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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1905)
. I - t .rS t Kill II U lVlfX , ; neiv w- T";;-"vy r'yr-iyj 'hjf , , lioL 'y.-v" v :-,v-V; J o-V.w:-.-i;-.-. v- .f;A-,;' v4 VT.v - " ";;p t'' J 1 ' " rxf HB BrrYin fair had been vnt . I for a couple -of months, and ' everything had passed off wlth '. out' any particularly untoward ; cl mi no (tan cm. Even tho . unfriendli ness between MaJ. Joekeh- Pipkin ana CoL Wester Blood worth, which had Its - Inception during the sal days, had not developed anjr uneaay aspect that la. It had not up to the Junoture when the thing presently to be here set down took place. The trouble grew out of the award to Major Ptpkla of the prise for the fattest hog, both gentlemen having ' entered at the fair samples of the anl- roal and vegetable products of their re spective farms, which -were conducted for their owners vicariously and as side affairs, for while their fathers before them had followed yural pursuits they themselves had not elected to lead the life of out-aud-out tillers of the ground. ' The active concern of Pipkin was the keeping of a store la Barrsvllle for the ale of "all kinds or nam ware,- ana Bloodworth was chiefly occupied with his duties as superintendent of the one small line of railway., ' . . - It was necessarily a close decision, for the layman In porcine matters could have detected no autereaee la point of corpulency between . the two animals, and Colonel Blood worth. In commenting ' en the subject around town, made some remarks that, reaching Pipkin, did. not exactly please that gentlemen. The re sult was that they ceased to speak. . The two had been close friends ever since they were boys; they had always been to each other "JoaUh" and "Was," and everybody said it was ft pity that so puerile a thing should have been auf- feredoUatoryuptahatrasqiill eaa-l . tlnuity of a lifetime friendship. , , ' Meiop Pipkin man, of family was quietly disposed ordinarily, but proud and In some matters selflih.. ; Blood worth, who was a - widower of long tending, and -childless, - possessed a . somewhat eholerlo temper, and was easily provoked. . The physical eourage of both - was above Impeachment, and there was visual evidence of. the quality of Blood worth's spirit In his eork leg - substitute for the natural one left on a battlefield of the eivtt war. So,. while nothing of the kind was apprehended, it would not have been greatly surpris- ing to their fellow eltlaena to hear of ' some clash, between them; but ft sug . gestion of the possibility of anything .. like a prearranged encounter with Ore arms in other words, .a duel would V ' have been considered ss extravagant as were the knight-errantry notions of Don Quixote, both because the provocation v was too slight and because- dueling, In . the strictest sense, belonged to a gen eration past and gone. r While nothing . had befallen during the course of the fair to distinguish It from any., of its v predecessors for some years previous, , nevertheless, to months afterward r .following ft little mere chance episode ' that served to recrudesce the dormant : unplessuitness came the nnexpected. .. . . - - It was late la the afternoon of a day i hat had been one of; true winter . weather. Major Pipkin for the moment was standing in front of his store with 1 .two or three townsmen Idly bsndylng divers local - topics, and the Central ' ' ""tours lumbering 'bus from the train , with Its ' four passengers three com- 'merclal. travelers and a visiting country .. i attorney came te town to look after some caeea-k-hsd Just gons by,' creaking 1 from the want of axle grease, when " around the corner, about a block off, j .. abruptly appeared,, walking ' leisurely down the etreet, the squat, slightly : limping figure of Blood worth.- j Blmultaneously with their discovery , , . nf him .he-descrfed them, and he would have poseed on quite oblivious, to all' . outward semblsnce, of their existence, except for one ef these circumstances. trifling In themselves, which all along I in the history-of the world have been , fruitful of fsr-rescbtng consequences, ' and In the llvef of individuals have had V an Influence anslngous. When he had approached' to within ' 20 feet of the group he suddenly sl;pped upon' til , f rosen snow, and. very much against his Inclination and In spite ofexertlons - In Apposition, itame down -upon the hard formation, with a Jolt which seemed ' " drsstio enough to loosen his vertebrae and draw taut . everjr tendon In his, , anatomy. . , 'v'-i ;, ' ; : ' ,, There ww'a laucK, quite . aodlble, from the HpVln ssnemblHce, and while . Jtlood worth wae on the ground recuper , attng he major himself observed per baps Wholly Jocularly -and meaning that - , only those , immediately " aoout him h"ld heeri ... . , ; If Wee' waan't fstter-n that hog of lag he wouldn't have fallen r.v Alaat or, whatever the intention, the colonel -heard. , Ha .would have ignored the laughter, much as it aggra vated his discomfiture;- but the odium of the croarser insult, as fas deemed it to be, wsa positively unbearable and en raged him to that "supreme pomi where he forgot to do what ' he at ways "did whan anything went amiss swear con ously for a space, averaging a quarter of ft .minute. 