| Show The Story of off f A pk I a Countryman Countryman's s sj iii j DAN J J J J Triumphs in n a Big Bg City Chy GUNN U G C A By LRoy y ARMSTRONG J CHAPTER I L L Half lal 1 hundred young oung people were on ott the lie Ice bound Des river It was a perfect day for fOI skating The winding I stream tream broadened into a level lake lale about four foul miles above lie tho town offered one of oC the thc linest fields In Iowa and anti to this lick Held neil on one orme of the tho the he oun people from finest t days young Mauston had conic come There Thore was isas a great bonfire bonfre on the at al either cither side of oC the river and between botwen them tho lie skaters slaters were continually COI- COI con passing to and amid fro or 01 stoppIng stopping stopping stop stop- ping ping to bask basl in the blaze sheltered b by the lie wooded hills hils front from frontany an any attack b by the lie wind and stirred to all the lie enjoyment which youth and strength and love of life can cnn afford Fairest among th the lie young joung women was as Alice Alce Morrison lorrison dau daughter of oC a widow In the darkest dam of gray y flannel Hannel with wih a jaunty Jaunt red cap and amid skirts just short hort enough h to allow her feet the fullest freedom The tonic of health and antI the he wine ivine o of exercise c Hushed her cheeks and brightened her eyes ees She had never nver enjoyed so perfect pet per feet an afternoon I wish vish I had hind a u photograph of or you said Ralph Granger Grangel as he lie skated cd b by her hem side Ide antI and bent admiringly to look into her hem youthful and auth charming charmIng face Bring up imp your picture wa wagon on and take tale photographs of oC e e said I Alice Alce lau laughing hll What are arC they ther dong doing doig there called called calc call call- cal cal- c ed out a ii bo boy who passed them his clums skates fastened with wih a multitude multitude multi multi- tude of o strays Tho The skaters are arc Jumping was re rc- rc plied Dan Dami Gunn Is going to jump The tall tail loosely el knit frame of or the thc countryman man came caine swinging down the thc Ice field neld half ii uy a ny bet between the lie fires fres strength and self confidence In his every C movement and amid that grace which I Icom com comes of power always adding a achalm clint charm to the lie exhibition The They had drawn n u n pine shrub from roni the lie shore and amid had placed it I In the lie middle of the thc river Its IM spreading branches were covered ored with wih the thic lon long green needles that lint contrasted so well wel with the cold white of the lie Ice ani and the snow The skater katel was going to Jump over O CI the tho drooping branches of the lie tree as it I lay Iny prostrate pI on the Ice Dan Dnn Gunn was leader of the he sport port He lie bantered e everybody Skating far up the he liver he turned and at a signal started down lown slowly at first then gaining as ho lie came nearer stooping low low yet rel keeping his lil hl eye on omi the object he must cl clear r and striking lon long anti and true with wih his sharp steel Il runners n 0 ners hOtS As he lie the pine tree ho ceased ceased ceased ceas ceas- ed striking brought blought his feet together shot the ice for over o or some ome twenty yards Cds then lieu slightly stooping he ho gathered gathered gath gath- ered himself for the spring rose roseI sharply In the lie air aim al almost as his runners runners run run- I ners nd's touched the lie nearest pine twigs and went gracefully over o the obstruction obstruction tion ton landing fair and amid leaning slightly slight slight- ly to the lie right might described a n circle as a the time crowd broke Into hio applause amid and returned to the tho lire You t try I It j No Xo you OU go o first Ill I'll Il Jump it I If IC you OU will wiL Tho rho revelers were ivcic ambitious to tn 1 equal tho the feast of the angular and anc clumsy appearing countryman but none cared ca to c so 10 hazardous a leap Let Lot Granger Granget jump It II called cled out one of the tho lie young women Maybe laybe she he was a trine trifle piqued that hint the traveling photographer had held so close b by bythe bythe the side of Alice Alce Morrison all nl the tho afternoon mii oo n. n The Thc cry was taken up b by the others He has the tIme only patent skates on the river rl Granger Cr can do It It Stung b by the challenge of the lie men mel and the inquiring Inquiring glances of the wo wo- men Granger anger finally disengaged himself himself himself him him- self rom morn the thc company which he lie had ore favored ever es since his wheeled photograph photograph photo photo- graph gallery alel was brought to Maus Maus- ton eli and abd struck out up the river I He turned where Dan Gunn had turne He came canie down lown in iii a fat far ta more pretentious fashion A ii cl city man with wih better clothes than hati other young men wore with a sold gold watch and much I fine linen with sith wih skates the lie like hike le of ol which had liah never nc before been seen In iii InDes InDes Des Moines river rl he lie had a right to toa a advertise ert e pre x ne Besides ides h he was a splendid skater But either cither because he lie ml miscalculated ed eti the distance or because he ho consumed consumed con con- just