkles in m!
trousers! Smell that" He blew ,
cloud of cigar smoke into JerOme'
smiling face. The latter shifted. 81
smells expensive" he replied.
"Yes, and you can bet it tastes ex
pe1sive. too" Webster answered
handing his cigar-case to his friend
Jerome bit the end of his cigar ant
spat deriSively. "HOw much have yol
made?" he demanded bluntly.
ITS none Of your business, but III
tell you because love you. Neddy. Tv
made one hundred thousand dollars
"Chicken-feed." Jerome retOrtet
Johnny. I've been cOmbIng the mir
eral belt of North and South Americ
for you for a month";"