THR El'GKNg! WEEKLY Ol ARD,
sheer volubility and found to its dls-
gu-t that the method didn't work. Red
listened most zestfully and always
j • eu.
it h ma am, but wo don’t
want that paint. Get us some good
paint -bully old paint with stk k'uui lu
it. 'ITiis stuff is like whitewash, only
feebler
We re going to put on a
swell front up at the mill, and we've
got to have the right thing." And at
last the postmistress said that she
would, her respect for the ex-cow
puncher having risen noticeably in the
meantime.
'^T p TEK VII
■ continued !
.... Mattie! Run away and
shrieked Red.
Miss
[¿’roll.!««!
lhe arm’ °f
k z«<t «e'tled enough so that the
pillagers could see horse and
*
former resting easily as if
“¡J bad enough athletics for one
' “nd the latter sitting in the road.
,bowed any intention of rto-
Laf, the matter, Mr. Saunders,
’„uburtr inquired the fussy post-
j'r'-e g> 'way. uia'am.” said Red.
1Tlng bl<
■fm sure you re
te you're hurt.
# ____
[ her t ground,
an’wwlWy
at c— .
hurt—I'm perfectly
she persisted, hold-
"Now, do tell us
l>e the matter with
<Very well.” returned the exas-
My
Ptei cowpuncher, “I will.
tti, ma'am, have suffered In this
, up. and they're now in a con-
jon to make my appearance in po-
, society difficult, if not Impossible;
, please go 'way, and somebody
th me a horse blanket.”
It is regrettable that the dtecom-
Ut of the postmistress was received
th undisguised hilarity. The blan-
waa produced, and Red stalked off
Indian dignity, marred by a limp
Ills left leg. for he had come upon
tier Earth with a force which made
t!f felt through all that foot of
I dust
Bring that durn fool horse along."
called over his shoulder. Buckskin
e and followed bls owner. There
»no light In his eye now; he looked
tnghtful. He, too, limped, and
■re was a trickle of blood down his
ae. Verily it had been a bard
■aght field. ’
As both men were anxious to see the
i of the land as soon as possible
d took his place in the wagon
it day. after the damages were re-
red, content to wait until Ills leg
at less sore for horseback riding.
There followed a busy two weeks
t them. Mr. Bendit had some money
I »shed to put into the enterprise,
it bi* most valuable assistance was.
' ennrse. his thorough know ledge of
»resources of the country.
They found an admirable site for the
II In an old stone barn which had
od the ravages of desolatlou almost
Unpaired. Red's mining experience
i him that the creek could easily
tamed to the barn, and as that was
i only objection of the others to
il'i atlon they wrote the owner of
1 property for n price. They were
oohhed when they received the tig-
* It had come by Inheritance to
tutu to whom it was a white ele-
iul of the most exasperating sott.
I he was glad to get rid of It for
H» a song. They were a Jubilant
* at the news. It saved the cost
building a mill, and, including that,
■ Ph«* was as low per acre as any
d they could have obtained. Red
*■1 the bargain Instantly.
lettto’ part of the business was
Uy to arrange for the disposal of
It product, and when he explained
bb partners what he could reason-
bope to do in that line the affair
its last tint of unreality and be-
* » good proposition, for I^ttls
au excellent business acqualnt-
t who would lie glad to deal with
’tralghtforward young fellow.
•c night after the signing of the
I* lied sal ! to Miss Mattie: "We
« to have a stockholders' dinner
rl-ht. Mattie. If you could
> tha " ow built girl who wears
hair scrambled to come in and
‘.,°u a lift, would you feel e ;ual
, always put it that I'm doing
'•nvit favor in such things. Will,
'
know perfectly well there's
J** ' ' rn,h'“r do” replied Miss
”lth a dimpling smile. "How-
’ adds to the pleasure of it to
11 Put In that way, so I won't
t.n. in
bBve mj. supper
. then you men can talk over
1 '"’’'nese undisturbed.”
r ’
not~y«i'll eat with the
*,,>rkho|ders"— The
M Import to Mias Mattle, a
,„,5-“ not regal, nt least a kin
klnc Tnder her demorra-
% »
f°r tb* ffMln”ed tnstl
• fflponu.nal, an integral part of
m —'. ,!1* *’»te—In fact, a minor
^k, \'r,,h,n nn empire.
