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OUH PEES
feci Saunders
By
HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS
Copyright 1902 by McClure Phillips
Company
CONTINUED FKOJr TAGK THKEEI
ion anve over tnere lor me ana
get some just like this here pickets
and posts and whatever you call them
long pieces and Ill make it right with
you
Yes sir How much will I get
Oh tell him to fill the wagon up
with it and Ill send back what I
dont want Hustle now like a good
boy I want to get shut of this job
I- liked it better before I begun
When his Mercury had speeded on
the journey at a faster gait than Red
would have given liim credit for the
architect strode down to the black
smiths shop There was a larger
crowd than usual around the forge
as the advent of the stranger had got
into the wind and the village Vulcan
was a person who not only looked the
whole world in the face but no one
of the maiden ladies of Fairfield could
have excelled his interest in looking
the whole world as much in the inside
pocket as possible The blacksmith
was emphatically a man of gossip as
well as a hardworking God fearing
man
Say there he comes now Mr Tut
tle cried one of the loungers and
nudged the smith to look
Well let him come retorted the
smith testily jamming a shoe in the
fire with unnecessary force as a mat
ter of fact he was embarrassed The
loungers huddled together for moral
sunnort as the big cowman
liearmy Talce wnat you want
loomed
through the doorway
Good morning friends said he
Good morning sir replied the
blacksmith rubbing his hands on his
apron Nice day sir
For the sake of good fellowship Ill
say yes to that responded Red but
If you want my honest opinion on the
subject its d n hot
Tis that assented the smith and
or silence followed
Say whos your crack fence build
er around here asked Red the man
that can make two pickets grow where
only one grew before and do it so easy
that its a pleasure to sit and look at
Iflni
Hey inquired the smith not pre
cisely getting the meaning of the ad
dress
Why Ive got a fence to build ex
claimed Red and now I want some
lielp want it so bad Ill produce to the
extent of three a day and call it a day
from now till G oclock Any takers
Here Make your bets while the little
Kali rolls
The loungers understood the general
drift of this and pricked up their ears
as did the blacksmith Guess one of
the boys will help you said the latter
Well whos it asked Red glanc
ing at the circle of faces Three dol
lars a day was enormous wages in
that part of the country Nobody
knew just what to say
Oh well cried Red lets every
body run I reckon I can find some
thing to do for the five of you Are
you with me
Yes sir they said promptly
Can I borrow a hammer or so off
you old man questioned Bed of the
smith J
Certainly sir returned the latter
j
BENJAMIN HARRISON
The twenty third president of the United States was a grandson of William
Henry Harrison the ninth president He was born at North Bend O in 1833
and settled in Indianapolis in 1854 becoming reporter of the supreme court of
Indiana During the civil war he served with signal bravery and ability being
Brevetted brigadier general In 1SS0 he was elected United States senator
from Indiana He was elected president in 188S on the Republican ticket and
was renominated four years later but was defeated After his retirement
General Harrison practiced law in Indiana He died March 13 1101 at Indian
apolis
Much obliged And the gate hinges
I are out of whack Miss Saunders
place you know Come over and take
i a squint at em in the near by and by
j will you May as well fix it up all at
1 once Come on bojs
It was thus that the greatest enter
prise that Fairfield had seen in many
a day was undertaken Miss Mattie
was simply astounded as the army
bore down upon the house
Whatever in the world is Cousin
Will doing said she but resting
strong in the faith that it was neces
sarily all right she was content to
wait for dinner and an explanation
Not so the postmistress The agonies
of unrequited curiosity the worthy
woman suffered that morning until
she at last summoned up her resolu
tion and asked the smith plump out
and out what it all meant would have
to be experienced to be appreciated
And the smith kept her hanging for
awhile too saying to himself in justi
fication that it wasnt right the way
that old gal had to get into every
bodys business The smith was like
some of the rest of us he could see
through a beam if it was in his own
eye
CHAPTER VI
HERE was a great din of
whacking and hammering that
morning Red worked like a
horse now that he had com
pany A sudden thought struck him
and he went into the house
Mattie said he
Well Will
I see a use for the rest of that nice
big roast of beef I smell in the oven
lets have all these fellers stay to
