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,'iJ T ■ . / ■ ’ l5' v THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1927 S *9 ■ ■ . '• • CLINTON CHRONICLE. CLINTON, Ei -C. PPrsByi’,^: ' gass—B PAGE SEVEN ' 'll..'. 1 5~ 1 < Your Boy’s Business I ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦•••••♦»••♦••♦»♦♦♦♦••♦♦•♦•»•»••»» t A '' if iJ ^ • r4 > WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE: Frank Beeson, from Albany. N. Y., reaches Benton, Wyoming, then—1868 —western terminus of the Pacific rail road. He had been ^rde^ed ^y physi cians to seek a climate “high and dry.’’ He is robbed of most of his money in his hotel and loses his last twenty dollars at monte in "The Big Tent,” a dance hill and gambling resort in the “roaring" town of Benton. Edna Montoyo, compaion of a gam bler, is believed by Frank to have ca joled him purposely into the game. Broke, disconsolate over his discovery that “the lady of the blue eyes,” as he calls her, is what she is, and finally humiliated over his glaring “green ness,” Frank repulses Edna when she begs him to go away with her^ sob- bingly telling him that she had made a mistake in letting him lose his mon ey. He goes to take a job with George Jenks, a teamster, in a wagon train about to leave for Salt Lake City. Capt. Adams, a Mormon, is in charge of the wagon train. Rachael Adams, an attractive young woman, one of his wives, is in the train, as is Daniel Adams, his loutish son. When Edna, who has shot, but not killed the gambler, Montoyo, comes a fugitive in “britches” to join the train, Daniel tells his father that she is seeking Jenks and Beeson. Caut. Adams shouts, “No hussy in men’s garments shall go with the train.” Daniel, by a spectacular gun play foils Montoyo’s attempt to take Edna back with him. CHAPTER IX I DON’T WANT TO KILL HIM One night after we had gone on some time, the sound of revolver shots burst flatly from a mess beyond us, but the shots were accompanied by laughter. “They’re only trying to spile a can,” Jenks reassured. “By golly, we’ll go over and 1’arn ’em a lesson.” He glanced at me. “Time you loosened up that weepon o’ yourn, anyhow. Purty soon it’ll stick fast.” I went with him, glad of diversion. The men were banging, by turn, at a sardine can set up on the sand about twenty paces out. The heavy balls sent the loose soil flying but amidst the furrows the tin can sat untouched. “What you thinkin’ t odo.” Jenks smiled, “hit that can or plant a lead mine?” “Give him room! He’s made his brag,” they cried. “And if he don’t plug it that pilgrim sure will.” Mr. Jenks drew and took his stand; banged with small preparation and missed by six inches—a fact that brought them up wide awake. “Gimme another try, boys,” he growled, but they shoved him aside. “No, no. Pilgrim’s turn!”. Willy-nilly I had to demonstrate my greenness, so I drew, and stood, and cocked with prodigious blast and wrench—jerking, in fact, almost above my head; and where the bullet went l did not see, nor, I judged, did any body else. “He missed the ’arth!” they ciemor- ed. “No; I reckon he hit Montany ’bout the middle. That’s whar he scored Center!” ‘‘Hold down' bn Tt, hold down, lad,” Jenks urged. “To hit him in the,heart aim at his feet! Here! Like this—" and taking my revolver he threw it forward, fired. The can plinked and somersaulted, lashed into action. “By George,” he proclaimed, “when I move like it *had a gun in I can snap it! But when I think on it as a can, I lack guts!” Now somebody else shot, and some body else, and another, and the can gyrated, spurring us to haste as it constantly changed the range. Pres ently it was merely a twist of ragged tin. Then in the little silence, as we paused, a voice spoke irritatingly. “I ’laow yu fellers ain’t no great shucks at throwin’ lead.” Daniel stood by, with arms kaimbo, and beside stood My Lady. He tow ered over her in a maddening atmos phere of proprietorship. She smiled at me—at all of us; at me, swiftly; at the rest, frankly. And I knew that she was afraid! . Daniel laughted boisterously, his mouth widely open. “Set me up a can! That thar one wouldn’t jump to a bullet.” A can was produced. “How fur?” “Fur as you like.” It was tossed contemptuously out; and watching it I heard Daniel glee fully yelp, “Out o’ my way, yu-all!” —half saw his hand dart down and up again, flet the jar of a shot, wit nessed the can jump like a live thing; and away it went, with spasm after spasm, to explosion after explosion, tortured by him into fruitless capers .Tp-V-i until with the final ball peace came to it, and it lay dead, afar across the twisted sand. Verily, by his cries and utter savag ery and malevolence of his bombard ment, one would have thought that he took actual lust in fancied cruelty. “I ’laoyr thar’s not another man hyar kin do that,” he vaunted. There was not, judging by the si lence again ensuing. Only— “A can’s different from a man,” Jenks cooly remarked. “A can don’t shoot back.” “I don’t ’laow any man’s goin’ to, neither.” Daniel faced me in turn ing away. “That’s somethin’ for yu to Tarn young fallow,” he vouchsafed. His gaze shifted. “Come along, Edna,” he bade. “We’ll be goin’ back.” A devil—or was it he himself ?