'From the congested ap- pearanoe ef j hi - eouMenanea no one would have teen autprised to sse him expire the very next instant from apo pleay. But he didn't - Instead, picking up the cane which, he invariably car ried and breathing hard and seething with . Indignation too- turbulent to do scribe, hs srosd with . exceeding, sara, leaf he should again descend. i . 1 "Yoa ha a, cowa'd suht. he voolfsrated, paying no attention to the other men, but bristling up to Pipkin, who was tali and. of ft spare physique, and brandishing the stick like a gaga of battla in. the vicinity of hie former IntlmaU'a nose. Having an Idiosyncrasy of Immediately repeating some of his utterances, he at once reiterated if possible, with Augmented vehemence and before the major could return ft word: ' i , ? I say you eh a cowa'd, euh!1', : i' v Just why hs should have chosen that uiu uiner mmnunr or nil vocaouiary of Invective which might; have.. iwo more , appropriate under ' the cireum Stances to carry to Pipkin knowledge of his displeasure It Is not possible to asseverate, . but it is probable that he eould not on the 'spur of the' moment think Of kny other epithet which he fancied would be as hateful to the one to whom It was addressed. , , Pipkin, as ws have given to under stand was of psolflo temperament np to p certain point averse to fighting when it- could be avoided without sacri fice of honor, and he always did hie beat to stave off actual' hostilities. While he eould not refuse to take notice of this Imputation, he would -meet it, he de cided, with a response which would prevent trouble and at the same time enable him to retire with the Integrity of his reputation unimpaired.' He did net move as he replied,, very calmly: "You can prove, sun, whethah , I am ah-not!"-' ' . if - Strangely enoughs " Pipkin's forbear ance seemed to possets mollifying at tribute la its effeet upon the colonel. who apparently .cooled off aomewhat himself end walked away or mar be It was hs major's words Which turn' plused him and, put. hltn temporarily at a loss. When he commenced to -turn them over. In his' mind and' reflected that he had no reason ff hellevlng-that they were not Intended to be construed ss such a' remark s usually construed. It struck him that they were very-nlg-' nincant. i- - -. . . . Of course, when In the heat of angnr hs had declared sbsolutely sgslnst the major's valor. He had not anticipated getting a reply In terms which, al though tantamount to ft challenge from Pipkin, not only devolved, upon ' him self ths burden of proving;' in pnly one Inferrable way. his accusation, but of proving his own bravery, for both Pip kin and his companions, who had wit nessed ttra altercation, If,, he., (Blood worfhVtndk no step, would hsvs ample ground to believe that he himself had shown the white feather In not desiring to fight. Indeed, he, f elf that he really had behaved moat craven-like ' Ja, da pffrtlng so tamely. ! : j ' 1 Being aware, however, of the tnerrant fire of the msjor. snd that he certs Inly would not select any description of duel ing instrument but one which- would shoot, and knowing his own utter fall ore ss a ' marksmsn, ha fell that It would -be ss if rsubsrriljlng , his .own death warrant (to sending a challenge. But there was no ether course; he.ap-preelatd-that, and he heAtght that-tha qulcker.be acted, and thereby removed the impression thst he- nad backed mt under Pipkin's 1(unlntlmld table" front, the better. r ;-, A few hours after Colonel Bullwlnkte, his friend, waited npon Major Pipkin with a cartel. , As the epistolary experl fnce ofthe writer had been restricted almoet wntly to. the routine -eorrp-spondeoeir: Incident to his railroad posi tion which ha had occupied, a. great number of 'years and which the minds of his compeers conceived to be one of much prestige the note wsa couched Mn- the et phrases and embodied the abridgement of of ficlal i railroad com municatlona: t. 7 - ' "Major Jostah Pipkin, Sir;' Referring to onr conversation this evening, beg to advise that it will be