It*"’*r yourself!" retorted Red
¡Jcan me names.”
ju'J'1 J0” »Mn. Winr asked
J*.
B m -
critters in the distauoe. ‘What part
do you take? I mean, what's your
share of each animal? and does th«
last man get the hoofs and the tall?’
*Oh, you don’t understand.’ says fee.
’I’ll explain It to you.' Se he starts
in to tell me that ’stock didn't neces
sarily mean beef critters' am! a lot
more things, whilst old man Ferguson,
who was putting the deal through’
stood listening and chewing Ida teeth,
thinking I was going to give our friend
the frolicsome bee hee at the wlnd-
up. But 1 stood solemn and never
even drew a smile, for fear of queer
ing Ferguson. Well, that’s the proiMjr
way to start a company—make it as
dreary and long winded as possible.
We nln't done that, and perhaps we'll
go broke for breaking the rules, and
then your stock won't t>e worth a cuss.
So don't you get excited about it. I
wanted the Saunders family to be rep
resented. Tretty soon the old lad with
the nose will be around, and you'll ,
have a chance to read about the ‘par
ties of the first part' and 'second parts
of the party’ and ’aforesalds' and 'be-
hlndsaids' and the rest of the yappl
them lawyers swing so that honest
men won’t know what the devil they’re
up to.”
”Oh, Will! How can I ever thank
you?" cried Miss Mattle, her eyes till
ing. It seemed a great and responsible
position to the gentle lady to be a
Btockholder in the corporation,
It
wasn't the monetary value of the
thing; it was the pride of place.
"If you don't know how. don’t try.”
returned Red. "You give the other !
three stockholders a gival feed tomor-
1
I
Six feet »tralaht in the air.
row and the thanks will be up to you.
Hello! There's the old lad now!” as
a trumpet blast rang out from the
front porch. "It must take some prac
tice to blow your noee like that. I've
heard jackasses that could not bray
In the same class with that little old
gent—come In. Come tn! You needn’t
Bound the rally again.”
Thus adjured »he lawyer made his
entrance, and Miss Mattle became In
due and Involved course of law a
stockholder In the Fairfield Straw-
board Manufacturing company.
Fairfield rose to activity like a very
Teams and
small giant refreshed,
their heavy loads kept the respect
able dust In constant commotiox A
i
grtst mil! was added to the Intended
plant, thus offering an Inducement to
the farmer to raise grain, and incident
ally straw, "So we can ketch em on
both ends, too," as Red put it.
The time seemed like enchantment to
Miss Mattle. As a brlnger of the tid
ings and a stockholder in the company
sue had risen to be a person of impor
tance. with tlie result that she was
even more modestly shy than liefore.
although in her heart she like-! it.
but more delightful yet was the spirit
of holiday activity which Inspired and
pervaded the place.
Red had insisted on operating on
the lines that are laid down with rail
road spikes In the western communi
ties—to patronize home industries as
much as possible. Therefore the ma j
chlnery orders went through Mr. Far
rel. the blacksmith, initiating that
worthy man into the mysteries of
making money without doing anything
for it, which seemed little less than a
miracle to him Everything that could
be bought through local people was ob
talned in that way. It cost a trifle
more, but It brought more money into
the place and enabled the villagers to
partake of the enlivenment without
the feeling that It was a Barmecide
feast. The postmistress furnished the
paint, and it is painful to add that
she tried to furnish a No. 3 paint for
a No. 1 price, arguing that she was a
poor, lone woman struggling through
an uncharitable world and that the
inc nen
-I <11
era lac
•hare.
her a
di 1 n
opened eyes
0,lro 8 stockholder as good
' b. i
* ou've got half my stock.
?" Jn« listen. This Is a
t
frotn the regulation
Un- e **' *b's company of ours.
r kJ.a,<81t ftllln’ «nJ hack
le,.
