DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD 6 !i t !t M' i ?IIITI1HrTTITTmYTTTTITTIHHItIlfTTTTTTtT' rTTTTTrTTglllllTYTTYrTTTTTTTTTTTITTgrrTrSTrYTTTrrTrrrXTITXXXXXXXXXXXJXXlXXtta o :o "KNIFE WORK." John Stuart Webster, mining en gineer, boards a train In Death Valley, California, on his way back to civilization after cleaning up 100,000. Hut ho looks like a hobo. Then ho meets a distressed lady, who makes his heart Hop over. Ho eliminates the oltendlng man. Uo lng what he Is and also glrl-Bhy, he does not tako advantage of his opportunity. But ho Just has to lind out that sho Is Dolores Uuey. In Denver ho Is offered a $25,00-a-year Job by a capitalist friend, Ed ward J. Jerome. lie receives a de layed letter from his own particu lar pal, Billy Goary, nsklng him to finance a gold-mining proposi tion In Central America and go flfty-flfty with him on the prollts Thereupon he turns down tho big Job and decides to answer tho call of friendship and adventure to So branto. Jeromo goes with John to tho dopot. They meet tho dis tressed lady on her way to tho same train. John lifts his hat, but gets the cut direct from tho girl, who does not recognlzo him. John tells Jerome tho whole story. Jo romo secretly sees tho girl, offer ing her $10,000 If sho Induces John to tako his Job Inside of ninety days Tho girl accepts. Tho scene now shifts to Buenaventura, So branto, where Geary, on his uppers. Is eating his heart out looking for a cablegram from his old partner. Ho has existed for two months on credit extended by Mother Jonks, keopor of a disreputable hotel Do lores cables Henrietta WUklns (Mother Jenks) that she Is on ner way to vlBlt her. Mother Jenks hreaKs down and tells her story. She has been educating Dolores, who Is the daughter of former President Ruey of Sobranto, do posed and executed by President Sarros Mother Jenks doesn't want Dolores to find out sho Is no longer respectable. So sho and Billy plan for him to meet the steamer and to turn tho girl back. Billy bungles his Job and Dolores lands and sa lutes Mother Jenks as "Mother." Billy promptly falls In love with Dolores. Webster in New Orleans secures a stateroom on La Estrcl Hta by buying a ticket for a myth ical alet. O CHAPTER VII Continued. 6 "He there nt a quarter after two, Mr. Webster, and you will hear from me promptly on the minute," the clerk assured lilm ; whereupon Webster paid for one berth and departed for his hotel with a feeling that the clerk's report would bo favorable. True to his promise, at precisely a quarter after two, the ticket clerk telephoned Webster at Ms hotel that the berth In No. 31 had been canceled and the entire stateroom was now at his disposal. "If you will be good enough to give me the name of your valet," ho con cluded, "I will fill In both names on my passenger manifest and send the tickets to your hotel by messenger Im mediately. You can then sign the tick ets I have already signed them as witness and pay tho messenger." "Well, I haven't engaged that vnlct as yet," Webster began. "What's the odds? He's going to mlBB tho boat, anyhow. All I require ,s a name." "That ought to be a simple request lo comply with. Let me seel" "I read a book once, Mr. Webster, and the valet In that book was called Andrew Uowers." "Bowers Is a fine old English name. Let us beck no further. Andrew Bow ers it Is." "Thank you. AH you have to do then Ib to roinenifcer to sign tho name, Andrew Howertf, to one ticket. Don't forget your vn Set's name now, and 'jail everything up," and the clerk hung Tip, laughing. Half an hour later a boy from the steamship office arrived with the tick ets, collected for them, and departed, leaving John Stuart Webster singu larly pleased with himself and at peace with the entire world. A "large" dinner nt Antolne's that night (Wcbser had heard of Antolne's dinners, both large and small and was resolved not to lca7o New Oilcans un til he had visited tho famous restaur ant), and a stroll through the pictur esque old French quarter and along the levee next day, helped to render his enforced stay tn New Orleans delight ful, Interesting, and Instructive. For Sunday he planned na early morning visit to thd old French market, around which still linger much of the pic turesque charm and colorful romance of a day that 5s done that echo of yesterday, tu It were, whloh has left New Orleant an Individuality ns dis tinct ns that which the olden, golden, godless days have