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By €dwin L Sabin
Author of “How Are You Feeling?” etc. I
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Therefore I caught up with
her. She faced me with a ready
smile.
“You are rather slow in ac
tion, sir,” she lightly accused.
^‘.We might have breakfasted to
gether; but it was the conductor
again, after all.”
“I plead guilty, madam,” I
admitted. “The trainmen have
an advantage over me, in an
ticipating events. But the next
meal shall be my privilege. We
stop again before reaching Ben
tonf”
“For dinner, yes; at Chey
enne/’
And alter that you will be
home.”
“.Home?” she queried, with a
little pucker between her brows.
“Yes. At Benton.”
“Of course.” She laughed
shortly. “Benton is now home.
We have moved so frequently
that I have grown to call almost
no place home.”
“1 judge then that you are
connected, as may happen, with
a flexible business,” I hazarded.
“If you are in the army I can
understand.”
“No, I am not any army wo
man; but there is money in fol
lowing the railroad, and that is
our preseht life,” she said
frankly. “A town springs up,
you know, at each terminus,
booms as long as the freight and
passengers pile up—and all of a
sudden the go-ahead business
and professional men pull stakes
for the next terminus as soon as
located. That has fyeen the cus
tom, all the way from North
Platte to Benton.”
“ Which accounts for your ac
quaintance along the line. The
trainmen seem to know you.”
“Trainmen and others; oh,
yes. It is to be expected. I
have no objections to that. 1
am quite able to take care of
myself, sir.”
We were interupted. A neatly
drunken rowdy (upon wrm .1 J
had kept any uneasy corner of
an eye) had been careening over
the platform, with a whiskey
bottle protruding from the hip
pocket of his sagging jeans, a
large revolver dangling at his
thigh, his slouch hat cocked
rakishly pon his tousled head.
His language was extremely of
fensive—he had an ugly mood,
en, bnt nobody interf-ved. The
crowd sto^d aside—the natives
laughing, the tourists like my
*"lf viewing him askance, and
keveiai Indians watching only
gravely.
He sighted us, and staggered
in.
“Howdy?” he udered with
£,u oaih. “Shay—hellj, strong
er. Have a smile. Take two,
one for the lady. Hie” And
he thr‘:?t his bottle at mj,
My Lady drew back. I civil
ly declined the “smile.”
; “Thank you. I do not drink.”
“What?” He stared blear
ily. His tone stiffened.
“The hell you 4ay. Too tony
eh? Too—’ic! 'Have a smile, I
ask you, one gent to ’nothcr.
Have a smile, yon (unmention
able) pilgrim; fer if you don't
Train's starting, Jim," she
interposed sharply.
“If you want to get abroad
you'd better hurry."
engine tooted, the bell
was ringing, the passengers were
hurrying, incited by the con
ductor’s shout: “All ’boardI"
Without another word she
tripped for the ear steps. I
ttm the fellow one firm look
as he stood stupidly scratching
thatch as if to harrow his ideas;
and preforce left him. By the
cheers ho undoubtedly .mule in
the same direction. I ^as bare
ly in time mvBelf. The train
moved as I planted foot upon
the steps of the neirest ear—
the foremost of the two. The
train continued; halted again
abruptly, while cheers rang riot
ous; and when I crossed the
passageway between Ibis car
and ours the conductor and
br&kernan were hauling the tipsy
Jim into safety.
My Lady was ensconced.
“Did they get him!’’ she in
quired, when I paused.
“By the scuff of the nock.
The drunken fellow, you me in."
"Yea; Jim!”
“You know him!"
"He’s from Benton. I sup
pose he’s been down here on a
little pasear, as they say."
"If you think he will annoy
you—f" I made bold 11 sug
gest, for I greatly coveted the
felt of her moL
I
“Oh, I’m not afraid of Jim.
But yes, do sit down. You can
put these things back in your
seat. Then we can talk.”
I had no more than settled
triumphantly, when the brake
man ambled through, his face in
a broad grin. He also paused,
to perch upon the seat end, his
arm extended friendily along
the back.
“Well, we got him corralled,”
he proclaimed needlessly.
“That t’rantular juice nigh
broke his neck for him.”
^‘Did you take his bottle away,
Jerry?” she asked.
“Sure thing. He’ll be peace
able directly. Soused to the
guards. Reckson he’s inclined
to be a trifle ugly when he’s on
a tear, ain’t he? They’d »,kip
•»ed him out of Benton on a
down train. Now he’s going
back up.”