■it Vou ought to have
’ Kytn 1 «°J pokin' and nosin'
sk
tm Bost °n men did tefore
ho!t of the
i
Chanta Reechre
•t i st <*t company! <»ne
th» ■ ‘■'t dnm fool I ever
I
*T
1 to let on I didn't
’■oat it ■ ’Now. ex-
> him. *You ear 1 • >*?y
* KO
QUII
s-ha res of them rate»
Irta» tUy
band to a i bunch of
I
|
!
■
1
t
i
CHAPTER vni.
HR work on the mill was push
ed. and In spite of the asual
amount of unforeseen delays it
was ready for t*uslu«ws by th«
latter part of September. The offioUl
•peuln* was set for the 27th. Mixa
Mattie's birthday, and the village of
Fairfield was invite,! to a picnic to
1* held at the mill in honor of the oc
casion. It is needless to say that the
Fairfield Strawboard Ainufacturing
company did the thing up in shape.
Wagons loaded with straw aud drawn
by four horse teams went the rounds
of the village collecting the guests. It
is doubtful if Fairfield was ever more
surprised than at the reall’atlon of
how much there v. as of her. using the
pronoun out of respect to the majority,
"when she was bunched." as Red said.
You would not have believed that
struggling, lonesome looking place held
so many jteople. As Red could discov
er uo means in the town's resources to
provide a meal for 3to» jieople, it was
necessarily a basket party, which
struck Mr. Saunders ns being grievous
ly like a Swede treat. He made up
for it In a measure by having barrels
of lemonade and cider on tap at the
grounds, stronger beverages lielng bar
red. and by hiring a quartet of strings
"clear from town.”
At half past 2 on a resplendent but
hot September afternoon the caravan
started for the mill grounds, the wom
en dressed in the most unplcnicky cos
tumes imaginable, nnd the men osten
tatiously at ease In their store clothes.
Every one was in the best of spirits,
keen for the excitement and pleasure
that was sure to mark the occasion.
Red rode old Buckskin, who bad
succumlied to the Inevitable and only
“Jumped around a little.” ns lied put
it. on lielng mounted. It was pretty
lively "Jumping around,” but [»erbaps
Mr. Saunders found some satisfaction
tn sitting perfectly at bls ease, smok-
Ing his cigarette, while Buck jumped
and Fairfield admired. And, at any
rate. Buck had legs of iron and the
wind of a locomotive, carrying Red all
day and willing to kick nt anything
which bothered him when night came.
3e was a splendid beast through and
"l’cs, mo’om, but ire don't want that
paint ”
be had learned who was his master
and obeyed him accordingly.
It was a live mile ride, mostly under
the shade of flue old trees. The road
wound around the hills; here nnd there
a break In the arlsireal border showed
views of rolling country, well shaped
aud pleasing, winding up grassy slopes
In groves of verdure. Of course most
of the freshness of leaf was past, yet
the modest gray green gave a silvery
sheen to the landscape that brought it
into unity.
One member of the party felt that
his heart was very full ns he looked at
it. That was little. "Blast tbe old
office" he kept saying to himself.
"Blast its six dingy windows and the
clock at tbe end! Doesn't this look
good, and doesn't It smell good, duet
and all?" and then he'd howl at the
horses In sheer exuberance of good
feeling, making the mild old brutes
put a better foot of It to the front
Red cantered up beside bls wagon
"Well. I^ttte.” be said, "here we go
for the opening overture with the full
strength of the company—we're great
people this day. ain't weT’ And the
big man smiled like a pleased big t«y.
•Ob. what a bully old fellow you
are"’ thought Bettis as he looked at
him.
I^ttls was thinking of other
qualities than flesh, bat the physical
Red Saunders on horsetmek was de
serving of a glance from anybody; »he
massive figure so well poised: the clear
mt. proud profile; th« shapely head
with Its <rown of re<l gold hair; tbe
easy grace of him by virtue ef his
-treng.h It wonld l<e a remarkable
.•rnwd In wlib 11 Chanta See< bee R<-<1
mv.'dn’t pas« for a man II" was ev
ery in- h of that from the ground up.
iAttts had come to t-.w down to him
In adoratl u. with all an affe*«1""“’“
Till KsfHY. 6'ERRf ARVlf
boy's worship. To tlMse eyes R<->!
was Just right In every particular;
likewise to Miss Mattie, who even
now was filling her eyes with him
from behind the vantage of a broad
brimmed straw hat.