convenient for ma to meet you nt I o'clock tomorrow morning at Pepper's grove, if that place will be-agreeable to you. Colonel Bull winkle is authorised to msks all ar rangements on my behalf. ' Respectfully, V "WE8LKT BLOODWPRTH." Whatever friends of either party were permitted to see that missive far from being-amusing-regarded aolely In re spect of Its tenor must hsvs been humorously moved by ths sharp con trast between Its severe formality and tho previous familiar intercourse sub sisting between' the two men. In, suggesting "Pepper's' grove an Isolated clump of woods ft mile and half out of the Pepper family estate and which throughout several changing ownerships had retained Its old , name among the people Dloodworth wss following . precedent. w nue nowadays dumilt !" sUTBrifflrWtyf halcyon purpose of ft picnic ground, per- seclusion - snd op poults surroundings caused It to be the scsns of more than one sanguinary: engagement between gentlemen having grievances of one I 'il Little Talk Atbut vMaiiecl 'tLyfas 1 n .I..-' ' i i ; i i'i i i ' i i i . ' ' ' 'i:'y--'V'-'-VV- By ELLA f W. H E t L E R . W I L C O X ; - - - -' r. iV'r: Coprrlfit, lB08, by W. ft. Bearat.) I N ALL probability Eve wss ths only attractive young woman who never won the too marked admiration of soma married men during her life time. It falls to the lot of every young woman, or widow usually to find herself the recipient; Of ardent glances from eyes which) ought to look elsewhere, and to hear tender cadences in a voire which becomes dull or irritable when It makes utterance in thedomeatia circle. ' Therefore, Mine or "Madame, if you are conscious of ' being the divinity of some-married sdorer, do not- imagtns your easels, solitary onev" Do not Invest it with a. wonderful balo of romance either, and convlnoe yourself that so beautiful a ' sentiment never before knocked at the portal of human heart, nor allow it to dominate your life under false pretences. '!--1- '. There Is but one course for any self, respecting and sane-minded woman to pursue under, such clrcumatsnces. She must cesss to see or hear from the mad she hss no right to call lover. . . It may be difficult to arrihxe. 'but when anything on earth-must be done, there. Is always a way to do it ' Perhapi the men is your employer, perhaps he l your physician,' perhaps' he is fits hue band of some nesr friend or relative, who could not understand your abaen.-o from her home. All these compllcatlOKa ere difficult to tintsngln, but there sre sltuatlona -far more .difficult, ahead of you unless ' you take the path of re treat at once before the way of escape IS CUt Off. '- ' j : It is useless to say thst you rsn go on and conduct yourself In such a discreet manner that no harm will befall any on. If you do not Car for the men. If tliet love and passion-are all on--! mdA then indeed you, may be sole to control the situation. by stsylng nar " "There Is' hothing -better than toold water for the extinguishing of a fire, if the fire has' not become a conflagra tion. . ' " - . r .- , .. , ..... Miut if you are hiding In your heart any affection for the man which you would not like to have him or his wlf or the world know Rioted, do not undertake-to continue tie sssorlatlon. No matter how.aclf-controlled you are, no msttor how unselfish snd high yonr taeaiSf me suppressed emotion will make kind . or another which they thought could be- brought to no- .other arbitra ment than that of arms. ... V :'" . Pipkin had not . attached -' ft - great deal of Important, to -the -occurrence of . tho afternoon and was on . the point -of closing up his store for the1 night and going home when Bull w Inkle arrived and made known, the object of his smbassy." He wss astound ed dumfounded and could not help tell ing Bullwlnkle that "Wea Is a, bigger fool than I thought he was." But If he refused he argued to himself, after thinking it over, there might be some who would seriously call la - question his eourage, and ha therefore felt that, now that it had . assumed this phase, he would havo to see the affair through in soma fashion.: - '.' ; .'. . s . -Being the challenged party, he had the selection of the class of -weapon to be used, and be chose the rifle ; ft was an almost unheard of preference In those parte, the pistol having , always, . as rule, been favored In the duelling times gone by, and as It waa unlikely that any one could he struck In ft mortal spot' by a rifle-charge' and survive to tell how Ufeltand a, furthermore. Pipkin waa of the opinion that he waa taking his full advantage, sines Blood worth was no shot at all. He was aetonlahed, too, because the major was considered an exemplar of fafrness and was not in the least of ft vindictive mould. In? this case, Itself felt suppressed stesm makes Itself known. A man and a woman who vntertaln an Intones love for each other cannot hide the fact from others, no matter how they may try. When they believe them selves most 1 successful they are fre quently making the story legible reading for even defective eyea. . ;'.