“He’g safe, you think?”
“Sewed tight. He’ll sleep it
off and be ready for night.”
The brakeman winked at her.
“You needn’t fear. He’ll be on
deck, right side up with care.”
“I’ve told this gentleman that
I’m not afraid,” she answered
quickly.
“Of course. And he knows
what’s best for him, himself.”
The brakeman slapped me on
the shoulder and good-natured
ly straightened. “So does this
young gentleman, I rather sus
picion. I can see his fortune’s
made. You bet, if he works it.
right. I told him if you colten
ed to him—”
“Now you’re talking too
much, Jerry,” she reproved.
“The gentleman and I are only
traveling acquaintances.”
“Yes, ma’am. To BentoiV
Let’er roar. Cheyenne’s the
closest I can get, myself, ind
Cheyenne’s a dead one—browed
up, busted worse’n a galvanized
Yank with a pocket full o’ Con
n'd wall-paper.” He yawned.
“Guess I’ll take forty winks.
Was up all night, and a man
can stand jest so much, Injuns
or no Injuns.”
“Did you expect to meet with
Indians, sir, along the route?”
I asked.
“Hell, yes. Always expect to
meet 'em between Kearney and
Julesburg. It’s about time they
were wrecking another train.
Well, so long. Be good to each
other.” With this parting piece
of impertinence he stumped out.
“A friendly individual, evi
dently,” I hazarded, to tide her
over possible embarrassment.
Her laugh assured me that she
was not embarrassed at all,
which proved her good sense
and elevated her even farther in
ray esteem.
“Oh, Jerry’s all right. I don’t
mind Jerry, except that his
tongue is hung in the middle.
He probably has been telling you
some tall yarns?”
Het No I don't think so.
He may have tried it, but his
Western expressions are beyond
me as yet. In fact, what he was
driving at on the rear platform
I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“He referred to the green in
) eye and in the moon, as I re
call; and to a mysterious ‘sys
tem’; and gratuitously offered
me a ‘steer.’ ”
Her face hardened remark
ably, so that her chin sot as if
taunted by iron bands. Those
eyes glinted with real menace.
“He did, did het Along that
line of talk! The clapper-jaw I
He’s altogether too free.” She
surveyed me keenly. “And na
turally you couldn’t understand
such lingo.”
“I was not curious enough to
try, my dear madam. He talked
rather at random; likely enjoy
ed bantering me. But,” I hast
ily placated in his behalf, “he
recommended Benton as a lively
place, and you as a friend of
value in case that you honored
me with your patronage.”
“My patronage, for yout”
she exclaimed. “Indeed! To
what extent! Are you going in
to business, too! As one of—
us!”
“If I should become a Ben
tonite, as I hope,” I gallantly
replied, “then of course I should
look to permanent investment
of some nature. And before nay
traveling funds run out l shaii
be glad of light employment.
The brakemau gave me to un
derstand merely that by your
kindly interest you might bs dis
posed to assist me.”
“Oh!” Her face lightened.
“I dare say Jerry means well.
Bat when yea spoke of ‘poison
age’—That is a current term r“
certain import along the rail
road.” She leaned to me; a
glow emanated from her. “Tell
me of yourself. You have red
blood? Do you ever game? For
if you are not afraid to test your
luck and back it, there is money
to be made very easily at Ben
ton, and in a genteel way.” She
smiled bewitchingly. “Or are
you a Quaker, to whom life is
deadly serious?”
“No Quaker, madam.” How
could I respond otherwise to that
pair of dancing blue eyes, to that
pair of derisive lips? “As for
gaming—if you mean cards,
why, I have played at piquet and
romp, in a social way, for small
stakes; and my father brought
Old Sledge back from the array,
to the family table.”
“You are lucky, I can see it,”
she alleged.
“I am, on this journey,” I as
serted.
She blushed.
“Very well; sir. And if you
choose to make use of your luck,
in Benton, by all means—”
Whether she would have shaped
her inport clearly I did not
know. There was a commotion
in the forward part of the car.
That same drunken wretch Jim/
had appeared; his bottle (some
how restored to him) in hand,
his hat pushed back from his
flushed greasy forehead.
“Have a smile, ladies an’
gents,” he was bellowing thick
ly. “Hooray! Have a smile on
me. Great an’ gloryus ’casion—
’ic! Ever’body smile. Drink to
op’nin’ gloryur Pac’fic—’ic
—Rail way„ Thas, it. Hooray!”
