HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
A Righter of Wrongs
By Dix Drommond Osmun.
jHE tig cowboy pushed through the
I eircie oi auapHiated-looiung people
until he was faee to face with the
old woman sitting on a broken trunk
surrounded by a miserable assortment
of household goods.
"What seems to be the matter,
Jna'amt" he asked politely, taking off
his broad-brimmed hat.
The woman did not eease hei weep
ing, and Jim glared angrily around at
the gaping crowd.
"If you low-down eritters has been
tormentin' the ol' lady, I'd sure be
pleased tuh know about it," he declar
ed menacingly.
"We ain't donenothin', mister," ex
plained a man. "She's been turned out
fer not payin' her rent."
Jim stared. "Yuh mean that some
snake-livered coyote put that po ol'
dame out fer not payin' a little
money I ' '
"Sure dat's what they done."
"How mucht" he asked tersely.
"Nine dollars an' six bits," volun
teered a woman. "Bad luck to the
hard heart of him who done it!"
"Same here, lady," responded Jim.
"Howsomever, the first thing tuh be
done aecordin' to my notions is to put
her back agin. Such a triflin' sum ain't
nuthin' tuh me, an' I'd be proud tuh
help an old lady tuh that amount, an'
then some fer grub an' things which
it looks like tuh me she ain't had
plenty of in some time."
"Hivin bless yer fer that, mister,"
eried the woman who had spoken be
fore. "May the blissid saints "
"Sure, that's all right," broke in
the embarrassed Jim. "Now, who's go
in' tuh help get this truck backt"
There were a score of willing hands
at his serviee.
The old woman eould not understand
at first what was happening, but when
she did she made her rescuer exceeding
ly uncomfortable by her voluble thanks.
He hastily shouldered the trunk and,
guided by a small urchin, traversed
dirty halls and ascended even dirtier
stairways until he arrived at a squalid
room, lighted only by one window, and
that opening into an air shaft. He set
the trunk down and looked about him
in consternation.
"Why, this ain't fitten fer no hu
man bein' tuh live in," he stated em
phatically. "Say, what got inter the
feller that built this placet Looks tuh
me 'sif he was plumb locoed."
"Gness yon ain't wise to the eity,"
answered his guide. "This here place
is what they calls a tenement, and they
puts as many rooms in as they can so 's
to git more rent."
Jim scowled; it was not his idea of
making money.
"Who owns this shacks, sont"
"I dunno nobody don't know. I
gness the gny would be ashamed to let
on."
"How does he get the rent, then J"
asked the unsophisticated Jim.
"Oh, a agent gits it"
Jim waited long enough to see the old
woman installed, and leaving her a gen
erous roll of bills, departed and retraced
his steps back to the hotel at which he
was staying.
"Say," he told the clerk, "I just
seen the hello ver thing," and narrated
his experiences, leaving out only his
generosity. "There was a donation took
up," was tho way he explained that
part of it.
"I'd feel real pleased tuh know the
name of the skunk that owns that there
shack," he concluded wrathfully.
The clerk leaned over the desk and
whispered a name in his ear.
"Yuh joshin'l"
'"No, I'm not. That's straight goods.
My cousin is his agent."
"Why, th' ornery dog!" exploded
Jim, "an' him the richest man in the
Btate!"
After expressing a few more uncom
plimentary remarks, Jim went up to his
room, and was still boiling when sleep
cut short his maledictions. He awoke
the next morning with a well-defined
grouch, and ate breakfast in a melan
choly silence.
"What yuh sore about f" asked a
voice in his ear, as a newcomer pulled
out the next chair and sat down.
"Shack! Well, by Cripes! I was
jnst wishin' yuh was here. Wben'd yuh
jit int"
"Minute ago. What's doin'f "
"Hellovcr lot Listen here."
An' i'm cravm' revenge," he
wound up, "just like that feller we
seen in the show last winter."
"What yn goin' tuh do! Course I'm
in with yuh. He'd oughter be strung
up, tnat's what, only this dura coun
try's gettin' so blame ladylike."
"I dunno. 1 can't think uh nuth
in'."
A gloomy silence fell upon the two.
They finished their meal and trailed
out into the offiee.
"Get over your mad yett" asked
the clerk pleasantly.
"No, an' I aint goin' tnh," replied
Jim. "iife an' my pardner here is Din-
in' tuh do somethin' but we can't fig-
ger out anything."
By the way," said the clerk cas
ually, "old Lawrence is going out to
his ranch the Arrow Seven, you know
in his automobile this morning. Fu-
ny how that road winds along in that
gulch. I've often wondered he didn't
have a hold-up, going back and forth,
as he does, with only his kid chauf
feur." Why, it does seem sorter resky,"
assented Jim. "Come on, Shack," he
added to his friend, "we gotter be go-
in' if we want tuh keep that business
engagement."
