Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1908)
1:- -4 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY IS, 1908. HIE MORNING ASTOMAN, ASTORIA. OREGON. 3 I I III IT- I I I sreai Baniirupi Mie wearing me m 8T6RE OPENS AT 0. A. M. ' REMEMBER THE BE8T GOES FIRST But the Goods Are Yours While They last COME PREPARED TO BUY. NO GOODS LAID ASIDE TODAY'S BIG SPECIALS Prom 9 to 10 a. m. We Will Put on Sale Men's ffffifr shlrts valoe 65c to 85c.:;,...,...,;...... 39c j Children's and Men's 40c and 45c Rubbers..;......; 2Bc Men's $1.25 Shirts: Men's 7Sc and 90c splendid Gloves PROM 69c Ladies' 65c and 75c Rubbers 2 TO 3 P. M. 49c 39c Men's $1.25 Gloves .. w M;;. ,L. f69c Men's best $4.50 and $5 Pants for $1. Ladies' $ 1 Fine Union Suits.. 49c ladles' (Cdts9 Sults9 Skirts and RilusIIn itdeiw ALL DAY we will make a special effort to entirely clean up all ladies' Goats, Suits, Skirts and Muslin Indenvear. Our prices will surprise everyone who conies v f COME YOURSELP 1 " 1 "DONT "' ' TELEPHONE . 03 1 Successors to the Morse Department Store ran . YOU'LL NEVER BUY GOODS AT THESE PRICES AGAIN Silly and Betty. By ALLEN LYNN. Copyrlf ht, 1W7. by C. N. Luris. , l was hardly conscious of bor Intrusion at Brat, alio fitted io well Into it all with her toft ', gray calico and chestnut bab. They were on the brow of a slope that dropped rapidly down Into the valley, nd she paused and threw her band Ibove ber eyes with a quick motion, which bo recognized as expressing anxiety and bope. II could see bor face plainly from whero be lay, and he could rend In the glances which Cashed from point to point something of the terror of tholr owner at not finding what she sought. J I "What is It. Miss Betty?" he drawled as with a slow, muscular movement of bis body be threw himself upon bis feet and moved forward to her side. "Can t be any help?" "O-ob! It's you. Blllyt, Thank God! Hurry! Hurry! Tap's knocked down by a tree an' being crushed. 1 couldn't lift rt." ,: ,J Jy , fWherer asked Billy tersely. ! ' "TO Possum Flat.' He was choppln' a bee tree, an' it fell 'fore be thought Please, please do hurry!" Billy nodded reassuringly. Possum Flat .was1 three fDilles away by a cir cuitous path around craggy points and up and down declivities or one mile by going straight over the ridge and meet ing a precipice by crawling out on a branch for twenty feet nd sliding down the tree trunk" for thirty1 feet more. Billy wondered If Betty bad come by this route. But as he sprang up the slope, ha swung . his hand to ward the circuitous path, knowing full well as be did so, however, that the girl would do exactly as she pleasod. for that was her.vay. i Possum Flat was the wonder and chagrin of all the mountain side, for was It not the climax of brazen indus try? They all had tbelr truck patches, but beside Possum Flat their patches were as barren fields to a land of, milk and honey, jako, the father of Betty -as he was called In contradistinction to another Jake of the same name, who was father of Meg grew pota toes that stood Jbitn from October dig- digging to May planting. I lis onions and cabbages were always above ram lly needs and flowed over Into envied sales for ready uioucy, and, to cap it all. behind bis cabin was a four acre field that every fall showed green with uprooting shoots and every spring grow heavy with swaying, goldon headed wheat. No wonder be bad two mules and a buckboard "kerridgo," a "peuxiur" In front of his cabin and a kitchen with real window glass win dows behind! And no wonder "he car ried bis bead high as the mighty man of the "blllers" and looked askance at the valorous "pore trash" youth that dared to raise eyes to his daughter. But of unambitious, care free Billy he bad not even thought as an object or suspicion. Mi: " So now, after that stalwart youth bad removed tbe heavy tree trunk from his body and had lifted and borne him to his bed In the cabin as gently as a "PAP'S KNOCKED DOWN BY k TBKE." mother might her child, he welcomed with cordial gratitude an offer to re main and look after things until he could get out. Betty was strong and willing, but ber bands would be full In looking after biro, and there were the mules to care for and tbe dozens of pigs and a cow to drive up from tbe valley and milk, ond besides It was high time the four acres were again Seeded in order that there should be n succession to the sacks, of, golden gram wnietf were1 now stored in the shed loft waiting for tho higher quota tions wblcb rumor promised. let, a strong man was needed on the place, for Possum Flat even In Its splendor, was isolated. The nearest neighbor was too far away to bo reached by even tbe report of bis