Thus he cam*! reeling down the
aisle, thrusting his bottle right
and left, to be denied with
shrinking# of with bluff excuses.
It seemed inevitable that he
should reach us. I heard My
Lad^ utter a little gasp, as she
sal more erect; and here he was,
espying us readily enough with
that uncanny precision of a
drunken man, his bottle to the
fore.
“Have a smile, you two.
Wouldn’t smile at station; gotto
smile now. Yep. Ic! ‘Ray for
Benton! All goin’ to Benton.
Lcsh be good fellers.”
“You go back to your seat,
Jim,” she ordered tensely. “Go
back, if you know what’s good
for you.”
“Whash that? Who your dog
last year? Shay! You can’t
come no highty-tighty over me.
Who your new friend? Shay!”
IJe reeled and gripped the seat,
flooding me with his vile breath.
“By Gawd, I got the dead-wood
on you, you—!” and he had
loosed such a torrent of low epi
thets that they are inconceivable.
“For £hat I’d kill you in any
other place, Jim,” she said.
“You know I’m not afraid ol
you. Now get, you wolf!” Her
voice snapped like a whip lash
at the close; she had. made sud
den movement of hand—it was
extended and I saw almost under
mj' nose the smallest pistol im
aginable ; nickeled, of two bar
rels, and not above three inches
long; projecting from her palm,
the twin hammers cocked; and
it was as steady as a die.
Assuredly My Lady did know
how to take care of herself.
Still, that was not necessary
now.
“No!” I warned. “No mat
ter. I’ll attend to him.”
The fellow’s face had convuls
ed with a snarl of redder rage,
his mouth opened as if for fresh
abuse—and half rising I landed
upon it with my fist.
“Go where you belong, you
drunken whelp!”
I had struck and spoken at
the same time, with a rush of
wrath that surprised me; and the
result surprised me more, for
while I was not conscious of
having exerted much force he
toppled backward clear across
the aisle, crashed down in a
heap under the opposite seat.
His bottle shattered against the
ceiling. The whiskey spattered
in a sickening shower over the
alarmed passengers.
“Look out! Look out!” she
cried, starting quickly. Up he
scrambled, cursing, and wrench
ing at his revolver. I sprang to
smother him, but there was a
flurry, a chorus of shouts, men
leaped between us, and the
brakeman and the conductor
both had arrived, in a jiffy he
was being hustled forward,
swearing and blubbering. And
I sank back, breathless, a degree
ashamed, a degree rather satis
fied with my action and my
barked knuckles.
Congratulations echoed dully.*
“The right spirit!”
“That’ll l’arn him to insult
a lady.”
“You sartioly rattled him up,
stranger. Squar’ on the twit
ter!”
“Shake Mister.”
“8W a pilgrim you’re ootuld
er’ble of a hos.,.
“If he’d drawn you’d have
give him a pill, I reckon, lady
I know yore kind. But, he won’t
bother you ag’in; not he.”
“Oh, what a terrible scene!”
To all this I paid scant 'at
tention. I heard her, as she sat
composedly, scarcely panting.
The little pistol had" disappear
ed.
“The play has been made,
ladies and gentlemen,” Bhe said
And to me: “Thank you
Yes,” she continued, with a flash
of lucent eyes and a dimpling
smile, “Jim has lost his whiskey
and has a chance to sober up.
He’ll have forgotten all about
this before we reach Benton.
But I thank you for your
promptness.”
“I didn’t want you to shoot
him,” I stammared.
“I was quite able to tend to
him myself. Your pistol is
loaded?”
“To be sure itris.” And she
laughed gaily. Her lips tight
ened, her eyes darkened. “And
I’d kill him like a dog if he pre
sumed farther. In this country
WQ- women protect ourselves
from insult. I always carry my
^/derringer, sir.”
(Continued next week.)
At Twilight.
Now, In the dusk at 6 o’clock
I watch the rapid flow
Of people going home from work
Through twilight’s early glow;
I watch them hurry eagerly.
And see some quickening thing
Touch each with Joy and wonder
That day’s close seems to bring.
Like birds that seek the home boughs,
Where rest and quiet breathe.
The thoughts of weary work hours
They now rejoicing leave.
And each one has a vision
Of home, whate’er it be;
Where waits a wife, a mother,
Or children wild with glee.