"What business have we got tuh
tend tuh I" asked Shack when they
reaehed tho street.
We're goin' tuh take a ride, me
an' you, an' we gotter git another cay
use besides ourn."
Shack looked surprised, but as the
younger man of the two it was not for
him to ask questions. Not until they
were fully five miles from the eity, fol
lowing a trail-like road, did Jim divulge
the "business."
"An' here's the spot," be wound
up. "When we see him eomin' well
each git one side oh the road, an ' if he
don't stop, ping a tire that'll break
in on his hurryin' any."
Some minutes later the red touring
car of Randall Lawrence was held up
in approved bandit Btyle. The owner,
being a timid man, offered no resist
ance to the masked robbers who order
ed him to alight.
Mr. Randall was not a western prod
uct. Ho had lately eome from the East
with money to invest, and had proceed
ed to invest it wherever the promise
of dividends seemed largest. At first
the people of Benson City and the sur
rounding country had hailed with de
light the advent of a real live capital
ist within their borders; but a growing
familiarity with Mr. Lawrence's meth
ods tempered their delight considerably.
It is even probable that had the ma
jority of the citizens who abode in that
section of Wyoming seen the great fi
nancier in his present position they
would not have been greatly displeas
ed.
"Now, Mr. Lawrence," said Jim
gruffly, "this ain't no picnic, an' then
agin it ain t no proper hold-np. We
ain't after your money, but yuh is onr
pris'ner just the same. First thing yuh
does is tuh shed them duds, an' put on
some we has 'speeial pervided for the
casion. An' we must ask yuh tuh cut
off them whiskers, onless yuh would
rather for us tuh do the job. I got the
scissors in my pocket for cuttin' 'em."
This is an outrage," fumed Mr.
Lawrence, his fat. pnffy face livid with
anger, "a dastardly outrage."
"IThhuh,'' assented Jim calmly.
"That's the way it would look tuh
most people. Howsomever, if you'D
just change them duds and tho rest of
it, it'll sumo time an' trouble."
The capitalist looked keenly at the
other, and failed to find any comfort
in tho cold eyes shining through the
"I don't know what your game is,
but I have $200 with me, which 1 will
give yon in exchange for my liberty,
and let it end the matter. I am a busy
man, and my time is worth money.
I "
"It's no use," snapped .Tim. "I
told yuh what tnh do, and I'm gittin'
prety tired uh waitin'."
While the magnate was disgustedly
following out the humiliating orders un
der the direction of Shack, Jim led the
chauffeur to one side.
"Now, son," he explained, "yuh
want tuh do everything just as I lays it
out for yuh. First off yuh goes on tuh
the ranch and say that your boss sent
yuh out for authin'. Then you have
a tire bust or the mscbin'ry oxplode,
an' let on yuh can't get home till to
morrcr. Then about sundown tomorrcr,
yuh gets powerful oxcitcd an' rip
aroun' an' say that yuh just cayn't
keep still no longer that the boss done
got held up by two desp'radoes. Got
that straight, sont"
"Yes, sir," answered the boy.
"Good. Yuh scm tub me tuh be a
real sensible young feller. Well, about
two days from now, yuh come tuh the
house which is writ on this paper I'm
goin' tuh give yuh, an' yuh '11 find the
boss there safo an' sound, an' maybe
git a reward. Now, son, I ain't goin
tuh be harBh with yuh, but if yuh don't
do oxactly as I tells yuh, there'll be
sunthin' comin' your way, an' it'll
come good and plenty. Yuh '11 be good,
won't yuhf"
Yes, sir."
Right! An' now there's one thing
more. After yuh git the boss out, yuh
let on that yuh know who's been keep-
in' him eaptive. It was Jim Hunter
an' Shack Morley. Don't fereit thorn
names Jim Hunter an' Shack Mor
ley."
You want me to tell on yout" ask
ed tho amazed chauffeur. "Say, I
don't care what you do to him. I won't
tell anything if you'd rather not. He's
the meanest man I ever worked for,
and he's got a lot cominc to him.
He"
"Easy there, son," reprimanded
Jim. "Don't yuh ever run down a man
when yuh takin' his money. If yuh
don't like him, quit yuh job an' then
shoot yuh mouth off some if it'll help
yuh any, but 's long as he's yuh boss
stan' on his side. Understand! "
"Yes, sir."
"Well, now hike along an' do's I
said."
Randall Lawrence, bereft of his Van
Dyke beard, and clothed in overalls and
a blue flannel shirt, rode through the
streets of Benson City between his two
captors late that evening, and was duly
imprisoned in vile quarters, ne lan
guished in his cell for some two davs
beforo he was discovered by his chauf
feur and released. Coincident with his
reseuo ho received news which caused
him to procure warrants for the arrest
of Jim Hunter and Shack Morley.
run wait till the trial," was all
they could be induced to say.