dinner and give em one good feed
What do you say
Why Id like to Will but I dont
know wherell I set them
Couple of boards outside for a ta
blelet them sit on boxes or something
Got plates and things enough
My yes Plenty of such things
Will
Then if it aint too much trouble for
you well let it go
No trouble at all Will it will be a
regular picnic
Boys youll eat with me this day
said Red
They spread the board table beneath
an old apple tree and cleaned up for
the repast in the kitchen storm shed
with an apologetic Sorry to trouble
you Miss Saunders or such a mat
ter as each went in
Just as Miss Mattie was withdraw
ing the meat from the oven there came
a knock at the door
Goodness gracious she exclaimed
Who can that be now Will will
you see who that is I cant go
Sure said Red and went to the
door There stood two women of that
indefinite period between forty and
sixty very decently dressed and with
some agitation visible in the way they
fussily adjusted various parts of their
attire
They started at the sudden spectacle
of the huge man who said pleasantly
How der do ladies
Why how do you do replied the
taller instantly and in a voice she had
never heard before I hope youre
well sir a remark which filled her
with surprise
Thanks Im able to assume the per
pendicular as you can see responded
Red with a handsome smile of wel
come How do you find yourself
Im pretty well said the flustered
lady How do you do
Durned If we aint right back where
we starred from mourned Red to
himself If its one of the customs of
this country saying how der do an
hour at a stretch I Dass It ud Aloud
he said Coming along line Hows
your father Cuss me If I dont
shift the cut a little anyhow he add
ed mentally
Why hes very well Indeed ex
claimed the lady with fervor How
She got no further on the query for
the other woman interrupted in a tone
of scandal Mary Ann Deinilt how
can you talk like that Your fathers
been dead Ihis live year last August
The horror of the moment was bro
ken by the appearance of Miss Mattie
crying hospitably on seeing the visit
ors Why Mary and Pauline how do
you do
The shorter one Pauline looked up
and said sharply Were well enough
Mattie She was weary of the form
Come right in said Miss Mattie
Youre just in time for dinner
There was a great protest at this
They iiadut a moment to spare
they were just going down to the
comer and had stopped to say etc
Youve got to help me said Miss
Mattie Will hero has invited the
boys who are working for him to stay
to dinner and it wont be any more
than Christian for you to help me
out
Ladies said Red if you dont
want to starve a man whos deserving
of a better fate take off your fixings
and come out to dinner No lie con
tinued to their protests which lie ob
served were growing weaker its no
trouble at all Theres plenty for ev
erybody Come one co H this
house shall fly clean of i base as
soon as I Now for heavens sake
ladies its all settled come on
Whereat they laughed nervously and
V
Foot of the tabic Vi Ilaitic Saun
ders
li
txi
u e
in- uv wi fiat in
quuvii i I i vs roast
AALltii i 2 k air c fallen
greaticv I hi iil fi ino of
the otluv i
The inked tlrst at Red ar l
then at fu r - Tjp oy iinj
can see tlie iiiter Ii fii e
swered is trt i i -- c i I
Keno cried He You gi 1 l
Mattie another plate aid Aveap to
fit Sit down t ir and rest your t
Aered feet If you dont like walking
any better than I do youve probaoly
strewn fragments of cue of the com
mandments all the Avay from Avhere
the stage dropped you to this apple
tree
It seems to me that I did make
some remarks that I never learned at
my mothers knee returned the other
laughing And Im exceedingly
obliged for the Invitation as there
doesnt seem to be a hotel here and
I am but a degree south of starva
tion
Red or black asked the host with
a quick glance at his guest
The other caught the allusion I
havent followed the deal he reDlied
but Ill cnancc it on the reel
Somehow he felt instantly at home
and at ease it was a quality that Red
Saunders dispersed wherever he went
There you are sir said Red for
warding a plate full of juicy meat
The ladies will supply the decora
tions
Do you like rice as a vegetable
sir inquired Miss Mattie
No he doesnt interrupted Red
He likes It as an animal Never saw
any one who looked less like a veg
etable than our friend The young
mans laugh rang out above the oth
ers
Toor MLss Mattie was confused Its
too bad of you Will to put such a
meaning on my words she said
The strange part of it is npokc
the young man seeing an opportunity
for a joke and to deal courteously with
nis entertainers at tne same mm tne
peculiar fact is that my name is Let
tis
Lettuce cried Red Mattie I
apologize he is a vegetable
At which they all laughed again
And now said lied Im Red