At last the whole party disembarked
nt the flat liefore the mill and made
ready for the official starting of the
machinery. The big doors were thrown
open, co that the company could see
within while resting outside tn the
shade, and uuder the cooling Influence
of what breeze there was The mill
was officially started.
Red climbed
the bank to the flume aud raised the
gate. The crowd cheered as the im
prisoned waters leaped to freedom
with a hollow roar, raising tn pitch as
the penstock tilled and tlie wheels be
gan to go round. Speech was called
for. and the vigorously protesting Red
was forced to th« front by bls former
friends, Itemilt and Iettls. Thus be
trayed by th'*ae he trusted. Red made
the t»eat of It.
"Ladles and gentlemen, fellow citi
zens,” said he, "the mill is now open
to all comers. We hope to make this
thing a success. We hope to see every
horny handed, hump backed farmer In
the country rosin the soles of his moc
casins and shove his plow through
twice as much ground as he ever did
before, aud If he comes here with his
plunder we'll give him a square shake.
We'll pay him as much as we dast
and not let him in on the ground floor,
so he can crawl out through the coal
hole, as Is sometimes done. . Now, ev
erybody run away and have a good
time, for 1 don't like to talk this yappl
any more than you like to hear it
Kola geus! By-by!”
It waa a very successful picnic.
They spent the afternoon in wander
ing around tn the usual picnic fashion,
developing appetites, until it occurred
to Red to liven the performance by
showing them the art of roping as
practiced upon an old cow found in
the woods. As a a;>eetacle it was a
failure. The combined efforts of all
the booting small boys could not make
that cow run. She even stretched her
neck toward Red. as though saying:
"Hurry up with your foolishness. I
have a cud to chew and can't stand
here idle all day.” So Red golloped
by aud threw the noose over her head
as an exhibition of how the thing was
done rather than how it ought to i>e
done. Nevertheless picnic parties aro
not hyi>ercrltical in the matter of
amusement, and the feat received
three encores. The last time he missed
his east through overconfidence, where
at the old cow tossed her bead and tail
in the air aud tore off at an elephan
tine gallop, with a bawl that sounded
to Red mightily like derision.
“Burned if she ain't laughing at me!”
he cried. But as a matter of fact It
was a hornet and its unmistakable
sting that injected this activity into
her system.
It was all very pleasant to Miss Mat-
tie, as one's first picnic In many years
should be. She enjoyed the crisp green
sol, the great trees standing around,
parklike, with the sunlight falling be
tween their shade like brilliant tat
ters of cloth of gold, while from the
near distance came the tiny shouting
of cool waters. They had n camp tire
at night, making the moonlight still
more mysterious nnd remote by con
trast. The quartet of strings played
for the ears of those who cared to
1 listen and for the legs of those who
i chose to take chances on tripping their
light fantastic toes over tree roots in
the grass.
Red loved music, and he loved th«
night. The poetic side of his memo
ries of watching the Dipper swing
around Fol a ria while be sung the cows
to sleep came back to him. In hie
fliind be saw the vast prairie roll on to
infinity, saw the mountains stnnd out,
a world of white peaks, rising from a
sea of darkness. Again he heard the
plaintive shrilling of an Indian whistle
or the song of the lad down creek,
made tuneful by the charm of dis
tance.
“Having a good time, Mattle?" hs
asked, with a smile.
“The best I ever had. Wil!.” she an
swered,
smiling back
unsteadily.
I’oor Indy! Tbe size of an occasion is
so mauy standards, whether tb« stand
ard Le luebes or feet or miles. Miss
Mattie's events bad been measured in
hundredths of an Inch, and it took a
good many of them to cover so small
an action as n successful picnic on a
beautiful night. Iler eyes were hu
mid; her mouth smiled and droojied at
the corners alternately. Red felt her
happiness with a keen sympathy, ami.
as he looked at her, suddenly she
changed in Ills eyes. Just what the
difference waa be could not have told,
nor whether it was In her or In him.
