TEN
THE ALLIANCE HERALD. FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 1921
"THE COWPUMHCir
(Continued fr.m Pago 0)
tnsurp. "If you have nothing more to
urge Htrnlnst Mr. Eldcn perhaps you
Vlll R0."
Forsyih took his hnt. At the floor
lie paused and turned, hut she was al
ready os(cnlbly Interested In n mngn
rlre. He went out Into th nlht.
The work wns n bnxy one with Dnve
nnd ho hnd no opportunity to visit the
Iuncnns. Friday Edith cnlled him on
the lrloihone. She asked nn Inconse
quential question ahont something
vhlch hnd appeared In the paper, ami
from that the talk drifted on until It
turned on the point of their expedition
of the previous Sunday. Dave never
could aerount quite clearly Imw It hap
pened, but when he hung up the re
ceiver he knew he had asked her to
ride with him renin on Sunday, anil
she hnd accepted. He had ridden with
Iter hefore, of course, hut he had never
nsked her hefore. He felt that a Miblle
change hnd come over their relation
ship. lie wns at thf Dnnrnn house earlier
than usual Sunday nftenioon, tint not
too early forJ'Mlih. She was dressed
for the occasion; she seemed more
fetching than he had ever seen her.
She led the wny over the path fol
lowed the Sunday hefore until ngnln
they sat by the rushing water. Have
had niiln been filled with a sense of
Kecnle Hardy, and his conversation
won disjointed and uninteresting. She
tried unsuccessfully to draw him out
with questions about himself; then
took the more astute tack of speaking
of her own past life. It had begun In
an eastern city, ever bo muny yeurs
ago
Chivalry could not allow that to
pass. "Oh, not so very many 1" said
Dave.
"How" many?" she teased. "Guess."
"Nineteen," he hazarded.
"Oh, more than that."
"Twenty-one?"
"Oh. less than that." And their first
confidence was established.
"Twenty," thought Pave to himself.
"Ilecnle must be about twenty now."
"And I was five when when Jn,ek
died," she went on. ".lack wns my
brother, you know, lie was seven. . . .
Veil, we were playing, and I Ntood on
the car tracks, signaling the motor-
inan. to make him ring his bell. On
enme the car, with the bell clanging
nnd the mun In blue looking very
cross. Jack must have thought I was
waiting too long, for he suddenly
rushed on the track to pull me olT
She stopped, ami sat looking at the.
rushing water.
"I heard him cry, 'Oh, daddy, dad
dyl' above the screech of the brakes.'
at
"Sorrow Is n strange thing," sho
Went on, after a pause. "I don't pre-
m
".-, i am wuit.orf. ... It must i
so."
"It Is cold." she said. "Let us go
hone."
CHAPTER VI.
Whatever th rffe-t of this conver
sation had been upon F.dith, she con
cealed It carefully, and Have counted
It one of the fortunate events of his
life. He had been working under the
fipur of his passion for Irene, but now
this was to be suppb'tm-nted by the
friendship of Edith. That It was more
thnn friendship on her part did not
incur to him at all. but be knew she
was Interested In him and he was
loubly determined that he would
Justify her Interest and confidence.
Hut Just at this time another Incl
leiit occurred v. hlh was to turn the
flood of his life Into strange channels,
have had I n promofd to the distinc
tion of a private otpVe a little slx-by-
It "box stall." m the sport editor ic-
Tibcd It but, nevertheless, H "-
inetion shared only with the lunnng-
ng edito- and I'.ert Morrison, compiler
fthe woman's page. Her name was
oberta. but she wns masculine to me
tips nnd everybody called her I'.ert.
Into Paves sanctuary one inter
. . , - in..
noon in iictoiicr came onwnm.
habitual cigarette hung from Its nc-
ustomed short tooth, and his round.
florid face seemed puttier limn usual.
Ills aversion to any exercise more vig
orous than offered by a billiard cue
vas beginning to reflect Itself In a
premature rotundity of figure.
"T.o, Pave!" be said. "Alone r
"Almost." said Pave, without look
ing up from bis typewriter, men.
turning, he kicked the door shut with
his heel ond said. "Shoot!"
