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About Heppner gazette. (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912 | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1905)
ij--.;.-Hj.i-:-Hj1-.;j"-.;..;,...j.. Friend ! j I t Of t or A Memorial Day Story By HOWARD FIELDING I 41 4 1 CvvuriuhL 100k, bu Charles IT. 7fofcc ,fT' HERE'S a young lady over ! there whom I know," said XX . Gruydon hi a tone which iu r dleated a very agreeable sur i'li'ise. "I believe I'll run across and speak to her." lie was upon the point of rising when his companion laid a re straining hand upon his arm and ask L "Where?" "In the little whiz cart just by the end of the reviewing stand white hat with a black plume. See her?" "Yes," was the reply; "I see her. But I wouldn't go over there if I were yon." Graydon turned, with a puzzled look. "Why not?" he asked. "You'd better get some of the names of the dignitaries on the reviewing stand before the speechmaking begins. You won't have more than live or ten minutes." "I guess you're right," said he. "I'd 3etter stick to my job. What the deuce I should have done without your help I really don't know. I've no mere no tion about reporting mi affair of this kind than your horse has. And now, Mr. Blake," he added, poising his pen oil, "if you'll give me a few of those names you v.-.'!l cam once more the .blciisi-.isof the stranger." "How long have ye-i been doing "MtMvsinaper work?" asked lllake. "Nearly two years. But I've never -done any general reporting. I begau to write book notices for the paper during my last year m college, and the editor offered me a regular job after gradua tion. I've done a few theaters, concerts, lecture and th;tt sort of thing, and it winel to me ihai. a Memorial day cel ebration woui.Vft ou'er any great difll fiillks, 'vipei i : 1 1 v as 1 write shorthand and -can get all I want of the speeches without both"r. rut in regard to Inci dents and people I'd have been all at ua if y'iii ha.'.n't picked me up at the 'depot. You see, I was never here before nnd don't know a roul" "It's queer that your city editor should h.Te sent a stranger," remarked Elake. "t'oi.-kiu't he get hold of some tuie vi:c town?-' "Everybody else was busy," replied draydor., "an;! the city editor had a l'ow with our regular correspondent here r.iul fired h'ri ye3i.c-day." At tLi.-j moment the grl in the auto mcb'V looked in the"' direction and made the smallest possible gesture of recognition. "Upon my word!" grumbled Gray il iii, reaching into the bottom of the wagon to pick up his pencil, which he had dropped in his hurry to raise his hat. "She didn't recognize me. She bowed to you." "I have the pleasure of a slight ac quaintance," said Blake, with a grav jty which struck Graydon as odd and even mysterious. He v.-a a about to address a question to Ms companion, but Blake seemed to perceive his intention and to avoid the subject hastened to give the names of the (Kgnitnrfes upon the reviewing Htand. Graydon tolled down the names meekrniicnUy. but Ids mind was busy 'Willi another m -'ia-r. Why did Blake use this peculiar tone in speaking of ?.Iiss Lorrimer? There was a vague suggestion In it that the young. lady was hedged about by some peculiar misfortune. "I met Miss Lorrimer at class day two years ago," said Graydon In the alrst pause, "nnd I've Been her half a been trying to "write. J. mn eu t neen anywhere nor seen anybody. Bo you know the gentleman who is with her?" "Her husband," said Blake. And, having spoken the words, he shut hi lips together in a straight, hard line. Graydon's notebook slid off his knee, but he did not stoop for it. He stared at the. mass of people on the stand, and their murmur seemed to rise into an excited clamor. "Who is he?" he asked. And he was amazed at the change in his voice. "John C. Kirby," responded Blake, "l WOCLKN'r GO OVEB THEBE." dozen times since then at the houses of friends in Boston, but the last time waa nearly a year ago. I've led the life of a gilley slave of late, with my confounded work on the paper and a i;J Ljrrowig jtr.'.-Iotlraiaa that I've with the manner of a sullen aud angry witness in court. The sentiments of Blake in regard to this matter constituted a puzzle which might have interested Graydon power fully except for the greater interest in his own. He might have interpreted one by the other and have reached the natural conclusion that Blake had been in love with Miss Borrimer. perhaps without realizing it until too late. This was not quite his own situation, for there had been moments when the promptings of his own heart had been unmistakable. That Blake could ever have hoped to win Mis? l',orr'mer's love seemed hard ly pro-lwible.'for he lacked the qualifica tions, so far as Graydon could judge, by so brief un acquaintance. "I think I will go over and speak with Mrs. Kirby for a moment after the exercises," said Graydon. "Don't do it," said' Blake laconically. "Is Kirby afflicted with jealousy?" asked Graydon, half in jest. "Yes," was the grave response. "It's a mighty sad story." At this moment there was a call