Saunders late of the Chanta Seechee
ranch territory of Dakota state of
North Dakota I mean Cant get used
to the state business Theres a Bill and
a Dick on this side of me and tAVO Johns
and a Sammy on the other Foot of
the table is Miss Mattie Saunders next
to her just as they run Miss Pauline
Doolittle and Miss Mary Ann Demilt
who may be kin to the gentleman
youre seeking
Mr Thomas F Demilt asked the
stranger
nes my sister responded Miss
Mary Ann Whereat the youths buried
luua mil iuuu iiiao j j mi
ineir laces in uie minus us jii xuvlu
It was a jolly dinner party The -
Jls m Ui luall UAWJiieiit
D Red had picked in bIm qual
young fellows up
the blacksmiths shop were not the or
dinary quality of loungers They were
boys of good country parentage with
lULlUUtlLUJJ VVU1U UUU UUlUlll LU UU
but the occasional odd job Of course
it would not take long to transform
ities bore a pathetic resemblance to
the title
I mean continued the lady
tlmf Tm lite lirnfhor
a common school education who uu 1 J
B v Jimmy maam exclaimed Red
oi mi wi i i
but yours is a strange family
What Miss Demilt wishes to say
cut in Miss Doolittle Avith some as-
m xw - iperlty Is that Mr Thomas Faulken
now they were merely thoughtless
stone Demilt is her brother She did
boys
The whole affair had an al fresco
flaAor which stoppered convention
The two women visitors pitched in and
had as good a time as anybody
In the middle of the festivities a
young man walked past the front
not add as extreme candor would have
urged And I have some hope re
mote alas but there of becoming sis
ter to Miss Demilt myself
Thank you said Lettls Shall I
he able to fee him this afternoon
Oh mercy yes said Miss Mary
leuee a suaugc r uvmeuuy luv uis
Ann Tom Ig bome flU day
clothes wore the cut of a city and a J for
j ejm tbank the lciml fates
to date at that
cosmopolitan up city j that said T ettig hail hcgaQ to
He and looked at the house
stopped fell in
tllink hQ was a th an1 he
hesitated a moment and then walked
the tenler meat with a vigorous
in back to where the folk were eating
ap tite of vouth and a g001 diges
Excuse me said he as they looked j t
up at him but isnt this Mr Demilts j
Natlianicl jfe was by 110 means a
house foolj and lie liad eXperience in
A momentary silence followed as it I liess but the mainspring of the young
was not clear whose turn it was to feIlow was franknesSt and in the
answer Miss Mattie glanced around j course of the dinner he told his errand
and finding Reds eye on her replied j Mr Demiit had written to his firm ex
No sir Mr Demilts house is about pianinff the advantages of starting a
a mile farther up the road strawboard factory in Fairfield It
Dear me said the young man rue- I was too small a tling for the flrm to
fully Ho was a spick and span in 1 be interested in but Lettis had a small
telligent looking man with less of the capitai -which he wished to invest in
dandy about him than tho air of a an enterprise of his own handling and
man wno nau never worn anynnng it had struck him that there might be
but clothes of the proper trim and
become quite used to it Nevertheless
the sweat stood out in drops on his
forehead for Fairfields front street
savored of a less moral region than it
really was on a broiliug summer day
The young man sighed frankly and
a chance for independence therefore
he had come to find out the lay of the
land
Red Saunders first glance liking of
the stranger deepened as he told of
his business The cowman did not
blame people who took obvious ways
wiped his head Well thats too and tlealt n ambismities for his ex-
bad he said Im a stranger here- I
perience tm Uch pret
ty fairly complete had told him that
craft Avas a necessity for weak na
tures nevertheless he cared not for
those who used it
In his part of the west a man would
no more think of ciA ins a false
pression of his financial standing to
j alter his position in ones regard than
he would wear corsets Money Avas of
small consequence its sequelae of less
Men spoke openly of how much they
made how they liked the job how
their claims were paying Such mat
ters were neutral ground of chance
conversation as the weather is in the
east The rapid and unpredictable
changes of fortune gave a tendency to
make light of ones present condition
A man Avould say Im busted with
out any more feeling than he would
say I haAe a cold Now In Fair
field that is not likely lonesome in
that respect one of the principal ob
jects in life was to conceal the pov
erty which would persist in sticking
its gaunt elbows through the cloth of
words spread OAer it Red asked
straightforward questions shrewd
ones too seeing that the other was
one of his own kind and would not re
sent it
Lettls wanted nothing better than a
chance to expand on the subject It
was close to his heart He had been