A sudden access of feeling, undefln-
able. unplaceabie, but strong, pos
sessed him. There is a critical tem
perature in tbe life of a man. when
no amount of pressure can ever make
the more expansive emotions assume
the calmer form of friendship. There
waa something tn Miss Mattle's eye
Which had warmed Red to that de
gree, but be didn't know It. He only
knew that be wanted to sit rather un
necessarily close t>eslde her, and that
he would be sorry when it came time
to go home. And he was very silent
During tbe drive back to tbe house
be spoke In monosyllables; he went
straight to the barn with little after
ward. and made no attempt to taks
the usual frank and hearty good night
kiss.
"You’re as glum as an oyster!” said
lA-ttls. when they reached their quar
ters. "What's tbe matter, old man?”
“I don't know. I-et; I feel kind of
quiet, somehow."
"Sick? Or something go wrong?”
“No; nothing of the kind. It's Just
sort of an attack of stillness, but I
feel durn g’«'J "
I-ettia laughed. "If It wasn’t you.
Red. I’d say you were in love,” be
said.
It was w e!! rhe brtm ms dark, or he
wvuld lu»»
nge wond«»rful
to behold come «'Ver th e ex-puncher’s
fare. -Thie kxd has hi t It.” he said
to hUnrelf iu antouUhu><-ut; aloud he
gruut<«i
-huutT
sco rufully.
and
aroused himself for an unnecessary
joke or two.
Miss Mattle had notice»! the "attack
of stillness” and lmiuetllatvly tried to
fasten the blame up»»n herself. What
had she duue? She couldn’t recall
anything. She remembered shs had
said something atsHit tbe way Ills hair
looked with tbe moon shining on it
Perhaps he hu.t taken offense at that
Tbe remark was entirely «.'oinplimeut-
ary, but sometimes p»opie are touchy
about such things, still, that was sot
the least like Coustu Will. She must
have said or done something, though
What could tt bs? Oh, what a pitiful
memory that could not recollect an in
jury done to one's best friend! She
tossed nnd wondered over it for a
long time before at length she fall
asleep.
Red also looked up at tbe roof and
took account of stock, ills face was
rndlant In the dark. "If I could only
pull that off!" he thought. "I must
seem nn awful rough cuss to her,
though. All right for n cousin, but
it's different n heu you come to the
other proposition.
My Jlmlny! I'll
take a chance lu the morning and find
»Hit, anyhow!" said he. and, eased In
mind by the decision of action, he too
shook hands with Morpheus and was
presently dreaming.
It ha»l never occurred to Red Saun
ders that he was afraid of anybody.
He even chuckled when he got I^ttls
out of the way with n plausible ex
cuse the next morning.
Then he
strode briskly Into the house, bls qties
tlon on his Ups In a plump out and out
form.
Mias Mattie looke»l at him with her
slow smile. "What Is It?" she asked.
Red swallowtHl bls questlou whole.
“I—I wanted a little hot water to
shave with.” said he. Then a fury
took hold of him. “What the devil
am I lying like this for?" he thought.
He exhorted himself to go on nnd any
what he had to say like a man. but
the other Red Saunders refused to do
anything of the sort. He took the cup
of hot water most abjectly and fled
from the house.
He had to shave
then, and In bls hurry nnd Indignation
he turned the operation Into a clinic.
“Oh. Jlmlny. look nt that!” he cried as
the razor open»>d up another part of
the subject. "There's a ellt an Inch
long! If 1 keep on at thia gait 1
won't have fnce enough to say good
morning, let alone what 1 want to
do. What alls me? Whnt alls me?
Why should I !>e senrt of the nicest
woman G»xl over built? Now, by all
the Mormon gods. I’ll post right into
the house nud say my little say ns
soon as these cuts atop bleeding!”