left upon San Fran cisco. He rose before six o'clock, tliere forc; found a taxi, with the driver sound asleep Inside, at the curb In Croat of the hotel; gave the latter his instructions, and climbed In. Opposite Jackson Square the cloy Inu sweetness of palmetto, palm, and fig burdened the nlr. Above the rumble of the taxi he could hear the distant babel of voices In the French raorkot across the square, so he halted the tnrlcab, alighted, and handed t&e driver a bill. "I want to explore this square," ho Mid. He had recognized It by the tierolc statue of General Jackson pep Wjc throuch tfee trees. "Ill walk By PETER B. KYNE Author of "Cappy Ricks," "The Valley of the through the square to the market, and you may proceed to the market and meet mo there. Later we will return to the hotel." A Creole girl starry-eyed, beauti ful, rich with the glorious coloring of her rnce passed him bound for the cathedral across tho square, as Web ster thought, for she carried n large prayer book on her arm. Ills glance followed tho girl down the walk. Presently she halted. A young man rose from a bench whore he evidently had been wnltlng for her, anil bowed low. his hat clasped to his breast, as only a Frenchman or a Spanish grandee can bow. Webster saw tho Creole girl turn to him with a little gesture of pleasure. Sho ex tended her hand and the young man kissed It with old-fnshloned courtesy. John Stuart Webster with reverent and wistful eyes watchul their meeting- "Forty years old," he thought, "and I haven't spoken to n dozen women that caused me a second thought, or 'ja Drew the Girl Gently Toward Him. who weren't postmistresses or fcforalt shooters I Forty years old and I've never been In love! Springtime down that little path nnd Indian summer In my old fool heart. Why, I ought to be nrrcsted for failure to live!" Tho lovers were walking slowly, arm In arm, along the path by which the girl had come, so with a courtesy and gentleness that were Innate In him, Webster stepped out of night be hind the statue of Old Hickory; for ho did not desire, by his mere pres ence, to Intrude n discordant note In the perfect harmony of those two hu man hearts. Ho knew they desired that sylvan path to themselves; that evidently they hnd sought their early morning tryst In tho knowledge that the square was likely to be deserted at this hour. The young man wns speaking as they passed ; his voice was rich, pleas ant, vibrant with the earnestness of what ho had to say: with a pretty little silver mounted walking stick he slashed at spears of grass alongside tho path; the girl was crying a little. Neither of them had seen him, so he entered a path that led from them ut right angles. He hnd proceeded but a few ftet along this trail when, through a break in the shrubbery ahead of him, he baw two men. Iirief as was his glimpse of them, Webster Instantly recognized the two Central Americans he had seen In the steamship ticket office two days previous. They were not walking as walk two men abroad at this hour for a con stitutional. Neither did they walk as wulk men churchwnrd bound. A slight, skulking air marked their prog ress, and caused Webster to wonder Idly what they were stalking. He turned Into the path down which the two men had passed, not with tho slightest Idea of shadowing them, but because his destination lay In that direction. Uoth men had forsaken the graveled path and were walking on the soft el ot of blue grans lawn that fringed It! "Perhaps I'd better deaden my hoof beats also," John Stuart Webster soliloquized, and followed suit Imme diately. II had scarcely done so wlren tho men ahead of him paused abruptly. Webster did likewise, and responding subconsciously, perhaps, to the rc membranco of the menace in tho glance of tho man with the puckered ee he stepped out of sight behind a broad oak tree. Through tho trees apd shrubbery he could still sea the lovers, who had halted' and evidently wero about to part. Webster baw the young man glance warily ubo'ut; then, apparently satis fled there was none to bpy upon them, ho drew the girl gently toward him. Sho clung to him for nearly a minute, Bobbins; then tx rallied br fac tn SiPs an? myMifMmwmmm mmamwmm xxxxrxxxxxixxxirxxxxxxxxzxxxn Mae Giant," Etc Copyright by Peter n. Kyne. derly, kissed her, pressed her from litm, and wnlkcd swiftly tiwuy without looking back. It was a sweet and rather touching little tableau; tc John Stuart