White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-01-02
THE EXILE OF THE LARIAT
BY HoNoRE WlLLsiE
Copyright 1928
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
New York
CONTINUED from Last Week.
BY HoNoRE WILLsiE

| u1nSol1 CO6CIuoT WILL Ill 6uOTI. III
others watched him with concentrate
interest. His long jaw was set. H
took turn up and down the dining
room and then said, sadly:
"You all heckle me SO! Jessie,
you won't understand, at least 20
might have faith in my knowing wha
I'm doing. thought that was par
of being wife. To have faith in
man."
Jessie's face softened little. Sh
shook her head ruefully. "The sam
old story!" she said. "Hughie Away
talking us out of our critical attitud
without in the least convincing u
that we are wrong and he's right"
"Im not going to let him soft-soal
me this time!" declared his mother
in-law.
Hugh's expression was half indig
nant, half bewildered. II certainl,
wouldn't take the trouble to soft
soap you!" he retorted.
1--WE a question to ask I hope won
offend anybody" said Bookie. 'I'vt
often wondered why Jessie, since she
hasn't any family, doesn't do some
thing with her time besides ride
horses and read novels?"
what would you expect me to do
Uncle Booker" asked Jessie, lazily.
me? Oh, I'm too old to have any
expectations about human nature" re-
piled the old man. II just wondered
If real work on your part might not
give Hugh a different impression OF
your criticisms
Jessie stared at Bookie. Then she
turned to Hugh. "Is that SO, Hugh.
ie?" she asked.
II don't know" he replied indiffer.
emily. And he picked up his hat and
went out.
, Fort Sioux, Of course, was no place
for bookstore. Everybody knows
that small town does not support a
bookstore comfortably even in the
East, and that, the hopelessness of a
bookstore in a small town increases
as we move westward. Sometimes
even atwesterner will admit that from
tier states are not k-absorbing
states.
Bookie Smith had always had one
consuming ambition. He had wanted
to keep, a bookstore in Boston. His
mother had been New England
woman who, after thirty years on the
plainsj wept when she saw a post
card of Boston Common. which
might account for a part Of Booklets
obsession. But whatever the impell-
ing motive, at fifty Bookie leased his
outfit to an Eastern hotel man for a
dude ranch and bought Pink, Morgan's
poolroom in Fort Sioux. Pink be-
came landlord of the Indian Massa-
ere Hotel.
There was large window at either
end of the poolroom. The roof was
ceiled with metal, stamped in a de-
sign Of cupids. There were miles Of
shelves in the store. When he
brought down from the ranch his
thousand volumes of what not, the
shelves swallowed them at mouth
full. He placed a huge, alright heat
er in the rear of the room with a
very large brass cuspidor in front of
It. The cuspidor was distinctly an
aesthetic touch, for the cowman uses
the stove when he uses anything.
Near the front door he placed small
counter with. large cash register
near the window end. He put three
or four comfortable wooden chairs
around the stove and painted sign
on the front window-The Lariat
Book Store. j. HI. Smith, Prop. He
then sent to eastern publishers for
their catalogs and opened the door for
business ~.
He had done all this the year he
had sent Hugh to the University at
Laramie. He had made an excellent
cowboy Of Hugh. He wanted him ul-
timately to be president of the United
States. If there had been the office
Of president Of the world, Bookie
would have destined Hugh for that,
with a complete conviction of his fos-
ter child's fitness for the job.
Bookie was scowling over a dog
cared account book when Hugh came
In.
Il just can't find where set down
those. Sales" he said. 1.-THE dude
trade'll be opening up now and I've
got to know where / stand"
Hugh chuckled and perched on the
counter, looking about the store with
an air of humorous content. This was
home.
Uncle Bookie," he said, II want to
ask you as one old timer to another,
did anyone ever get up courage to use
the brass cuspidor?"
Bookie gave the question careful
II think once Johnny
Parnell tried it when he thought l
wasn't looking. I'm not sure, and !
wouldn't want to accuse him wrong
ly."
Both men grinned and turned to
look as the door opened, and gust
Of fine sand blew in, followed by old
Red Wolf.
What are you trading today, Red
Wolff" asked Bookie.