rifle.' BUly entered upon bis new work with unwonted energy. A great heap of wood was cut and plied near the back door, where It would be bandy for Betty. He brought water and fed the pigs and, In spite of her protests. Insisted on doing the milking himself, and be brought the big, unwieldy plow and swung it In behind the mules and went merrily around tho four acre lot In lessening parallelograms. It was tbe novelty of seeing a wom an about that was pleasant ne bad no sisters, and bis mother bad long been dead. It was Just the novelty and the neatness and contentodness of It all Iw liked. And this Idea, If bis thoughts took such definite form, re mained with, him for a month until tbe Invalid began to hobble about on crutches when .suddenly the truth came home to him as had her beauty that day on tbe ridge. Billy was In love. Betty noticed tbe change In bun at once, and ber face grow puzzled, , but only for a little while. Then an odd twinkle of humor came into ber eyes as though she understood. And min gled with the humor was a tender, flickering light which had been gaining strength in her eyes these past few weeks, a light which Billy bad not yet seen. As be entered Jake fooked up with angry impatience, and BUly raised a hand defensively before his face, but the invalid was not thinking of that "Hecred anything 'bont wheat to day?" be grumbled. "Goln down, of course." v , 'Goln' up," Billy answered promptly. MA man hollered to me from the aige o' the bill this moroin' an' said 'twas seventy." ' '"' Seventy!" Jake grabbed bis crutches and rose totteringly to his feet, but sank back, with a snarl of mingled rage and pnln. t "Seventy cents, an' I've got ninety bushels. Dum the old back! By the time I'm out ag'in It'll be down to fifty, like 'twas last year, an' that'll be a clean loss of "Can't I go, pap?' suggested Betty. The gloomy face cleared slightly. then lowered. He loved the profits of his industry, but not so much as be loved Betty, It was thirty miles to Staunton, , .... . .. "No, ye can't" be snarled. "., , ' There was a brief Blleuce. Then Bet ty said: 1 . ' '; ,::;. "There's Billy, pap. He's mlghtv strong and wlllln'." The face darkened, then grew llght- er. cviaeimy cue mea, at nrst scorn ed, was being tolerated. That meant Billy bad been making giant strides forward during these few weeks. "I-dunno," doubtfully. Billy saw bis opportunity and rose to it like a man like a man of indus try. He was developing rapidly. "I'll take it down all right" he said confidently. "I've sold wheat to Staun ton afore. But mebbe it'll be worth while to hold back till you're out ag'in." , , Jake snorted. "There's mora fallln's than rlsln's in wheat" ho snapped. "I've found that out I reckon ye'd better go, an mind, I want ye to get it all down by tomorrow. Seventy cents! Yes, ye must get it all in tomorrow." Billy's head was whirling. But there was Betty looking at blm confidently, and ber father already beginning to lose some of his newly acquired confi dence. He must brace up. "All right" be answered as steadily as be could. "The mules can draw half on the long waggtn, an' I'll borry Tom Stuart's mule an' Ike Coyner's hay waggln.' That'll take the other half. Die's boy Sam can drive behind me so I can keep an eye on blm. Oh. yes. We'll get on fust rate." Jake nodded approvingly. It was a good plan. "Seventy cents," he admonished warnlngly. "Try an' get it" After the wheat was loaded the next dny Billy entered the cabin for a tew last instructions.- Before leaving be contrived to draw Betty Into the back kitchen for a moment. . . "Say, Betty." he began, "1-1 say. would ye mind me buyin' a ring to Staunton, a gold ring for you an me?" She looked at him quickly, under standing,' ber face flushing. She could not remember a single one of her married acquaintances who had been given a gold ring. "Why, no. I wouldn't mind, Billy." she said simply.' "I'll be real glad." "An' an' would ye mind speakin' to your pap 'bout It while I'm gone. Betty? It might be a good time now I'm a-totin' his wheat" V "N-no, I don't mind" : She watched blm from the doorway until the heavy wagons rumbled out of sight Then she went to her father. Tap," she announced abruptly, "Billy's asked ma to marry him." "An' your Tve said yes," composedly. Jake controlled ' himself with a mighty effort. With Betty be must be diplomatic. ,., t ... . "Well, ye knov,bestr,.b.e grimaced affably. "But ye know how 'Us with Billy. Ye'll have to wait till he's able to keep ye. I don't reckon he's saved enough to buy a runt pig yet" ' But Betty smiled to- herself content edly, .Was not BUly tne nest natureu' and the best looking man on tbe slope? And bad he