Webster, Imaginative and possessed of a ro mantic streak In his nature, It wns more than n tableau. It was n mov ing picture! "I suppose her old man objects to the young fellow," he muttercf to himself sympathetically, "and he can't come near the house. They've met here for the fond farewell, and now the oung fellow's going out West to make his fortune, so he can come back and claim the girl. Huh I If he wants her, why the devil doesn't he take her? Hello! lly Judas priest 1 Now I know what those two parnqueets are up lo. One of them Is the father of that girl. They've hen spying on the lovers, and now thej're going to cor ner the young fellow and jthlngle him for his nerve." Tho girl hnd stood for n moment, gazing after her companion, before she turned with her hnndkerchlef to her eyes, and continued on her way to the cathedral. Webster heard her sob bing ns- she stumbled blindly by, and he wns distressed about her, for all the world loves a lover and John Stuart Webster was no exception to this universal rule. "By George, this Is prc'tty tough," he reilected. "That young fellow treated that girl with as much gentle ness nnd courtesy as any gentlemnn should, and I'm for him nnd against this Idea of corporal punishment. Don't you woiry, Tlllle, my dear. I'm going to horn Into this game myself if It goes too far." The two dusky skulkers ahead of him, having come to another cross path, turned Into It and came out on the main pat.i In the tear of the joung man. Webster noticed that the pair were still walking on the grass. He padded gently along behind them. The four were now rapidly ap proaching the old French market, and tho steadily Hung bnbel of vo ces speaking in French, Italian, Spanish, Creole patois and Choctaw, wns suffi cient to have drowned the blight noise of the purs'tlt, even had tho young man's mind not been upon other things, and the Interest of the two Central Americans centered upon their quarry, to the exclusion of any thought of possible Interruption. AVebster felt Instinctively that the two men would rush and make a con certed attack from the rear. He smiled. "I'll Just fool you two hombres a whole lot," he thought, nnd stooping, picked up n small stone. On the In stant the two men, having nppronched within thirty feet of their quarry, mado n rash for him. Their chnrgo was swift, but though It was, the little stono which John Stuart Webnter hurled was swifter. It struck tho young man fairly between the shouldcrhlndcs with a force suffi cient to bring him out of his senti mental reverie with a Jerk, as It were. He whirled, saw tho danger that threatened him, and sprnng to meet It. "Bravo 1" yelled Webster, and ran to his aid, for he had seen now that It was to be knife work. Tragedy In stead of melodrama. The man with tho puckered eye closed In with such eagerness It was appnrent to Webster Hint here was work to his liking. The young man raised his light cane, but Pucker-eye did not hesitate. He merely threw up his left forearm to meet the expected blow aimed at his head, lunged for ward and slashed viciously at the ouug man's abdomen. The lntter drew back a step, doubled like a Jack knife, and brought his enne down viciously across the knuckles of his assailant's right hand. "So It Is thou, son of a .ilg," he called pleasantly In Spanish. "I fool ed you that time, didn't IV he ndded In English. "Thought I would aim for your head, didn't you?" The blow temporarily paralyzed the assassin's hand ; he dropped the knife, nnd as ho stooped to recover It with his left hand, the young man, before retreating from Pop-eye, kicked Pucker-eye In the face and quite upset him. "Stop It!" shouted Webster. Pop-eyo turned his head at tho out cry. The man he was attacking fell Into the position of a swordsman en garde, and thrust lclously with the ferrule at the face of the pop-ej ed man, who, disregarding Webster's approach, seized the cane In his left hand nnd with a quick, powerful tug actually drew his victim toward him a foot be fore tho latter let go tho stick. Beforo ho could give ground again Pop-eyo was upon him. He grasped tho young man by the latter's left arm nnd held him. while ho drew back for the awful dlsembowillng stroke. As bis long arm sped forward tho hook of John Stuart Webster's heavy cane descended upon that flexed arm In the crook of tho elbow, snagging It cleverly. The knife never reached Its destina tion! "You would, would you?" Bald Web ster