to ewler, and the assemblage slowly grew qmlet. With the aid of Blake's local knowledge Graydon was able to follow the preliminaries leading up to the ora tion of the day by General Bhilip Har well. There had been a rumor that the general would deal with up to date pol itics in a somewhat lively manner, and Graydon was fearful that important points would escape him because of his dense ignorance of political matters. But those who had started this rumor had maligned Harwell. He stuck to the theme and lessons of the day and made a really admirable address. Just at the close of the address Blake touched Graydon's arm and directed his attention to the motor car, whose occupants the young man had been mercifully permitted to forget for a few minutes. Graydon was just in time to see Kirby reach across and take from her hand something that looked like a visiting card, ne glanced at It and then glared like a dragon. Raising his head, hia eyes met Gray don's, and the young man felt as if he had received a blow from a club. "What's the matter with that old vil lain?" he whispered to Blake. "Is he crazy ?" "Something of the sort," was the an swer. "It's a tragedy." "But why why In the world did she marry him?" Blake shook his head. "She Is an orphau, as you know," said he; "she had no one to advise her." "Advise her!" echoed Graydon. "That man's face is advice enough, I should think. Why the deuce does he glare at me so?" "It's queer, and that's a fact," said Blake. "Can It be possible that one of her friends has recognized you and has sent that card to tell her that you are here? Some silly girl may have done it, and that would be enough to excite Kirby's jealousy." Graydon was beginning to be angry. "There's no reason why I should be afraid of him," said he. "I'm going over there by and by." "To please yourself," said Blake gravely, "and to raise a trivial unpleas antness for her." The obvious justice of this criticism affected Graydon for the moment and he devoted his attention to the pro ceedings. But there was a streak of obstinacy In his disposition and he held to his purpose. "You'd better stick to me," said Blake when the speaking was done. "I'll drive you down to the depot, and you can put your stuff on the wire for Bos ton In time for the late afternoon edi tions of your paper." "I'll be with you In three minutes," responded Graydon as he sprang from the wagon. He made his way toward the automo bile, and as he approached he was greeted with a frightful frown from Kirby, while the lady gave him a hasty nd and turned her face away. It was her manner which decided Graydon's course. He sadly acknowledged her sa lute and pressed on, making a circuit through the departing throng aud re turning to the point where his service- aide chance acquaintance awaited him. During the ride to the depot he de voted himself wholly to business, set ting his notes in order so that he could transcribe them more rapidly and add ing various details suggested by his rompanion. "You can sit in the wagon and write your stuff out," said Blake. "When you get a batch ready go in and file it with the operator. TLen come back. Ferhaps I can help you out as you go along." "I can file my Introluction and the names of the committees and notables now," said Graydon. "Then I'll come back and do the speeches." -hp. ;ntc,r3.1. the waiting room of the station on trie way tu uiTviv.-uini j ollice lie glanced through a window op- ; posite and saw Mr. and Mrs. Kirby. . Their heads were framed as in a pie- ' ture. In a moment they vanished, oue j to the right and the other to the left. I Graydon ran across the room and ! went out upon tho platform under the j grimy, vaulted roof of the shed. Mrs. ' Kirby, alone, was walking slowly to- J ward some seats where the usual hu- ' man miscellany was waiting for trains. ! Graydon overtook her just as she was; about to sit down. "I beg your pardon," said he. . "I" She turned, startled, and glanced at him and then beyond him In a manner most significant. Obviously she ex pected Mr. Kirby to appear at any mo ment. "Mrs. Kirby," said he, "I couldn't go away without speaking one word" She stared at him blankly. j "Mrs. Kirby?" she repeated. "Who j is Mrs. Kirby?" j "Why why you, f course," he I stammered. j "I don't undstand," aid she. "But ! you mustn't slop to explain. My uncle ! is coining, and he will be very ancrv." "AYho who is your uncle?" "Tue gen; Ionian who was with me." "Is Mr. Kirby your uncle?" "I don't know any Mr. Kirby; My ihiele s name is Lorrimer Jajnes Lor rimer. I have mentioned him to you." "But what have I done to him?" gasped Graydon. "Why is he angry with me?" "My goodness!" she replied, with r.plrit. "Why shouldn't he? You prac ilcally accused him of robbing the bank." "I V" -j.no story mat you wrote in your paper about the. Farmers' bank of this city simply made him furious." "But I didn't write it," he protested "I never even read it. I saw the head lines, but I didn't know there was any thing in it about him." "Mr. Stearns says you wrote it." "Mr. Stearns? I don't know him." "He is your paper's