Cobwebs stopped the cuts, and other
cobwebs stopjH-d Red Saunders, late
of the Chanta Seechee ranch, 250
pounds of the very finest ls>ne and
muscle. And the cobwebs hekl him.
foaming nnd boiling with rage and
disgust, calling himself nil tbe yaller
pups he could think of. but staying
strictly within the safe limits of the
liara. It was a revelation to the Idg
man, and not n pleasant one. How
was be to know that the nn»st salient
point of his apparent cowardice tvas
nothing leas worthy than resiwct for
the woman’« security? That If he
would stop swearing long enough to
get nt the springs of his action be
would find that he hoeltat»»»! because
the new light on the matter made huge
shadows of the slips in the career of
n strong, lawless, untrained but sorely
tempted man? He knew nothing of
lhe sort, and the funniest of comedies
took place in the barn.
He would
reach the sensible stage "Pah! All
foolishness! Go? Of course he'd go,
an»l this very minute, and have the
thing done with, good or bad.” He
was quite amused nt his former con
duct until he reached the door; then
he’d skip nimbly back again, with a
hot filling that somebody vns watch
ing him. although a careful Inspection
through the crack of the door revealed
t»o one.
Red discovered another th!-"- fist
sítenlo*» i which vhh ti. i* P .« $ IMS.
nervous \u«i - i . i * i««* . t v n » ’v.jks you
• Misery:
0
-Ohob •!
...» 1
' .. $ b.r- < .-('<’11 tlw
day vJ.eii I u.i,-»
to a; .i anybody
anything! What's ■ >.ue o er uie any
how? It's this ilarn cointry, I Iss-
lleve. 'Tuhi't me." Then lie stoppe»!
short. "What you saying. Red?" be
queried. "Why don't you own up Ilka
a man?" The fai t that it had a funny
side struck him. nnd he laughed half
forlornly and half lu thorough enjoy
ment.
He suddenly soliered dowa.
"Hhe's worth it anyway," salt I m .
"Ehe's the l<est there to, and I ought to
feel kind of leery of th« outcome.
Well, now I guess I won't say any
thing till there's a downright go<id
chance. I see I didn't savvy thia kind
of business like I thought I did.
Twouldn't be no kind of manners to
step up to a lady and about, ‘I'd like
to have you marry me If you feel you've
got the time!’ That don't go no more
than a Chinaman on roller skates.
Your work is good. Red, but It's a lit
tle lumpy in a;>ots Them two left feet
bother you. You’re good In your place,
but you'd lietter build a fence around
the place, d n the luck! Rmothera-
tlon! I think rhe likes me. ail right,
but when It comes to more’n that—
oh. blast It. I'll Juat have to wait foe
a real good chance! Now come, old
man. get four feet on the ground and
don't rail your eyes. Take It easy till
tbe chance comes.'*
Little be knew the chance was com
ing up tbe atre*-t at that moment. He
only saw Mi«s Mattle step out into the
tied of flowers, her face looking un
usually pretty and youthful under the
big straw luit. aud start to reduce the
weeds to order. Rhe glanced arounj!
It
as Tnotigh in ronreh of some one. nna
Red felt it'tuftively that tbe one was
himself.
"Here's where I ought to act as if I
wore long pants," »aid he.
"Now.
what's to binder me from going out
there and get a-talklng?" And then
ht> sat down hastily, more disgust»-»!
than ever, and »mote the air with
his list. "You'd think the nic«»st. quiet
est woman that ever lived was a wild
beast the way I act; yes, sir, you
would!”
Meautlme tbe cftance drew nearer
It was not a pleasant looking oppor
tunity. It» eyes, full of dread and
dreadful, ;»eep«d out from t«ne«th a
‘I’ll nsk her now. by the great hor*
oon!" said be valiantly.
M
Mat •
Lu a lurloua state
tal i I. T! ■ re wr.s an ufter effect
>m the fright wliicli mu le h»-r treiu-
■ a <• of t'niisiQ
■ ■ns v
i ii:.-i
Iwr t rem bl«
i ore yet. When she heard him com-
, :iz she start»-1 to fly. although now
; -lotlied beyond n-pronch. tint her knee*
deserted her. nnd she was forced to
sink back In her clialr. Red rum« tn
whistling blithely, vainglorious man!
He had his suspicions, generated by
the peculiar fervor Miss Mattie tu»»I
shown in regard to bls hands.