"This strenuous life Is spoiling your
pood manners, Pave, my hoy, saw
(.'onward, lazily exhaling a thin cloud
of smoke. "If work made a man rich
you'd die a millionaire. Hut It Isn't
work that r.inkes men run. l-ver tninw
of that?"
"If a man does not become rich by
-Did
tend
have
Vcu Ever Feel That You
Had t Tell Some Oner
Just
t understand, but
Its place In life. I
It seems to
guess It's
natural luw. Well " She paused
ll
In
"If a Man Does Not Become Rich by
Work He Has No Right to Become
Rich'at All,1
Dave Retorted.
to become rich
work he has no right
nt all," Pave retorted.
"What do you mean by that word
'light.' Pave? Define It."
"Haven't time. We go to press at
four."
"That's the trouble with fellows like
you," Conward continued. "You
haven't time. You stick too rlo.;e to
your Jobs. You never see the better
chances lying all around. Now sup
pose you let them go to press without
you today and you listen to me for
while."
Pave was about to throw him out
when a gust of yearning for the open
siiuces swept over him again, it was
true enough, lie was giving his whole
life to Uia paper. Promotion was slow,
and there was no prospect of u reully
big position at any time. He remeni
bered Mr. Duncan's remark about
newspaper training being the best
away from it. nay -inuusinai uevei-opment.'
"Let me elaborate. Well say Alkali
Lake Is n railway station where lots go
begging nt n hundred dollars each. In
(Vrops a well-dressed stranger buys
ten lots St n hundred ond fifty each
n ml the old-timers are chuckling over
sticking him. Hut In drops another
strnngt-r and buys a block of lots nt
two hundred each. Then the old-
timers begin to wonder If they didn't
sell too soon. Hy he time the fourth
or fifth stranger tins dropped In they
are dead sure of It. ami they are try
ing to buy their lots back. All sorts
rumors get started, nobody knows
ow. ."New railways are coming, nig
factories are to be started, minerals
have been located, there's n secret war
on between great moneyed Interests.
The Mown council meets nnd changes
the name to Silver City having re
gard, no doubt, to the alkali In the
slough water. The old-trmers, nnd nil
lliat great, Innocent public which Is
orever hoping to get something for
nothing, are now glad to buy the hits
it five h.indred to ten thousand dollars
ach. and by the time they've bought
it up tin gang moves on. It's the
smoothest game In the world, nnd
very community will fall for It at
east tw b e. . . . Well, they re here.
Of course. It's a little different In
this case, because there really Is some
thing In the way of natural advantages
to support It. It's not all hot air.
"Now, Dave, I've been dipping In a
little already, nnd It struck me we
might work together on this denl.
Your paper has considerable weight,
and If that weight falls the right way
you won't find me stingy. For Instance,
an Item that this property" he pro-
luced a slip with some legal descrip
tions "has been sold for ten thousand
dollars to eastern Investors very
onservntlve Investors from the East,
don't forget that might help to turn
another deal that's Just hnnglng. Sorry
to keep you so long, but perhaps you
can catch the press yet." And with
one or His friendly mannerisms con-
ward departed.
Dave sat for some minutes In a
quandary. He was discouraged with
his salary, or, rather, with the lack of
prospect of any Increase In his salary,
('onward's words had been very unset
tling. They pulled In opposite direc
tions. They fired him with a new en
thusiasm for his city, and they Inti
mated that a gang of professional
land-gamblers was soon to perpetrate
an enormous theft, leaving th: public
holding the sack. Still, there must be
u middle course somewhere.
At any rate, he could ne Onward's
story about the land sale. That was
news legitimate news, of course. It
might be u faked snle faked for Its
news value but reporters are not paid
for being detectives. The Evening Call
carried a statement of Conward's sale,
and on that statement was hung a col
umn story on the growing prosperity
of the city und Us ussured future, ow
ing to Its . exceptional climate and
natural resources, combined with Its
commanding position on transporta
tion routes, both east and west and
north and south.
During the following days Pave had
a keener eye than usual for evidences
of "industrial development." He found
them on every hand. Old properties,
long considered unsalable, were chang
ing owners. Money moved easily;
wages were stiffening; tradesmen
wen- In demand. There was material
for many good stories In his Investiga
tions. He began writing features on
the city's prosperity und prospects.