correspondent here, nnd lie says" "The rascal! He probably wrote the story himself. He was tired from Hie paper yesterday. That's why I'm here today. I'll look Mr. Stearns up before I go back to Boston and gently reprove hiiu"- "But you were with him today. You were in a carriage with him at the un veiling of the monument, and he sent a card to us while General Harwell was speaking. He wrote on It, 'If you will promise not to make any use of the in formation before tomorrow I will tell you who wrote that bank story.' Uncle looked at him and gave his promise i i ill j 9 4 i i ly, "V suotfitl' 'cave teegrap-reu mis awful nonsense to my paper. It would have cost ine my job, and Mr. Siearns, alias Blake, would have been vory neatly revenged upon our city editor who tired him. If I hadn't met you" "That was what Mr. Stearns was anxious to prevent," said she. "Of course I should have told you who he was, and that would have spoiled the plot." "He was clever, very clever," said Graydon between his teeth. Then ha suddenly extended his right V hand, pointing. Miss Lorrimer caught a glimpse of the face of Stearns, alias Blake, at the corner of the depot, and the next mo ment she was alone aud anxiously awaiting the noise of combat. Five minutes later Graydon return ed, wrathful and disappoiutcd. "I missed him," he said. "He dodg ed me somehow." He glanced at the sheets of copy aud the notebook which plie had gathered up duriug-his ab- f?ouce. "What in the world shall I do about this yarn?'' "It Is sublimely ridiculous," said she, "s,o far as I can judge. There isn't a name that's right, and some of your i 'facts' are uniquely twisted. But I j know most of tho people, and we can i fix it up together. Uncle will be here : In 51 Civ m t initial iir.il In11 linln no " I "Uncle!" "Oh, I'll engage to manage him," said she. "He has a hasty temper, but at heart he is the kindest of man." "I don't much care what he is," said Graydon, with deep feeling, "so long as he's your uncle only your uncle." In Time. "What did you do at the ktnderg trten this morning?" asked Ethel's mother the other day. "We sewed a clock," answered Ethel. Then, as if a new thought had struck her, Ethel asked, "Mother, is that what people mean when they speak of tak ing 'a Btiteh in time?' " -Put Why He Couldn't. Doctor (to Gilbert, aged four)- your tougue out, please. Little Gilbert protruded the tip of his tongue. Doctor No, no; put It right out. "I can't, doctor. It's fastened on to me." It Fell Down. Ellen, aged six, had some chewing gum, but while chewing It accidentally swallowed It. When asked how It hap- i .-1 ii i. in 1 1 ii j peneu une i cpncu ; i ivmuu i iiciy n.. It fell down." The Krnlns' Call. Mr. and Mrs. Bruin went To make .a party call; Mr. B. was rather Ws, But Mrs. B. was small. They might imlpcd have hired a cab. But they preferred to walk. And so Ibey did and passed the tlmo In edifying talk. Said Mrs. B., "That coat, my dear, la Just tho thing for you." "Thank you, my love," satd Mr. B. "Your furs are fetching too." Twas 6 o'clock, and very late. But the friends they went to se Were all bt hoir.o nnd so polite The Bruins stayed to tea. New Tort: Herald. I fi n ill Hill 'Mtlt!l'i;'tll:ltillitm:" Agetable Prcparalionfor As similating foe Food andllegula Ung the Stomachs andBowcls of 1ST! Promotes Digcstion,Cheerfur nessandRest.Contains neither Opium.Morpliine nor Mineral. "Sot Nahc otic . JMajx afOUJ-SAHUELPirCtiR fbrnfJu Stud HcdulUSmi- ClanfuiSagaF A perfect Remedy for Constipa tion, Sour Stomach, Diarrhoea Worms .Convulsions Jcverish iu?ss and Loss OF SLEEP. Facsimile Signature of NEW YORK. Q5 inn in For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of WW IF IF In Use For Over Thirty Years li Ull t OUT. BHE STAEKD AT HIM BLANKLY. with a nod. Then Mr. Stearns pointed to you. And uurle was crazy, because If he hadn't promised he would have gone over and talked to you." Graydon pressed his hand to bis fore- bead. "Let's think," said he. "Let's see what this means. That fellow met me here this morning. He Introduced him self under the name of Blake and said he was on the press committee and would take care of me. I was very grateful, because I'm absolutely green about this business and hadn't an ac quaintance In the city. lie has stuck to me ever since aud has given mc points" "What kind of points?" "The names of people and and all that." "Let me see some of them." Graydon gave her a sheet of copy. j "You may know some of these," he j said. "They're the ladies in charge of : the singing" I Miss I,orrlmor glanced at the paper and burst Into uncontrollable laughter. "I happen to know them," she said as soon as she could speak, "because their names have been In the local paper here a great many times in the last few days. There has been a very amusing strike of the scrubwomen in Carvell & Co.'s dry goods store, and tliete" she poInt"d to the sheet of copy "these are the womeuT' Graydon was pale with rage. "la auolhiT mjnute." .be 6ald.fcoAarise" pi LIST Rational OF HEPPNEFt. ANK x. 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