reproachfully, and Jerked the fel low violently around. Tho man he had I txxxuvl orotDDtly vtruck Pop-era terrible Mow In the face- with' his left hand nnd broke loose from the grip that had so nearly been his undoing; then Webster tapped tho assassin a meditative tap or two on the top of his sinful head for good measure nnd to nwakon In htm some sense of the Im propriety and futility of resistance, after which Webster turned to dis cuss a similar question of ethics with Pucker-eye. The scar-cheeked man wns on his kneos, gropln grogglly for his knife, for he hnd received a severe kick un der the chin, and for the nonce was far from dangerous. Stooping, Web ster picked up the knife; then with knife nnd cane grasped In his left hand he seized Pucker-eye by the nape with his right and Jerked him to his feet. The assassin stood glowering at him In a perfect frenzy of brutish, In nrtlculate fury. "Take the knife away from the other fellow before he gets active again," Webster called over his shoul der. "I'll manage this rascal. Weil march them oer to tho market and turn them over to the police." He spoke In Spnnlsh. "Thanks, ever so much, for my life," the oung man answered lightly, and In English, "but where 1 come from It Is not the fashion to settle these i.rgu ments In n court of law. To call an officer Is considered unclubllke; to shoot a prisoner In this country Is conshleicd murder, and consequently I have but one alternative and I advise you. my good friend, to have a little of the same. I'm going to run like the devil." And ho did. Ho was In full flight beforo Webster could glnnce around, nnd In an Instant he was lost to sight among the trees. "That advice sounds eminently fair and reasonable," Webster yelled after him, and was about to follow when he observed that the young man hnd abandoned his pretty little silver chased walking stick. "That's too nice n llttlo stick to leave to these brigands," he thought, and forthwith possessed himself of It and the pop-eyed man's knife, nfter which he tarried not upon the order of his going hut went, departing at top speed. The young man he had saved from being butchered yas right. An en tangling nlllanco with the police was, decidedly, not to John Stuart Web ster's liking, for should he unfortu nately, form such an nlllnncohe would be haled Into court as a witness and perhaps miss the steamer to San Buenaventura. He had planned to spend an hour in the market, drink a cup of cafe nolr, smoke a clgaictto, and return to hli hotel In time for a lelsutely breakfasrt, but his recent bout with grim reality had blunted the edge of romance. He ordered his driver to tako him back to the hotel, sprar.j? Inside and con giatulated himself on his lucky escape. CHAPTER VIII. Webster's trunk went aboard tho steamer early the following morning, and at noon he entered a taxi with his hand bnggage and was driven to tho levee where La Estrelllta lay tugging gently nt her mooring lines. Owing to the congestion of freight and traffic the chauffeur stopped his cab a little dis tance from the gangplank, where Webster discharged him with a liberal tip. The latter, however, swung his passenger's bag and suitcase to the ground, picked them up and started for the gangplank. "Never mind my baggage, hid," Webster called after him. "One of tho deck boys will care for It." The chauffeur turned. "You've been generous with me, sir," he answered, "so I think I had better carry your baggago aboard. If you permit u deck boy to handle It, you merely havo to give another tip, and that would bo sheer wanton waste. Why shouldn't I earn the one you gave me?" "I hadn't figured It out Hint way, son, so hero's another half dollar for being the only existing specimen of your species In captivity. My .state room Is No. Ill, upper deck-, port side," Webster answered, smiling. The man took the tip eagerly ami hurried to ward the gangplank; the quartermas ter on duty shouldered a way for him and he dm ted aboard. Webster followed leisurely. Al the gangplank the purser's cleric halted him, examined his tickets and punched them. "Where Is the other man?" he asked. "You have two tickets here." "Oh, that blamed valet of mine," Webster answered, and glanced around as If In fccurch of that mythical func tionary. "It would bo llko the stupid fellow to miss the boat," he added. "When ho comes " Webster ceased speaking abruptly. He was looking straight Into tho malevolent or lis of