The rival paper did the same and there
was soon started between them a com
petition of optimism. The great word
became "boost." The virus was now
In the veins of the community, pulsing
throug'u every street and byway of the
little city. Dave marveled, nnd won
dered how he had foiled to rend these
signs until Conwurd had laid their por
tent bare before him. Hut us yet it
again, and when she spoke It wns In
lower, more confidential note,
"I shouldn't have told you this,
Pave. I shouldn't know It myself. Hvt
before that things hadn't been well,
Just' as good as they might In our
home. . . . They've been differert
since."
The shork of her words brought him
upright. To him It seemed that M.
Hnd Mrs. Punean were the Ideal father
.11 nd mother. It was Impossible to a
soclate them with a home where
things "hadn't been Just as good as
they might." Hut her half-confession
left no room for remark.
"Mother told me." she went on, af
ter a long silence, and without look'ng
at him. "A few years ago, 'If some
one hnd only told me, when I was your
age,' she said."
'Why do you tell me this?" he sud
denly demanded.
"Did you ever feel that you Just had
to tell some one?"
It was hl9 turn to pause. "Yes," he
confessed, at length.
""-Then tell me."
So he led her .down through the
tragedy of his youth and the lonely,
rudderless course of his boyhood. She
followed sympathetically to the day
when Doctor Hardy and hla daughter
Irene became guests at the Klden
ranch. But hefore the end he stop
ped. Should he tell her all? Why not?
&e had opened her life to him. So be
told her of that last evening with
Irene, and the compact under the trees
and the moon. Her hand had fallen
into his as they talked, but here he
felt It slowly withdrawn. Hut he was
fired with the flame of love which had
sprung up In the breath of his retnlnls
cence. . . . And Edith was his friend
ud his chum.
"And you have been true?" she said,
tut her voice was distant and strulued.
"Yes."
"And you are waiting for her!"
THE IDEAL PAPER.
A countryman went crazy on hyp-1
noti.-ni. He imagined he wns' the
greatest hynotii-t on earth. He was
a powerful fellow and the officers
knew he would put up a stiff fight.
1 hey were in a puandry ubout Rettmjr
him to the asylum until the local edi
tor suggested a scheme. He told the
crazy man there was a villain in the
a-ylum who would unravel a thrilling
scoop for the paper if he were hyp
notized. The insane man consented to
the editorial staff and do the job.
On the train he drew about him a
rrowd ami insisted on hypnotizing the
editor. To keep him pood natured the
e litor consented. After making a few
pas.-es with his hands in front of the
e btor's face, the insane man said:
"You are now hypnotized."
"I am," admitted the scrib
"You are an editor!" declared the
hypnotist.
' I am," was the answer.
"You don't smoke, chew, drink or
swear at your delinquent subscribers!"
"I do not," admitted the editor.
"You never trade advertising for
merchandise, never cutthroat your
competitor's prices, never accept
cnurcn sociable tickets lor ice cream:
"Never!"
"You tlo not accept pay for political
advertising; you run your paper on a
strictly cash, moral and religious ba
sis. You never sa.s your rival across
the street, take dried sweet corn on
subscription or lie about your circula
tion, in fact you run m ideal news
paper!" "All of which is true," declared the
editor emphatically.
"Say," ejaculated the hypnotist,
"what a fix you would be in if I failed
to awaken you!" Kingwood (W. Va.)
Argus.
TROPHIES
Madge: "Did you send his presents
back when you broke the engage
ment?" Marjorie: "Of course not. Did you
send back the silver cups you had won
when you resigned from the golf
club?" New York Sun.
Charity should begin at home and
then work its way out to where human
need is greatest.
If those abandoned farms are to be
redeemed there will be no need of un
employment in this country.
No legislation has yet been evolved
that will keep soft cider from turning
hard.
preparation for something else. With
sudden decision he closed his desk.
"Shoot !" he said again, but this time
with less Impatience.
"That's better," said Conward
"Have you ever thought of the future
of this town?"
"Well. I enn't say that I have. I've
been busy with Its present."