"Mattle," quoth he, “I'm tired of Ur-
Ing out there in th« tiarn. I want *
j respectable house of my own.”
“Yes. Will,” replied Miss Matti«. a>-
tontohad that he should choose »itch a
subject at such a time.
“Yes," he continued, "and I want a
’ wife too. You often said you'»! Ilka
to do something for me, Mattle. Hup-
poee you take the Job?"
How much of glancing at a thing tn
one's mind as a beautiful improbabil
ity will ever make such a cold fact
less astonishing? Miss Mattle eyed
him with eyes that saw uot. Speech
was stricken from her.
Red caught fright. lie spring for
ward nnd took her hand. "Couldn't
you do it, Mattie?” said he. Thera
was a world of pleading in the tone.
Miss Mattie looked up, her own hon
est self. All the little feinluine shrink
ing« left her imnn-dlately.
“Ah, but I could. Will!” she said.
IxsttlH cauie up on the stoop uuheard.
He stoppe»!. then gingerly turned and
made his way back ou tiptoe, holding
bls arms like wings.
"Well, by George!” he murmured.
"I'll come back in a little while, when
I’ll be more welcome.”
He spoke to Red in strong reproach
■ that night tn tbe barn. "You never
I told me a word, you old sinner!” said
be.
“Tell you the honest truth, I.et,” re
plied Red eam«-stly, looking up from
drawing off a tsvot, “I didn't know it
myself till you told me about it.”
They talked It all over a long ttm«
before blowing out the light, but then
the little window shut its bright eye,
and the only life the midnight stars
saw in Fairfield was Miss Mattie, her
elbow on the casement, looklug far,
far out into the tranquil night anil
thinking mistily.
She glanced around at though tn search
of some one.
brush of mutt»-d hair. A tough, ropy
foam hung from its mouth. If you
put as much of that foam as would
go on the point of a pin in an open
cut, you would have an end that your
worst enemy would shudder at, for
this was the most horrifying of dan
gerous animals a mad dog!
I’oor
brute! As he came shambling down
tbe road tie was the grisly mask of
tragedy.
It was near noon, intensely, hot, and
the street of Fairfield was d<-serted.
TUB END.
No one saw the dog. and If bls occa
sional rattling, strangling bowl reach-
ed any ears they were dead to its
meaning. He was unh»-eded until he
lurched through tbe gate which Let-
tie had left open, ns usual, nnd. spin
ning aroun»! in a circle, gave voice to
his «ry.
It brought Miss Mattle to her feet
in nn unknown terror; it brought lleil
Congressman Hawley has recently
from ttie barn In a full cognizance— i been Instrumental In securing pen-
be had heard that sound la-fore when sions for the foliowig old soldiers of
a mad coyote landed tn a cnbfn full of Lano county:
fairly strong nerve»! cowmen and set
Benjamin F.
Adams,
Cottage
them screeching like hysterical wom Grove, $12; Abner T. Andrews,
en before a chance shot ended him.
Springfield, $15;
John
Desher,
Red saw the brute Jump toward Springfield, $20; Arthur S. Haskell,
Miss Mattle. Instinctively hl.» Land | Eugene, $12; John O’Brien, Lorane,
flew to his hip, and Instantly he re I $12; Gideon B. Standish, Lorane,
membered there was nothing there. $12; Riley Winfrey, Lowell, $12.
Then with great, uneven leaps he
sprang forward. “Keep your hands
up, Mattle, and don't move!” he
screamed. “Let him chew the dress!
For God's sake, don’t move!"
She turne»! her white face toward
his. ami through the dimness of sight
Washington. Jan. 30.—Th«- war
from his straining efforts, he saw her department has been advised of the
try to smile as she obeyed him to the death by heart disease of Arthur W.
letter, anti without a sound.
“Ob, Ferguson, secretary of the Philip
brave girl!” he thought and threw the pines commission, at Manila last
night. He was appointed secretary
ground behind him desperately.
of the commission In 189K, and was
At twenty f»-et distance he dove like
formerly secretary of the French
a base runner, and hto hands closed claims commission. He enjoyed a rep
around the dog's neck. Over they utation as the ablest Spanlsh-Ameri-
went with the shock of the onset, nnd can translator known to official
before they were still the hands had Washington.
finished their work. A clutch, nnd a
gi m i : \ i . I'FN sion
snap, and It was »lone.