Perhaps some are a-dreaming
Of kind and needed rest;
A room o’erlooking skies where
The sunset paints the west;
Where piled up splendors quiver
In gold and lilac glow-,
Awakening old sweet memories
Of dream days long ago.
Streets never so enchant me
As whiTT^he twilight falls,
And up and down tl]e highways
The home lure softly calls;
When street lamps faintly glimmer
Through mists of gold and gray,
And people hurry homeward
With day’s cares put away.
A. B. Leigh, In the Kansas City Star.
The Main Question
From the Philadelphia Bulletin
“My dear friend, this world Is full of
trials.’’
“Say, I know that! But it ain't the
trials I mind. It Is the verdict.”
Unanimous
From Sans Gene, Paris.
“About your divorce, fou say you
havo seen two lawyers and this opinion
Is the same?”
"Yes. They both want $600 fee In ad
vance.”
Plenty of Time Then.
From London Answers
Bachelor—‘‘You're a pretty busy man.
How is it that you’re always so well
Informed on current events, contempor
ary literature, and nearly everything
else?"
Benedict—"I always read while wait
ing for my wife to finish dressing.”
* * a i -- -. ~
A pocket electrical device for measur
ing the depth of water in welis has been
Invented in Australia.
Eighty per cent, or the farmers of
Oregon have telephones.
Of about 2,000 kinds of bacteria, only
about 100 are believed to be harmful.
The first modern steel frame offics
building in Japan was constructed in
1920.
Silver was first coined in Roms in
269 B. C., when Fablus Pictor set up a
mint.
On July 1 this year the registration of
motor cars and trucks In ths United
States totaled 18,002,427.
Teapot Dome naval oil reserve is so
called because of a great rock shaped
in ths form of a teapot.
Mrs. Arehte McLean, of near Mont
real. playing a golf course, noticed a
squirrel carrying a golf ball to his nsst.
She followed and found 68 balls, which
she replaced with 'nuts. -
The cocklebur, troublesome as a weed
because of Its stiffly armed burs, lias
been definitely demonstrated to be pois
onous to live stock in the early stages
of Its growth.
Two new tunnels are to be driven
through Mount Bianc for about nine
miles. Four tunnels will b« run under
the Vosges, connecting ths Alstlon
and French railways.
Modem methods of killing wuales
threaten extinction of the great sea
mammals In southern waters. They
have nearly disappeared from the wa
ters of ths north.
Financing of power lines »-y farmers
as ths quickest and most practical way
of giving such power extensive use In
the rural sections is being urged In
many parts of ths country.
Alfalfa work from Michigan, hog
types from Illinois,' homegrown feeds
from Minnesota and a oorn exhibit from
North Dakota will be features of ths
Mth. annual International Live Stock
Exposition to be held In Chicago from
December 1 to 8 this year.
One dram of sodium chloride (common
salt), one ounce of water and two
ounces of glycerins mixed together will
make a solution, a little of which placed
on a cause and wiped over a windshield
In a thin layer with a downward stroke
will keep the glass clear In wet weather.
The state of Kentucky is urging a
$60,090,000 bond issue to be used $10,000,
000 a year for five years to complete
a big road building program. The
piecework methods of road building
which have so far been employed are
deplored by the Kentucky Good Roads
association, urging this new system.
An agreement recently signed by a
Chicago man and his wife has brought
about a reconciliation after a divorce
seemed probable. The husband pledges
that he will “be diligent In his work,
will pay over to his v Ife ths total
sum of his net earnings aid.will refrain
from the use of Intoxicating liquors
and will remain home every night.” The
wife agrees she will ‘‘care for her chil
dren In a true and diligent manner, be
economical In the operation of the home,
furnish true and correct accounts of all
her expenditures and remain at home,
or be Tn the company of her husband
and family every night.”_
Leeks That Way
From Life
“There's a mam outside, sir, that want*
te see you abeut a MU you ewe hint.
Hs wouldn't give his name.
“What does he look like?”
“Well,” hs looks like yo«‘d better
psy it " _
The Challenge
From the New Y rh Mu end »-rr>.
Mrs. (dead of alght)—Did you put the
oat outt
llr.-Sura
Mrs.—I don’t believe you.
Mr.—WelL get up Mad put M out your
self the% J
Just one way now to have pancakes
with that old-time Southern flavor. Use
Aunt Jemima
Pancake Flour
Aunt Jemima's famous recipe ready-mixed
New Anti-Aircraft Gun.