Pucker-eye, who was standing Just behind the clerk at the foot of the gangplank. "I wonder If Pop-eye's around, also," Webster thought, and ho faced about. I'opeje was standing In back )f him, leaning over the railing of the gang way. "Which Is the valet?" the purser's cleric asked, .scanning the names on (he tickets. "Andrew Bowers." "All right, Mr. Webster." the other answered, with that genial camaraderie that seems Inseparable from nil of his calling. "When Andrew comes I'll send him ahnnid." He started to pass the tickets back to Webster, but a detaining hand rest ed on his arm, while a dark thumb and forefinger lifted the trailing strips of tickets. Pucker-eye was examining them also. The purbcr's clerk ilrovn his elbow backward violently Into Pricker-ey' midriff and shook him oft roughly. "What do you menn, you htnck-mi tan hound?" he demanded. "Slnct when did you begin to O. K, 1117 work?' Pucker-eye made no reply to thli stern reproof. He nccepted the elbon with equanimity and faced Webstei with an ell smile that Indicated mu tual recognition. "Bueno," ho said. "The senor hi eis sail on Lit Estrelllta for San Bue naventura, no?" "So you came nosing around to not about It, cli? lining a little plain gum shoe work, I see," Pucker-eye bowed. By tho simple ex ercise of courage nnd bad manners h had looked at John Stuart Webster'i ticket and was now familiar with hli name and destination. Webster glowered darkly at Pucker eye nnd said: "Well, you scoundtelly cutthroat, what are you going to do about Itl Try a little of your knife work on me, I suppose?" The fellow grinned the kind of grit that Is composed of equnl parts ol ferocity and knowledge of superior strength. That grin did more to dis concert Webster thnn tho knowledge that he had earned for himself two bloodthirsty nnd Implacable enemies, for Pucker-eye was the first of hla breed that Webster had ever see smile under Insult. That cool smlS Infuriated him. Pucker-eye took out a cigarette caw, selected n cigarette and presented the case to Webster. Ills bad manners In selecting his own cigarette llrst wns deliberate, as Webster knew. It wns the Latin-American's method of show Ing his contempt. "We shall meet again, Mecster Web stalre," he said. "May 1 offer n cig arette for the what you Americans call the keepsake? No?" He smiled brightly and closed his puckered eye in 11 knowing wink. Webster took his tickets from tho purser, folded them, placed them In hU pocket and for 11 few seconds regarded Pucker-eye contemptuously. "When wo meet again, you scum," ho retorted quietly, "you shall have nc difficulty In remembering me. Yob may keep your cigarette." Ills long, powerful right nrm nho out ; like a forceps his thumb and fore linger closed over Pucker-eye's rathe Hat nose; ho squeezed, and with a shrill Rcrcnm of agony Pucker-oy wont to his knees. ' Still holding tho wretch by hit proboscis, Webster turned quickly ut order that his face might be toward Pop-eye. "Pop-eye," he said, "If you rake a hand In this, I'll twist your nose, too, and afterward I'll throw you In the river." He turned to Pucker-eye. "Up, thou curious little one," he snlo in Spanish, and Jerked the unhappy rascal to his feet. Tho latter clawed Ineffectually at the terrible arm which held him, until, presently dlscoverinn that the harder ho struggled the hardec Webster pinched his nose, ho ceased his struggles and hung limply, noan Ing with pain nnd rage in the grip oi the American. "Good I" Webster announced, Block ing his grip n little. With his left hand he deftly extracted h hair from each Hank of the Kcreamlng little "Up, Thou Curious Little One." ncoundrel'8 scant mustache and held them beforo tho hitter's tear-fllled eyes. "My friend," he said gently, "mart, how the gringo gives his llttlo dark brother a lesson In deportment. B04 hold, If I have given thee 11 souvenir o! our meeting, I ntso have taken one. By this pinched and throbbing nose shall I be remembered when I am gone; by theso hairs from thy rat's niustachn shall I remember tbc. Go, and thrust not that nose Into a gringo's business again. It Is unsafe." "I nm Itnown ni Mr. Andrew Bovert, valet do tlinmhre to that prince of cpnllemen, Mr. John S. Webster." ITU UIC CUNTINUJCD.) Her Sad Farewell. A very dlgnllled man, whom I hue known only a short while, came 01 iq evening to say good-by. ns he wn leaving oir a long trip. 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