-." I have seen ft young woman who talked long and loudly of her high Ideals, snd who really by temperament and ed ucation was incapable of Indulging In an amour, attempt to 11 y lown "nd force a married man to live down mad in fatuation. She devoted herself to ths wife and never permitted the man to see her savs In the presence of his amiable snd phlegmetlo spouss. vTst ths sensi tive plate when held up to ths sunlight does not so truly display tha image Im printed thereon as tha faces, voices and manner of these two people displayed their Infatuation to even tha easusl ob server. When they believed themselves immune from even It susplolon their ene mies and the coarser minds of earth were attributing to them an Ignoble Ilk-son,- while their friends and the finer minds were pitying them -for the In effectual . effort to . conceal a hopeless love. , ; j .'" ' :' Had the young woman possessed good common sense with her Ideels she would have managed to avoid ths man for suf ficiently long periods of time, until the Infatuation died of -starvation - - - r Of course, you snd ths man will say that such n love ss yours can never die. That msy be. There sre greet passions which stand the leet of time and absence snd silence, and yet have power to stir the hearts which hold them while life tests. - But the -sorrow and pain which made tha parting of ths -ways necesssry dies' with the passing of time, and only the swtet and -dear memories of the love remain, --' ; "' 'i. ' However-painful may he the effort on your part now to place dlstancs-and si lence between, you and the man you have no right to love, remember that thla pain will lessen with the-drifting away of the months snd years, aad that new experi ences, events. Joys and sorrows will compel it to occupy a leas Important place In your memory and life. . - I should not havs sstd the man you nave nn rigni to leva.- . - . though. It eeemed that ha was determined to kill hla man, ' t. . 1 , -. Even ' Pipkin's own second. Ous John son, afterward expressed his surprise. ' '"T. majuh, you'll teah . yo'selvea . up oho'!"- he objected. . "Well ft pistol won't , do ths Job Just exaetly.the-way I want to do It." waa the drawling reply, "ff far's his hlttln' he's - oonsu'ned, he'll .nevah 'come any whe'e heah It, no tnattah how ha'd he tries, and what I'm gotn' to do Is to simply shoot" ; . The concluding words tickled John son, for a broad grin appeared on his face.-..- .;.,'' ,. i a-,,., "But, say, majuh, ain't you rlskin' a right ema'tf he urged. . "Tou ain't goln' to let him stand up an'" Pipkin, though, ' who seemed to con sider "Wss ' markmanshlp an altogether neglected faotor. Interrupted him. . fl tell you he'll nevah touch met" he again declared. - , ' . When Colonel B1oodorth waa apprised of the kind of weapons selected he was convinced . that ' long before It hours should - have elapsed 'be, . would have ceased to be. ."Josiah's tu'ned out to be a reg-lah scoundrel T he exclaimed furiously.- "I reckon -he'll sutt'nly kill me, but" and he swore ev-choice oath ''I'll see If I can't do a little ahooUn' mysstfl" It was bitter eold tho next morning, the temperature having .In the night gone way down, and an , Indslve wind ao- We have ftrtghj to love whoever calls forth love. ; But have no right to Interfere in tha life of ft third person and to make sorrow or misery for that one In order to drink our fill from love's chalice. And If you know that yon a receiving far more of a maa'e thoughts than he la bestowing upon the woman he introduoea as his wife, then indeed. It IS time you absented yourself from his presence, and taught him to forget you in such measure as he may.. . tune raox is provsn or ft nine oDserva tlon: Nina eases of infatuation of every 10 are forever obliterated from - the human , heart by prolonged ebeenoe and silence, ' One alonr beers tha test Of time, t 1 .; . ' i-'-. ;- . :. . This being the case, busy yourself with ths method of an almost certain cure of your malady. . ' v - "i ' However lmnoealbls It mar testa at first. If you'' set your mind to work you witt find" a way to ' extricate yourself from the position which. seems to neces sitate your assdciatlon with this man. Fata never shuts an immortal soul in a- den of lions, and givea It no chance of escape and