Show I ft ill ill- Short Story of tbt Day Bay I I MR SIXTY'S SIXTY S MISTAKE Cocky Smith le leaned med pensively on the single rough plank that formed the tho bar apparently Intensely Interested In the tI-mo d de deep p purple sk sky which reflected Its Us hue huc on the narrow snow-clad snow valley beneath For a a. wonder Cocky Smith was sober Little was wan known of or him hime save e that Smith was not his true name and though familiarly known as Cocky a 3 soubriquet derived from the fact that his eyes became cocked or cro crossed sed In iii Ina i 1 a degree which advanced with his Imis Intoxication When he was sober no one looking at him would think of or approach approaching In him with any other title than that of r Mr 01 Smith Tonight his eyes were straight and singularly mild No one around the station knew what he had been all that was certain being that he was then the company stage station master and that he lie bad had come from a a. distant mining camp where he had presumably killed his man The Tho last waa was more snore than a n. rumor and Mr Sn Smith th ruled by right of oC rank and prowess the O five men detailed by the company to protect the stage station an and house block of Pleasant Valley Valler In their own peculiar ways way all nil the men were fond on of or Cocky Cock and eo 80 addressed the master when hen he was half halt Intoxicated his usual condition hated haled and feared teare him when ho had been beon made ferocious by deeper potations and respected him far for his plain mental superiority while he lie was WiS sober t Once In two days the stage passel passed the station going east eat or west and as 13 often otten came carne the freight with Its dozen spans of or mules the tall tali can a canvas canvas- covered cred leader swing an and trailer winding Into the alIeY entrance with a a. lun lung unS' unS stretch of graceful curve that presaged d th the sweep of or the railroad which ha has haJ since followed With something like a sigh Cock Cocky went to a n corner and selecting an Immense Immense Im Im- un- un mense lo log of or pine line threw it onto the fiery bed bell opened the damper and lighting JIg the time single lamp that was fastened asten d to a ceiling beam disappeared Into the room behind the bar Th The station master was In an uncomfortable mood Once in his room a a. aL L barren harren log apartment with a a. single bunk built hullt against the rough holes of oC the time walt wall his hla air all of or depression with the rapidly Increasing darkness Seating himself on the edge of or the tho rough h b bed d d. d he gazed out of ot the the- small window for fora or a time then fumbling through u u. box bo which he drew Into the field neld of oC dim light pulled out an old ne newspaper paper wrapped about the photograph aph o of or a woman a a young woman a girl In fact well dressed well faor favored rt In feature with the ghost of oC an aim dimple and amid a iL sweetness yet et firmness of oC mouth and arid chin that would have ha attracted the second glance of the most casual observer I IFor For at least a a. quarter of an hour Cocky looked ed hungrily on the tho portrait then tenderly replacing replacing- it in the tho box opened the paper with the directness of or orone one who knew whet e to find that for which he lie was looking oo Five hundred dollars reward for Information of oC the whereabouts of or William Wilham Wil VII liam ham Lewis o ot of Greene Chenango count county New Neis' ew York Yort The fhe above will be bo paid on receipt of or satisfactory evidence e given I n to the sheriff sherler of oC Chenango count county or orto orto orto to toIe Ie Bl thc Hill hUH attorneys Greene New York The paper bore e a date thc live years old The mood which had held hed Mr Mm 11 Smith in thrall for an hour or 01 more changed as Ice changes on a n hot stove The TIme depression fell away from lOm him In an nn Instant With a n curse he hung flung the paper into the box hox closed It and kicking it il beneath the time bunk hunk opened tho the door doom to the tIme bar Just as the men from the time stable and house block entered the time room There were no greetings The rhe men entered silently almost do doggedly l stam 1 stamp ing the lie snow show from Crom their thell hea heavy covered burlap lOOtS hoots and mn flinging open their rough buffalo coats coat as they met mel the time warm air alt of the tIme bar bal fhe They took tool seats scats about the now nom roaring m stove amid anu sank into Inlo th the state stat of or dull apathy which characterizes characterizes char char- es men when time the they have ha become satiated with the companionship of 01 those among whom they arc are thrown each waiting waiting- for fur t tonic word or event ent to arouse his imis Individuality Indi I Mr lr Smith warmed his hands at the thc stove sto then went wept behind the bar Uncorked uncorked uncorked un un- corked the tho single demijohn and turned It upside down Not Nota ot ota a drop not an atom alom of ot moisture rewarded the act No stage ter night Mr I Smith said Sixty as he lie gazed at the master Im afraid not t nor not freight either Sixty was the slow spiritless ss answer as the demijohn was replaced on the time shelf shell Tf Toll Tell up UI a a. stor story somebody broke In him Feathers Feather time the blacksmith a name given t i n In tribute to his ipar sparse e red ed beard Im dogged If It it aint had bad enough to tob tobe b be 11 snowed In iii an frozen out an no licker without bein cussed cUl with dumb J 11 s let Sa Say Mare Iane Tuttle trot out a yarn Jarn Im I'm Im I'm most dead o o o. as the they say In lit France France an an there's theres no imo cold tea lea agin th the freight I 1 aint got SOt no mo yarns returned that Individual ual with a marked Southern South South- ern era accent Tell us the time truth truth then fer li 1 i. i change chante was ws w s the time quick retort which sally raised a laugh and caused a n of ot r feet et Ill Pit tell you what boys hoys interrupted the time black blacksmith its Ils a n. n ti-n d n good goodgame goodgame game Jame to play pay pay- play play-fer r a u. change this hero here game samo of or truth truth only only you dont don't play It right light As As how then 1 queried Bishop Continued C tomorrow |