a subordinate about as long as a proud
and masterful young fellow ought to j
be Now he was quivering to try his
own strength and seeing for his part
that his host was inspired Avith a gen
uine interest and not curiosity he
gaA o him all the information in his
power
But a plant like that is going to
cost some money aint it asked Red
Too much for me Im afraid re
plied Lettis I have 5000 to put in
and I suppose I could borrow the rest
but thats saddling the business with
too heaAy charges right In the begin
ning Still it may not be as bad as I
fancy
Red drummed on the table thinking
I wouldnt mind getting into a busi
ness of some kind as long as it was
making things he said I dont
hanker to keep store much Suppose
I go along Avith you when you look up
how much straw is raised and the rest
of it
Would you cried the young fel
low eagerly By George sir I wish
you could see your way clear to take
hold of It Could you stand 10000
for instance Excuse the question but
Im so anxious over this
JLordwhails the harmof asking
NOTICE
Dofondnfs tlj unknown heirs tlovisei and
legatees of nil inh Schulur dicensed will tako
tiotico tlia on i ho 18h day of Decqmljer 1K7
Wiisou Ulover IkiinUu Mud his petition in tho
district court of Jfed Willow county Nebraska
against you tlio object and prayer of which am
to obtain a decree of this court in favor of
plaiutitf and against said defendants iiietiug
liis title in and to tho south half of tho north
east quarter and tho north half of the south
east quarter of section fifteen township two
north of range twenty nine west of tho sixth
principal meridian in said county against tho
rhiiiim ami demands of defeudands and each of
j them that the Hond cast upon plaintiffs titlo
by tlio claims ol deienuaius and eacn oi mum
bo removed and each of them bo decreed to
limit mi titlo in or to said land but that tho
samo bo decreed to bo in tho plaiutHl discharg
ed ot all tlio claims or iomanu in law or in
equity of defendants or any of them for costs
and for general relief and that on tho 1Mb day
of Jlecembor HHt7 said court ordered that ser
vice bo inado upon you by publication You aro
required to answer said petition on or before
tho twenty set cnth day of January ltHJS
Dated December l JS07 lL 3Mts
Wilson Giovki PlniulifT
Uy W S Mcrlun l s attorney
NOTICK TO CRKMTOHS
Tho State of ebrasku lied Willow county ss
In tho county cour In tho matter of tho es
tate of Sarah J Cooley deceased
To tho creditors of -aid estate You aro here
in notified tlstl wiI sit at tho county court
room in McCVuk in f iid county on the day
of Juno 1MU at out oclock i in to examine
all claims against said estate with a view to
their adjustment am allowance Tho time
limited for tho presentation of claims against
said estate is six n onths from tho 14th day of
December A D 107 and tho time limited for
payment of debts is ono jear from said 1 lth day
of December 11X
Witness mv Imnil mill tlm snnl nf cniil ffiimtv
court this Uth day of December IW7
J C Mooici County Judge
uoyie cc jmutcu Attorneys
Only two wprtbful items eutor into
the value of idverlising namely quant
ity and quality that is how many and
how Rood The McCooic Tkiisuxk is in
a field by it elf locally on these two
puiutJ Wi challenge and invite in
spection and comparison Wo can give
you from two to three times the value
for your money thit any other Ked
Willow county publication can offer
you
Say you saw it in Thk Trihunk
BJBM M
bi imw immaM
The best of every
thing in his line at
the most reasonable
prices is flarshs
motto He wants
your trade and
hopes by merit to
keep it
jj
The Butcher
Phone 12
FENNEY WALKER
GENERAL CONTRACTING PAINTERS AN D DECORATORS
Not How Cheap hut How Good Avith Us
Office and Shop west of First National Bank
Steel Ceilings Sold Put Up and Decorated
LyTteSS SSi2SbrQStyirQp
V FRANKL K PRESIDENT A C EBERT CASHIER
JAS S DOYLE Vice President
THR
CITIZENS BANK
OF McCOOK NEB
a b d a
Paid Up Capital 50000 Surplus 1 2000 t
V FRANKLIN
a c at a
DIRECTORS -
JAS S D0YLEt A C EBERT
QbfAi sWXasissszsiL
M
Make your friend a present of some
onosxam
Statio
1 PIUHL I 1 1
I A IwwTt i
I yziym 1
BSE
S Wh
li
in a Stock Certificate of the
McCook
Building Loan
Association
W5ZTJ7ZSxZ7X
No better or safer
investment is open to
you An investment
of 100 per month for
120 months will earn
So nearly 9 percent
compounded annually
Dont delay but see
the secretary today
Subscriptions r e
ceived at any time for
the new stock just
opened
MWML I iwrgTTi
i
eery
We have an excellent line of samples from
which 3ou can choose embossed in one
or two colors or in bronze or gold any
letters or combination of letters Call and
see samples of the monograms and stock
The TRIBUNE Office
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