no weapons of dsfsnss Look, and you will And a sliding panel n open winauw ur a secret stair way, i . ; ,"',- " - ' la finding the path out of our difficul ties we also find charsotef. - Thsrs is no glory In lighting a Are with your hands, only to be burned and scorched for life. Better save yourself and send tha lire engines to put out ths flams,- .'If ' Qntta Different ThUg. From the Cleveland Leader. Mcflosh wsll m'dear. f you feel ' s' bad about It, I'll eoieran prom,ise nev; loucn noin- orop. , i . , i Mrs. McSosn That'g what you said on New Tears eve. - ; Mclean But. m'dear -woman, la drunk when I s-sald It that time, wasnIT . lV ,-'"' sTot rna IVnro. f , y, .f ,;;, '' ''.".i From Puck, ' " ' Mag Wot Is "platonio affection" Lis? Is. it lovsT . . . ,' ... .-J , i Lis Well. n; It alnt true love. Dere aliTtj no quarreling In it. ner no fighting, ner worrying, ner hocking, ner drinking, ner getting arreeted fer non-support, B(r nuthln wot s really passionals. ',4 centuated the discomfort, The few , per sons , stirring ; shortly after daybreak, seeing, tn close order, three buggies and two ' men on horseback . faring out the Woodford pike, and Identifying the nag hitched' to one ' of the vehicles aa Dr. Dudley's sorrel mare, wondered what could be ths . occasloDr as) early and 1n such arc tie weather.-.. .- , . In the first conveyance that crunched and bumped over the hard-frosen snow were Bloodworth and Bullwlnkle; his second. - It appeared considerably lop sided, hut that was owing to the springs having given up tha ghost under the former's bulky frame. A few minutes behind them rode the two horsemen, who, while officially disinterested, had been asked to be present as cloas friends to both combatants. . : Shortly following theea wss -ft buggy- containing Pipkin who had told hla wife he' was going shooting and thereby' had not falsified and Ous Johnson; and hard upon them came another, drawn by a eorreLjnare; in which jet the doctor and his young associate. ... ..-. r Besides the medical cases and the surgi cal kits In this last turnout, there were disposed In Its bottom, wrapped about very carefully that there might he the minimum hasard of breaking, two large equsre-ehaped bottles of some , kind of fluid; and each of the- other buggies, and tha turgid pockets of ths overcoats of the two men s-horse, carried something similar,' otily In tho last Instance ths safety of the contents was Insured by confinement within a receptacle of metal. This liquid waa of such a oolar and of such sngaging and emollient parts. Judg ing from the complacency of. the travel- era after they had frequently discussed its virtues, as to make reasonably cer tain of correctness, the conjecture- that it was a well-known distillation mads in that section from grain, said to "be very palatable and moat exhilarating - , A little br-lane led off from the wisln road - and into this - ths severs parties reined In turn, and after proceeding- a short distance hitched their horses to ths slg-sag rail fence which rsn along on both , sides. . Their - destination ;was now not-more than ISO yards , off, and they completed the balance of 1 the way aroot, paeeing tnrougn tne oia-rasnioned gate held In place by wooden bar aad Into a field In the middle of which stood the grove. The expsmse wss a virgin surfscs of snow savs for little imprints dotted here and there by some Ions rab bit in quest of sustenance.1 : : ' ' The 'grove consisted almoet altogether Of huge hickories of an ate so great that they might have been rooted there at the time ' when t Daniel. Boone was biasing his way through the wilderness, and on ths bleak morning their branches, were embellished with ' hoar-frost, which sparkled In the beams of ths early aun and made them look like they had been decked With- ths glittering tinsel of the Christmas tree. . Here Bloodworth and Bullwlnkle were waiting when the others arrived. . .v .(' The major 'and the' colonel did not notice one another. The other gentlemen, aa they mlxa together foe-a -few-minutes, passed : the cuetomery - morning civilities snd ft casual word or two about ths transaction in hand. After tome lit tle conference the space was measured oft, the arms were Inspected and loaded and the men took their places. ' It was decided by the toes of a coin that Colonel Bullwlnkle ahould be the one to count three as the signal .' for firs, and ths seconds thsn took ft station as close to thslr respective principles as was . con sistent with security to themselves. Ths others stood -together a ' little removed. Everything wae -In readlnass. , ,: . "Aim!" directed Bullwlnkle.' ." ' J9xeept the Incongruous chirping sf ths birds rdund about, no.t even a ripple of sound .wsa to be - heard aa ths men shifted their, places to firing position.. "One!" he counted slowly "two!" Bomlng thoughts had commenced to fly serosa Bloodworth's mind with elec tric Instantansouaness frem the time that Bullwlnkle' had flrst spoken. If he had uttered then this Is what hs would here ssidt 4 . -v- , .