The most formidable enemy of the
airplane that has been developed is
the new .50-eallber Browning machine
gun. This weapon is the most power
ful machine gun ever perfected. It
fires a bullet weighing a quarter of a
pound and will fire 500 shots a min
ute. The maximum range of the gun
is 9,000 yards, or about five miles, and
the caliber is such that one hit will
destroy an airplane two miles away.
The anti-aircrnft tripod used will per
mit the gun to be swung through 360
degrees, and elevated from 15 degrees
below the horizontal to a vertical po
sition.
“DANDELION BUTTER COLOR”
A harmless vegetable butter colo:
used by millions for 50 years. Drug
stores and general stores sell bottles
of “Dandelion” for 35 cents.—Adv.
» _
Hilda, Abbess of Whitby.
In 1915 the world held its breath
with horror. Zeppelins had swooped
down on Whitby, on the coast of York
shire. A cry for vengeance went up
when it was found that half of the an
cient abbey of Whitby had been de
stroyed. Founded in the Seventh cen
tury, it was Hilda’s abbey. She was
a princess of the blood royal, but early
dedicated herself to the religious life.
The king gave her a grant of land and
she erected the celebrated abbey, or
convent of Whitby.
“CASCARETS” FOR LIVER
AND BOWELS—10c A BOX
» -
Cures Biliousness, Constipation, Sick
Headache,Indigestion. Drug stores. Adv
Yes, Indeed.
“Gentlemen, our distinguished guest
needs no Introduction. His is a name
to conjecture with.”
Pulling the Wrong Shirt.
“My husband had brought a friend
home to dinner and I was anxious to
make as good an impression as pos
sible,” a WasTfThgton hostess relates.
“I prepared the dinner with the great
est care and then, feeling that my hus
band needed some special instruction*
regarding the serving of it, I rushed to
the bathroom where I thought he hud
gone to get ready.
“Just at that instant he was in the
act of drawing a clean shirt over his
head and in a spirit of elation over the
lovely dinner we were about to have,
I seized the tail of the shirt and giving
a vigorous tug exclaimed proudly:
‘Tlngaling; dinner’s ready P
“My stock of self pride took quite a
slump when not the head of my hus
band, but that of liis friend, came
through the shirt.”—Los Angeles
Times.
Nothing Better for Constipation
than one or two Brandreth Pills at bed
time. They cleanse the system, purify
the blood and keep you well.—Adv.
His Reply.
“Oh, Gee!” ejaculated Heloise, the
waitress of the Itapid-flre restaOrant,
who had accideutally spilled the
ketchup on the trousers of a customer.
“I didn’t go to do it. I’m sorry, mis
ter !”
“A\v, that’s all right, mom!” courte
ously answered Sandstorm Smith of
Rampage, who was dining there. “You
see, these hain’t my other pants,"—*
Country Gentleman.
Others Find Relief
in Allcock’s Plasters from local aches
and pains. So can you. One trial will
convince you of their merits.—Adv.
Country dogs still chase railroad
trains, hut they have reasoned out the
automobile.
Jlf Economical Trantporiation
J Ihi
Quality Gars at
Quantity Prices
Chevrolet now leads all high-grade cars in
number sold.
Our new low prices have been made possible ; j
through doubling our productive capacity.
We are now operating twelve mammoth manu
facturing and assembly plants throughout the
U nited States in which thousands of skilled work
men are turning out 2500 Chevrolets per day.
See Chevrolet First
Notwithstanding our recent big reduction in price* the
quality and equipment of our car* have been steadily in
creased, until today Chevrolet stands beyond comparison
as the best dollar value of any car sold at any price and
most economical car to maintain.
Chevrolet Motor Co., Detroit, Michigan
Divixion of General Motors Corporation
Superior Koadetsr ..... $490
Superior Touring..
Superior Utility Coupe .... 440
Superior Seden..
Commercial Cars
Superior Commercial Chuiil . . $395
Superior Light Delivery . . 495
Utility Bzpreee Truck Chajai* . 550
All Price /. o. b. Flint, Michigan
Dealers and Service
Stations Everywhere
m %
two pleasant warn
to relieve a cough.,
Take your choice and suit
your taste. S B—or Menthol
flavor. A sure relief for coughs,
colds and hoarseness. Put one
in your mouth at bedtime.
Aim my m kmmp a box on hmnd.
' .....
SMITH BROTHERS
B COUCHJBpPf t&Mi,