If them two boys swore on the Bi
ble that they held uo that there ol'
skunk, I wouldn't believe it, onless
uh course they done it fer some kind of
a joke," declared the foreman of thf
Bar O outfit, which numbered Jim and
Shack among its members, and his dec
laration voiced the sentiments, not only
of tho Bar O people, but also of every
once who had ever eome in contact with
tho two culprits.
The day of the trial saw the popula
tion of Benson City considerably aug
mentod by a rough and noisy clement
who loudly voiced their belief in the
prisoners' innoeenee, and evinced a
readiness to pull Benson City apart if
the jury should decide otherwise.
In the crowded courtroom Jim and
Shack listened to the ravings of the
prosecuting attorney with unmoved
faces. Mr. Lawrence was equally se
rene. He told his story simply and
truthfully, dwelling much on the dis
comforts of his imprisonment.
"Gentlemen," he said impressively.
"the room where I wns confined was
not fit for a hog to live in. I breed
some pretty good hogs, and 1 11 tell you
honestly that if they had found them
selves in that room they would have
died for laek of air and sunshine."
Beach, Forest, Stream and Moun
tains. furnish natural pleasure at Bayoccan; while comfort
and convenience may he had in a completely furnished
summer hungalow; S10.00 a week, $18.00 two weeks,
$30.00 a month. Rates at Hotel from $2.50 per day up.
T. B Fetter Eealty Companviltg
722 C'orbrtt Building fev'S" -J WgF
Portland. Oregon. w y5;-
' The jury langhed and Mr. Lawronee
dcBcendod from the witness stand well
pleased with himself.
At last it was the turn of the lawyer
for the defense, Jim Hunter. :
He lazily stretched his six feet of
height upward till he was standing
erect.
"Now, Judge, I don't know much
about this law business, an' I wants
tuh ask yuh, Judge, cayn't I tell the
thing in my own way, an' will yuh
kindly keep that there feller that's
been roasfin' me an' Shack, quiet till
I gets through 1"
The judge nodded.
"Well, then, Mr. Judge, an' fellers
on the jury. Mo an' Shack done kid
naped Mr. Lawrence, an' we done put
him in a pretty mean room. I admits
that what he says about them there
pigs uh his is right, 'cause that room
wasn't fitten fer no pig tuh live in.
There wasn't no fresh air, as ho says.
'an the smells was suthin' orful, but
I don't Bee why Mr. Lawrence is rais
in' such a holler about it. That there
room was in a ten 'mint house at No.
2 River street, an' Mr. Lawrence own
it, an' if it's so plumb bad fer him tuh
stay two days, what's it like fer them
po' folks that's there all the timet
That's what we shut him up fer so's
bo could know what it was like."
The courtroom laughed yelled is a
better word. In vain the iudiro rapped
for order. Even the jury rocked back
and forth holding its fiide in merriment.
Mr. Lawrence rose hastily and tried to
reach tho donr, but the crowd held him
bick. The prosecuting attorney at
tempted to make a speech, but he him
self recognized its futility. Already
the jury had reached a decision, and
nothing that he could Bay would alter
it
'I fell plumb mean about it," said
Jim some time later to an admiring au
dience, who were thrusting upon him
and Shack every token of its worship
for a joke is still a joke in the West
"I feel plumb mean about it," he
repeated. "We mighter done 'most
anything tuh him, an' he'd 'a' got over
but tuh mak him a langhin' stock
like we done it's goin' tuh stick tuh
him fer the rcBt of his life."
Gates for the Garden.
The garden should have two gates,
ono small one and one large one. The
small gate should be convenient to the
house and the large one convenient to
tho barn, for hauling manure aud en
tering with team and tools.
Cheapening the Rations.
The Iowa station has found that a
small amount of oil meal or cotton seed
meal added to corn and oats improves
and cheapens tho ration for work horses.
A mixture of 77 pounds of shelled corn,
15 pounds of oats and 8 pounds of oil
meal gave somewhat better results than
oil meal, and tho ration was a little
cheaper in the proportion of 79 pounds
of corn, 15 pounds of oats and six
pounds of oil meal.
Success May Bo Farther Down.
In many instances tho yield of gar
dens can be increased by simply getting
down a few inches deeper with fork or
spade. The French gardeners can give
Americans many lessons in this respect
The soil should be pulverized, but
work should not bo commenced too
early. Flowing tho ground while it is
too wet will cause the sail to pack in
solid lumps. Good land is almost ruined
in this manner.
Tho Kentucky innate has pained a hill
anthnriiing the employment of eonvieta in the
manufacture of articlee for gtata nee.
it