- ,; - , -"I'm on' the brink .of the srv the present minu.t'11 see my death nothln' on 'uth can prevent it but . the wuat ' .-.M, 'kind o' cowa'dleel'The Book! says man will be punished o' his slnsmust I kill Joslah,. or' try to, and add an awful sin aa the last thing to all ths wickedness : I must anawahfo'T" -Then he murmured ' earnestly s "Joalsh, 1 fo'gtve you!" " "three!" . called . Bunwnlkle, ' Brtoty sad disttnctiyrxV'T-"- :-. :-i An unreckoasbls atom of time,' before this last word Bloodworth. to the amass- ,' ment of all of thenv slightly, raised his C rifle. - It wss thought to have been ao- . cldentaU hut. however It may have been. It was plain that hla shot would pass Innocently over bis opponent's heed. Ths reports blended Into one loud ex- plosion, the quivering sound of which r went reverberating, through the air. of the still country morning fn a series of gradatory modulations ' that became falrfter and fainter, and then died away. The colonel had been seen to loose hold of hla jrun, and his heavy form stagered and aanfcButtwtnkls. together with the . surgeons and the other two wltneeeea , who observed thst Pipkin waa uninjured and did not require ttentlon, rushed to the prostrate man's aide, .J.. - - ; Aa Mmlnr. Plnkln neroeived hla old - L friend fallen, 'something In ths nature of a eiMjauer vc spprenvMivii . . him," and he said, to Johnson in m low -voice: '' ,,'.-:'' ' ; :," "Ous., I wondah If tha dog-goned gun - could V fooled me! I thought I msde v she' an" it looked like he didn't elm at me g-tall." ' . ! y Ha eould not contain his anxiety and, with Johnson, walked over toward where.-. Bloodworth lay. Before they reachM fhlm. however, be bad. - unaided. lifted . himself to a sitting posture. The major -, waa-reileved upon seeing this, and then when he noted the amueed look on tha faces of thee standing about,' and saw ; tha rent In the colonel's trouser.leg and '-. the effusion of cork scattered around, ho knew that all had happened as he had designed. . except ., "Wee's" collspso which he had not thought ' of and he " had to Indulgs In a furtive smile hm- Self. - -,r.-i . ';v, ., v. --;.' Ton ain't hu'C ah you, . Wesr he asked, determined to try a conciliation , ) for old time's sake, now that ths thing " wss dver. . - -- v .4- "If t ain't it ain't yo fault; I reckon." , was the repelling answer, as he 1 who, gave It, a little - pale ' and apparently " somewhat dased. waa helped to his fstt. " or rather to hla foot, for tha falss leg had been Incapacitated. This letter fact. , of course, .'combined with the shock of .: ths Impact and hla eapeotant condition of mind, was what had caused him to faill. '"' ': ''.-' i - 'T. wesr persisted ths major, "you .i don't think . I'd shoot you aftan the , friends ws'vs been sll ou' lives, do your' Bloodworth's , sxpresslon and manner ' changed; all. at- once his features began to soften and. glow with requickenin . cordiality, kindled by ft feeling of gratl- tuda and b the spark of old rrtendahin which had smouldered; unextinguished, , within him.." j . . : - v - '. '. Do you mean 1L JoalaAT"- he iimoTrsq tneredulouely, ready to. make up if pip. -; kin was. "I say do you mean Itr hs re- . pea ted, after his habit at times., ' :'. " T, oi cobs i ao, wwr . . i -"Wsll. put It thsrs then!" warmly ex-. , claimed the happy eofi&nei happy to And - hlmaelf alive, and not only that but ae ' lually unhurt as he held out his fat v; hand. It was grasped and theyahook ' heartily.. ' ." ... ..; , . . , -, ,' "An" if that'g theiease," he continued. :'' Til tell you somethln' mysslf by gum, Joslah, I ahot ovah yo' head oa pu'pose!" ' Doubtless the major, thought,at..wouia. -not have changed Jhe outcome if he had ' taken pains to aim moat deliberately. ' but, hs reasoned, the intention was the , point to consider. ' . "I know you did. he replied, an' I d " done the ssme thing at the last minute, Wee", but well. It e my .Infernal -prld. I reckon. -I Jus" couldn't let the bovl think I plum missed you altosether!", J The emenlty of the ' situation ' wss helped along by the amicable confluence of all parties, and the rift wss clnsed-" hy the whole oompany with one accord repairing to where the buggies stood snd- i sealing it with ths best made in the SlAU. ..v.. -y.-.-l ,'...--,, 1;, : ,,- 7. r."t c V -