"That's what I supposed. You've
been too busy with the detnlls of your
little job to give attention to bigger
things. Now let me pass you a few
pieces of Information things you
must know, but you have never put
them together hefore. What are the
natural elements which make a coun
try or city a deslrnble place to live?
I'll tell you. Climate", transportation,
good water, variety of landscape, op
portunity of Independence. Given
these conditions, everything else can
be added. Then there's transporta
tion. This Is one of the few centers
In America which has a North-and-
South trade equal to Its Eiwt-and-West
trade. We're on the crossroads. Everj
settler who goes Into the North and
It Is a mighty North means more
North-and-South trade. I tell you,
Dave, the movement Is on now, and
before long It'll hit us like a tidal
wave, I've been a bit of a gambler
all my life, but this Is the biggest
Jack-pot ever was, and I'm going to
sit In. How about you?"
"I'd like to think It over. Promo
tion doesn't come very fast on this job
that's sure."
"Yes, and while you are thinking It
over chunces are slipping by. Don't
think It over put It over. I teJl you
Dave, there are big things In the air.
They are beginning to move already
Have you noticed the strangers In
town of late? That's the advance
guard "
"Advance guard of a real estate
boom?"
"JM1! That's, a bad word. Get
was only his news sense that respond
ed; his delight In the strange and the
sensational. He was not yet Inoculated
with the poison of easy wealth.
His nights were busy with his Inves
tigations, but on Sunday, as usual, he
went out to the Duncans'. Mrs. Dun
enn explained that Edith had gone to
visit a girl friend In the country;
would be gone away for some time,
Pave felt a foolish annoyance that she
should have left town. She might nt
least have called him up. Why should
she call him up? Of course not? Still,
the town was very empty. He drove
with Mrs. Duncan In the afternoon,
and at night took a long walk hy the
river. He had a vague but oppressive
sense of loneliness. He had not real
ized what part of his life these Sunday
afternoons with Edith had come to be.
A few days later Conward strolled
In, with the Inevitable cigarette. He
smoked In silence until Dave complet
ed a story.
"Good stuff you're gtvlng us." he
commented, when the article was fin
ished. "Remember what I told you the
other day? It's Just like putting
match to tinder. Now we're off."
Conward smoked a few minutes In
alienee, hut Dave could not fall to see
the excitement under his calm exterior
He had. as he said, decided to, "sit" In
In the biggest game ever played. The
Intoxication of sudden wealth hud al
ready fired his blood.
He slipped a bill to Dave. "For your
services In that little transaction," be
explained,. . ..
(Continued la Next Issue)
RAISING THE PRICE
Mother: "Johnny, will you be quiet
for a bit?"
Johnny: "I'll do it for two bits."
Awgwan.
Laii Mallery left for Omaha
Wednesday evening on business.
IFOTTCISOIY
The Age of MACHINE POWER
on the Farm
is upon us. It is the latest advanced step civilization has taken. It is full of the promise
to lift the great burden of drudgery, and wearisome, wearing-out toil, from the muscles
of man and carrying them, with much more profit, by power of Machinery, with the result
that
LARGER PRODUCTION, MORE PROFIT and GREATER WEALTH
will come, with the accompanying larger comforts, benefits and progress to humanity
everywhere.
OPERATION COSTS LITTLE MORE
THAN UPKEEP ON ONE HORSE
AND IT DOES THE WORK OF MANY.
Come in and Let us Explain Comparative
Co.ts.
Coursey & Miller
DISTRIBUTORS
Alliance
Nebraska
EMMJI
1 i h
The Home Building
Urge Is On
OWN YOUR
OWN HOME
Mr. Renter, this is addressed to you. No
doubt you have often looked forward to the
time when youvould own a little home of
your very own, a place on which every dollar
expended is a dollar earned rather than a
dollar wasted. In other words, a home that
means more to you than merely a roof over
your head.
Fall into line with the rest of the former
rent payers who are now planning their
HOMES. The opportunity to build at pre
war prices was never better.
SO WHY HESITATE
CONSULT US TODAY.
Our advice and estimates cost nothing and
we will build a home according to your own
specifications.
Forest Lbr. Co.
WM. BEVINGTON, Manager
'W IV !
' '-. ' - , 1- - -
