Year: 1874

Gill up the decanters, Hans, for the
pensioners will be in town to-day" and
the Dutch proprietor of the Farmers Ex-
change seated himself with his pipe and
glass of beer to watch the deformed bar
tender make preparations for the busi-
ness of the day. Peter Van Krout had
been the keeper of the saloon for many
years, and the people said he had pros
pered, for he had grown up from a second
class cobbler to a man of wealth, owning
blocks in town and building fine house
across from his saloon for his own resi-
dence, yet he still had a sharp eye for
the money, and regarded the days like
the one mentioned with great satisfac-
ton.


The morning trains came in bringing
a large number of pensioners, who, to-
gether with those residing in the vicin-
ity, crowded the pension office and made
it lively work for the agent to pay them
off their three months pensions; but
soon another place was crowded, and
other hands were busy in taking the
new United States money and dealing
forget that they had manhood or homes,
or that the, money was obtained by Sc
we're hardship, and their best blood
Some came in for a regular "spree," while
others had just dropped in to take a
drink for old times with some comrade;
but Peter had great knack of keeping
a customer when he had money in his
pocket, so the numbers increased and
the money went faster into the till be-
hind the bar.


Out few miles from town, in an old
tumbled down building, the wife and
children of a pensioner were waiting.
Early in the morning he had started off
with the promise of being back by noon,
but night was approaching and he did
not come. Thinking that perhaps he
had been drawn into trouble, she left her
infant with a neighbor, and with her
daughter of some ten years, started over
the wintry road for town. When they
arrived at their destination, the street
lamps were being lighted, revealing the
icy sidewalks and descending snow
flakes, and cold and shivering they COM
menced their search for the husband and
father 1t was a painful task, going
down into the whisky cellar, and shrink
ingly peering in at the groups of halt
drunken loungers in the many gin mills,
but the love for the one in danger nerved
them on in their search,


At last reaching the Farmers Ex-
change they entered the door and pass
ing around the green screen saw sight
that confirmed their worst fears. The
room was filed with men, mostly disa-
bled soldiers, in all stages of intoxication,
and there. hanging on by the counter
with one hand and holding his last five
dollar bill in the other hand to treat the
crowd with, was the husband and father.
He had forgotten that he had left des'
titute family In the morning and that
three months would elapse before he
could get more means to support them
and the half drunken proprietor stood
ready to take the money and give hlm
that which Would soon make him forget
that he had being. The wife crossed the
room and taking her husband by the arm
attempted to get him to go home with
her; but Van Krout was not disposed to
let that last bill go out of the saloon, and
he coarsely bade her to go home and
mind her business, and not come in there
with her foolishness But the poor
woman would not leave her husband,
and continued her pleadings until the
brutal rumseller in his anger staggered
out OF the bar, and taking her by the
arm attempted to put her out of the
room. But he had undertaken more
than he could accomplish Andy, the
Irish blacksmith, had just come IN for
his evening drink, and seeing the wife of
an old comrade being thus roughly used,
planted blow between the brute's eyes