not promised her a gold ring out of the plenitude of his riches? So she said softly: . V ? "I won't go ag'in ye. pap.. Don't ye fear. We'll wait till ye say yourself that Billy's able to keep me." But curiously enough, at that very moment BUly was wondfering dismal!; how be would be able to contrive tlic purchase of a gold ring with the 2Ti sents which represented the accumu lation of his twenty-five years. They expected him back by the end ot the third day. It was the afternoon of the sixth when h returned. , As he dismissed young Sam and attended to his mules there was a look of beatific joy upon bis face, which remained there until he opened the cabin door and 8a w the expectant face of Jake, Then he whitened and staggered to the nearest chair. "You poor boy!" cried Betty tender ly. "You're plumb beat out" "Did ye get the TO cents? demanded Jake eagerly. BUly gasped and tried to collect his thoughts. What did they want him to say? It was about the wheat wasn't it? He had almost forgotten that unimportant matter after the gold ring took possession of his mind. He remembered the wheat had been token to the storeroom of a big flouring mil and that be had told a clerk he would be back later mid attend to its sale. Then he bad hurried away in search of a Job bntillug with the mules and bad carted sund two days for $0 and bad bought the gold ring. Yes, that was It and he bad given Sam the 25 cents to pay his fare to a cousin's at ' Flsherville to get him out of the way for the two days. That was aU only he had forgotten to go back and sell the wheat. ! ' ' ; "Did ye mt the 70 cents?" demand ed Jake for J he second time. Billy felt t!iat It was a crisis with him, and he drew a long, bard breath. Then bis ga::t steadied. . Ye see. I:'s this way," he said, "signs are for risiis', nn' 1 ain't sold yet. Ye might Jest as well have 75 or 80 cents as for anybody else. But I'll go down" he was about to say "to oncef bnt restrained himself, tor that might be tray him; he added instead "in a few days an' see how the rlsln's comln' on." Under ordinary circumstances the In valid would not have controlled his as tonishment and wrath, but this was an extraordinary opportunity, and Jake, the father ot Betty, was nothing it not diplomatic. So he forced, himself Into a semblance of composure. "Well, it's your lookout BUly," hf said significantly. "I ordered ye to sell, an' of course I'll hold ye responsi ble for all fallln's from the 70 cents. Ilfod that!"- : ' p - It was a very miserable Billy who went out to attend to the evening chores. He bad half a mind to rush back to Staunton and remedy the evil before It grew worse. He Imagined all sorts of fallings to 60 cents, 60, per haps 40; to a life of toU spent In aton ing for tbe carelessness; to the proba ble loss of Betty. But he stuck It out until tbe third morning. Then be left the cabin with steady confident strides, which, however., changed to frantic haste as soon as he was be yond view of Betty In the doorway. But the mills of the gods sometimes turn out unaccountable grist Every moment since BUly had been told from tbe hUl that wheat was "goln' up" the mUls of the Chicago pit had been grinding out good flour for his chaff. Tbe west had been scoured, the mar kets of the world invoked and the many " tongned lines of telegraph brought into the game. And all had redounded to tbe honor and glory of BUly of Coon HUl. When he returned to Possum Flat at the end of one short twenty-four hears his face was again expressive of beatific Joy. Going straight to Jake, tbe father of Betty, he handed bim a roU of bUls. "The rislu' was even better than I 'lowed on,", he said nonchalantly. ' I sold for $1 a bushel. Ye see, there was signs o' breakin', an' I lowed I'd better not hold on any longer." There are varying signs of wonder. chagrin, incredulity and satisfaction. but the niiugling of them all which gathered on Jake's face ''was of the kind that cannot be put into words. He gazed at the money, jat the strong, handsome figure before him; at Betty, smiling a few feet away, and bowed his head in surrender. "I reckon I might 'a been mistook, Betty,", he said submissively. "BUly 'U be able to keep ye, sure nough." , A OPEN SHOP. .. DENVER, Feb. 14. Notices were posted at the Rio Grand shops yester day to the effect that after March 13 all agreements with shopmen as to wages, and hours of work will be ab rogated. Union men take this to mean that the future policy of the road will be to employ union and non-union men alike. - '-: :; 'COFFEE fa perishable, it ought to be kept in tight packages, not exposed to air. , 4 ' Your rrocr return yow monw II 7 Vk ScbUUM's iWM.we W w J ti-. .f n 1