juit a n little hithe too much time te in iii nourishes he lie Jumped too 00 soon and amid seeing his error errO just as he lie leaped from flom the he ice he lie tried to check himself And the result was isas that hat he lie landed in iii the vcr very middle of the thc bush bushy treetop treetop treetop tree- tree top and amid sank from sight among the tho quivering ul branches They broke hl his fall fal and amid aside from the he mocking laugh that lint greeted him when he lie out of the tree top he wa vu WI not wounded All Al rl right ht he lie cried Ill IJ stand treat Who'll hoJ go o to old Binders Binder's cehlar cellar cellar cel cel- lar and antI bring us sonic some wine Half a dozen boys bos offered They took off their skates skate accepted the coins which Ralph Granger Gramiger offered them and cut acro across the thc fields to the queer old German Gelman hermit hot who kept a u vineyard and an nn apiary and literally liter lter- lter ally aly lived on oh wine and honey ioney The Thc wine a mild mid distillation from rota native natle grapes graleS was pas tas passed ed around and amid e drank Cor forgetting in Iti that courtesy courtes the lie failure of oC Ralph Granger Gramiger to o equal Dan Gu n leap It I Ius Was as time to lo go o back to town The Tho young people took tool one more moc gland circle about the broad pond looked once more at the great eat fires on the he opposite banks and amid all then lien gather gather- log Ing ng In couples prepared for tom the lie fourmile tout four mile mie race ince to th hid town Whores Wheres heres Alice Ilo cried one ole of or the Ihie young oung women Wheres heros Alice Mor Mor- rl nn p I S Wheres Ralph Granger calel called one of oC the tho young youn men Maybe he Is 16 still In iii the tho top of ot the lie pine tree said ald Dan Gunn And Amid someone encouraged h by the lie general laugh laush made made madea a comical pretence pre lire tense tence of looking In tho ho branches blanche callIng calIng call call- cal cal- Ing big on nit Granger to come out and show himself But he was ivas not there Neither ho he honor honor nor Alice Alce Morrison could be he found It I was more inure than a n simple peat It I as isas as so unusual a f proceeding proceeding pro pro- so 10 sudden sudden antI and SI s' so unnecessary sary that that It I frightened thom them The They looked about lot for fo pos possible holes In iii the lie Ice fearful at ut the moment hint tUt the two had met with wih disaster They called until tho the pine clad hills his echoed again and again Then the they started tom for town without them But It was is-as wasa isasa a silent skating party now not now not 1 a n. n laughing singing ringing jet jesting jol jolly compan com corn pan pany Half Halt way ivay t to town lown they heard the thc thunder of a I railway train tm-am heard the thc engine shriek its HI warning whistle at the thc crossings heard It top stop at the little flag station staton sometimes called Binders linders b because it I was at the edge eds of oC the thc h hermits hermit's farm and anti then lieu heard It U puff pur noisily off oft to the east shrieking shriek shriek- In ing ng at lit er e every crossroad v vI I haven't seen hor tor said Mrs rr Morrison when one omme o of the tho girls went J with lie tho In- In to the time w widows widow's low cottage wih Maybe laybe she hc is up town bh Sh SIm must lie be She he will wi certainly be along along p present presently n t I y But Hut lh the tho good woman was tight tight- quite dark If ened It hash hod hac grown lal I there had hal I been moonlight ht tho lie would have remained longer on omi the river rl It I was wa cloudy cloud too loo with wih the thc promise of mot more snow Everyone In iii town lown knew Alice Alee Morrison Mor tor torri tor- tor ri rison on was gone Th They pretended to believe she was wa lost but the they knew Ralph Granger was gone too loo and ammi they knew that the two had been last lat seen cen together They The They forced forcell open tho he door of the tho photograph car but nothing Joth- Joth noth In ing there could help them The camera on Its three long Jong less legs the lie lit littie little lit lit- J- J tie tle corner curtained off In a dark darl darkroom darkroom tc room the lie broad section of of wall ivall wal antI and roof made wholly of oC glass the thc little stove and anti easy chair by It I the tho shelf of books anti and the cot col beneath It it- it I- I everything c was waR as the thc people of or Mauston had known from froni the lie bc begin begin- in- in ning They had hind all aJ been In lii there Ralph Granger was wa an exceedingly at attractive attractive nt- nt man maii and almost almo t everyone e In Inthe Inthe inthe the place had hall patronized him They could coull find nothing new Or 01 almost nothing Dan Gunn looking about rather mathem carefully curious to 0 know if his hiis night flight were premeditated found Cound a little wad of waste wastepaper paper papel in the stove sto Evidently It had been leen thrown n there while the lie fire Ure was wa I Ilo low how lo The Thc edges of oC the cru crushed mall ball hal wore were singed But enough was left heft to tu tell the thc countryman something The wadded waddell paper in his hand was made up of or a number of or proofs the thc first