BILL IN’CRKANKD
The dog lay quivering. Red rose to
his knees, wondering nt tbe humming
Washington. Jan. 29.—A general
In his head. His wits came back to
! pension bill which, if ratified, will
him sharply.
1 Increase the pension roll by *l>out
“Did he bite you. Mattle?” lie cried. $12,000,000, was introduced in the
But she had already caught Ills hands I house today by Chairman Sculloway,
nnd wns lo»»king nt them with n sav- | of New Hampshire, of the committee
rge eagerness one would not have l»e- I on invalid pensions.
The blii, which has th«- support of
Raved to be in her.
“There to no mark,” she snld. rud- that committee, provld«-» for the pay-
k-niy weak. "lie didn't touch yor?" unent of a pension of $12 a month,
instead of $8, as at present, to all
"Answer me when I speak to you!” widows of veterans of the Mtsxican
shouted R»-d, beside himself. “Did he war, of whom there survive about
[7400; of the Indian wars, who ap
bite you?"
She answered him, with n sob, "No.‘* proximate 3700; all widows of vet
And then Ills question asked itself, erans of the civil war married prior
and answer«-»! itself, although, again, to June 27, 1890, of whom there are
about 186,000, and all widows of
he did not know It. II<* gathered her
Spanish-American was veterans who
up In his arms, kissed her like ore died of disease contracted In the ser
raised from the d«-ad and swore and vice. There are about 1000 of these.
prayed and thanked God all in the
same breath.
I>I.I.I\<JI KMT SI IISI ItllU RS
Ml'MT HE STOPPED
Hto old imperious nature came back
with tbe relief. "Here!" said be, put-
The Postmaster-General has Just
t!u< her away for a moment. “Take
off that dree«—that slime on there's Issued a drastic order which went
enough to kill a bundre»! men - take it into effect January 1, whereby sub
scribers to daily and weekly news
right off.”
papers, monthly magazines and all
Mtos Mattle started blindly to obey, 1 periodicals entitled to second-class
tb«n stopped. “Not here. Will—I’ll go postage rates must pay their sub
in the houao.” she said
scriptions practically up to date If
"You'll take It off right here and trey wish to receive the publi<uUk>n
The order does
now," said Il«d, “and I'll burn tt up after January 1.
on tbe spot. I'd ruther have forty rat- not leave any alternative to the pub
tleenakes around than that stuff. Off lisher than to collect the subscription
with It! This is no child’s play, and price or stop the paper. Publishers
will not be permitted to send w«-ek-
I don't care a d—n what the old lady ly pap<*rs to subscribers who are more
next door thinks.”
than a year in arrears after July I,
Miss Mattle slipped off her outer 1908.
skirt and stood a recond, confuse»! and
dainty. Rhe t»s>k flight to the bouse,
J. W. Kirk, who has been attend
running as llthely as a greyhound.
ing the Eugene Business College for
"By jingo!” salil Re»l in admiration. some time past, has secured a posi
"Let's r«-e yon bring another woman tion as bookkeeper in the big store
of Garman, Hetnenway & Co., at Cot
that <an run Ilk«* that!”
Ik- gather««! some hay an«! piled It tage Grove.
on the dress, firing tbe heap.
Track Manager Ormond R. Bean
Then he tuno-l to hto antagonist. of th«- Fnlverrlty of Oregon has rn-
"Foor old boy! Hard luck, cli? Rut I c«-lv«d th" r ntract for a dual field
bad to do It,” he said nnd gave him de m-et with Whitman College, and with
cent Interment nt tbe end of the gar this step everything is completed for
den. wasbetl hto hands carefully an«! the Or«-ir m track team to Invade ths
Con
went into tbe house on plcasauter inland Empire In the spring
tracts with Pullman had already been
duties.
signed.
MORE PENSIONS FOR
LANE COUNTY MEN
SECRETARY FERGUSON
DIES AT MANILA