prints prints prints-of of a counterfeit five five- dollar bill 1111 hi The fhe high court was is-as In sc session slon It I sat t. t as usual usual in the drug store It I had for twenty years passed upon all nJ affairs national state and local It I had decided questions of solvency ol of character of oC policy polley If I the he high court Id said a business man couldn't last another year the lie business man need not hot renew his lease It I was the voice of an oracle and It I never nc spoke false false- I ly If I the high court decided a weman woman wo wo- man had done wrong she ml might aught ht as aswell aswell well wel leave the lie place for Cor she he could coull character for never a again aln establish a rectitude And Amid she might better beter move far itt while she was moving moving- For the lie word of or the he high court was the thc verdict VI- VI ver vem dIet dict of amid Mauston and It would surely pursue her If H th the tue high court concluded COI- COI con coti- eluded the government at Washington was wasteful the thc next candidate for constable might cea cease e to run unless he lie could coull arral arraign n the lie government o for or pro profligacy The Tho high court had hal a varying varin mem mom Sometimes there were four our men in It sometimes a dozen It I wa was riot not elected or chosen In any formal manner It I was Wa simply the nl nightly h gathering of representative e citizens who vho ho had time to spare and amid tho the ability to te C stay slay away assay from homo In the even even- ing In m I the they t 8 sat on splint splint- bottomed chairs In front of the time dru drug drugstore r store some sonic at the outer cd edge c of the sidewalk and leaning agaInst the time hitching rail which there bert for or mi horses hOles In whiter as at met inside and amid about the lie great stove dl discussed subjects t tolI told to l eath storIes and amid lh CI I Where have hac thOY gone Jono S H a asked ke of or the lie high court o What shall wo we do do o was the next question Queston For lor no one omie could answer the first We Ve ought to search for them sid sidone said one omie of the lie thC hl high h court court And for And for they were good good men with wih families with wih feeling for or others who ha had families even on with wih all al their fine fino Judicial balance they thc they got up and hunted The They made mado up a party part They went in sleighs to the neighbors up tip the thc river rl In the region o of the skating ground and Inquired If Ir the lost Jost man manan an and woman had hall been seen The They sent word b by pa passing ing farmers farmel and thc lie they looked hooked for or tr tracks els in the smi snow now oss They wondered Dan Gunn was not with them Dan Gunn Cumin didn't like hike tho thin photographer photo photo- grapher said one omie with wih emphasis on the time graph raph Why dont don't ho he help hunt Dan was hunting He Hc remembered that train rain which thundered and III shrieked across the thc countr country while haamid hc he and amid the rest est of the thc skaters were comIng coming com corn ing log home He Hc remembered it I hind had stopped at Binders a n flag faS staton station and amid had hall then fled fiod lel on to the to-the the east cast He went Into the telegraph office and sat st down by John Vi Williams Iams the operator amid told him hint whinE what ho he hI feared fared John Williams caught the tho conductor before ho he had reached Davenport and the lie reply that came camo was conclusive Man Mami Ian and woman got got on at nt Binder Bindel Woman oman II gray flannel fannel with wih red skatIng big Ing Ing cap cup Man Inn well ssell wel dressed Had gold sold watch Tickets rickets to Chicago Down at ll Mrs Morrisons Morrison's cottage collage a a weeping woman was sitting billing by the lie tea en table on which was a repast served for foz two but bul destined never nc er to lo refresh tl those hose e for whom ishom It I was Intended With Wih ith the he grieving half dl distracted mother was Mary Tar Ann Allen The Tho high court called caled her hem an old maid and she he never disclaimed the tithe She SheU U was is-as seamstress and nurse nut and had known h the first cry of half lie In Mauston Dont cry Mrs Irs Morrison on she said Dont you OU think for a minute Mice Alice Alce Is wicked Dont Don't you vou ever evet el e let anyone tell tel you she sho Is h had bad d. d She was to lo run un awa away and anti with wih such uch a n stranger But Bul you be he sure sume she h hwi vill wi come comae back baek again I know why know why I I know she will wi rut Tul the good woman crushed b by he time burden of such a misfortune tune wept elt unceasingly though silently and listened through the tho Just before the express train was due duc there came a light knock on the front door Mary Ialy Ann Allen lon rose lose quickly and amid responded It I was sias Dan GunnI Gunn I want ant to Mrs see ee hs h's Morrison Toi he lie sid said Ho He laid his strong ong hand on her tier bowed head and spoke to her hOJ I r have known Alice Alee since she was wasa wasn a n hab baby and I will wi find her or die He was gone lle II I. I Dan was glad when the th train reached Chicago His Ils long Ions legs less could not bo be Io comfortably disposed In lit the narrow |