— twittered me, incited me, and in a moment, with a gush of assertion, there I was, saying to her, my hat doffed; “I’ll walk over with you.” “Do,” she respoTided readily. “We’re to have singing.” The men stared. Daniel whirled. “I ’laow you ain’t been invited, Mis ter.” “If Mrs. Montoyo consents, that’s enough,” I informed. “I’m not walk ing with you, sir; I am walking with her. The only ground you control is just n front of your own wagon.” “Thar ain’t no ‘Mrs. Montoyo’,” he .snarled. “And whilst yu’re I’arning to shoot yu’d better be I’arnin’ man ners. Yu cornin’ with me, Edna?” “As fast as I can, and with Mr. Beeson also, if he chooses,” said she. “I have my manners in mind, too.” “By gosh, I don’t walk ■with ye,” he jawed. And he flounced about, vengefully striding on as though pun ishing her for a misdemeanor. She dropped the men a little curtsy. “The entertainment is concluded, gentlemen. I wish you good-night!” Yet underneath her raillery there lay an appeal, the stronger because subtle and unvoiced. It seemed to me every man must appreciate that,.as a woman, she invoked protection by him against an impending something, of which she had given him a glimpse, j So we left them somewhat sub dued, gazing after us, their rugged faces sobered reflectively, j " Daniel was angrily shouldering for (the Mormon wagons, his indignant figure black against the western glow. She laughted lightly. “You’re not afraid, after all, I see.” ! “Not of him, madam.” ! “And of me?” “I think I am more afraid of you,” j I confessed. “That clown is getting insufferable. He sets out to bully you.” “I’m afraid, too,” she breathed. “I never have been afraid before. I didn’t fear Montoyo. I’ve always been able to take care of myself.” “You have your revolver?” I sug gested. “No, I haven’t. It’s disappeared. Mormon women don’t carry revol vers.” “But you’re not a Mormon woman.” “Not yet.” She caught quick I breath. “Do ypu know,” she queried with sudden glance, “that Daniel means to marry me?” '“But you’re not free; you have a husband!” “Oh!” she cried, “why don’t you learn to shoot ? Won’t you ? Let me have your pistol, please.” “You must grasp the handle Firmly; cover it with your whole palm, but don’t squeeze it to death; just grip it iwav. And keep your elbow down; and crook your I wrist, in a drop, until your trigger knuckle is pointing very low—at a ; man’s feet if you’re aiming for his ; heart!” “At his feet, for his heart?” 1 stam mered. The words had an ugly sound. “Certaily. We are speaking of shooting now, and not at a tin' can! You have to allow for the jump of the muzzle. Unless yoy hold it down with your wrist, you over shoot; and it’s the first shot that counts. Of course, there’s a fell, a knack. But 'Son’t aim with your eyes. You won’t have time. Men file off the front sight—it sometimes catches in the draw. # And it’s useless, anyway. They fire as they point with the finger, by the feel. You see, they know. Some men are born to shoot straight; some have to practice a long, long while A I wonder which you. are!” “If there is pressing need in my case,” said I, “I shall have to rely upon my friends.” “Those gentlemen of yours are Gen tiles with goods for Salt Lake Mor mons,” she retorted. “Are They Str ing to throw all business to the winds ? ” “You yourself may appeal to his father, ajid to the. women, for protec tion if that lout annoys you, I ven tured. • V (Continued from Page OAe) which has greatly affected street rail way earnings. Tho** companies, how ever, which are taking busses when ever possible are fast getting back .those riders. The congestion df city streets and the increased parking reg- ulatiqnp are making travel by automo- ' bile less convenient than by street car ! or bus. Young men wishing to show ! initiative can well afford to go into the bus business if property backed or, what is bettet, get employment w-ith some discouraged street railway j operator. Here is a virgin field— largely unorganized and with great possibilities. Travel by motor coach will grow by leaps and bounds for many years to come. Another most interesting field for young men de- KODAK PICTURE DEVELOPING BEST—QUICKEST—WORK GUARANTEEDl KODAKS LOANED TO RESPONSIBLE PARTIES. FILMS, PACKS, ETC, SADLER-OWENS PHARMACY “At Union Station” Telephone 400 Telephone 377 “To them?” she scoffed. “To Hy- rum Adams’ outfit? Why, they’re siring to move passengers is air good Mormons, and why should I not transportation. Someday the helicop- be made over? I’m under their teach- ter will be developed and then trans- ings; it’s time Daniel had a wife— portation by air will become more or two, for replenishing Utah.” popular. Personally, I Tell that mo- She paused. Then resumed. jtor coaches and air transportation of- “But now, if I may lend you a little J fer better opportunities today both for something to keep you from being young men and for investors than do shot like a dog, I’ll feel as though I j some of the so-called “cheap rails” had wiped out your score against me. j now being bulled. •*. Take your gun." I took it. “There! The railroad industry is very de pendent upon business conditions. Re ceipts from both freight and passen gers increase and decrease greatly with business conditions. Railroad re ceipts are so affected much more than are receipts of traction companies with bus auxiliaries. Railroads dis charge their employees very ruthless ly when business becomes bad and when discharging employees seniority counts for more than ability. The last one employed is the first one dis charged; while the oldest in service is the last discharged. Just now the mured* gazing tense, seeing I knew j Babsonchart shows both railroad not what. Wrenching from the vision. earnings and general business to be she handed back the revolver to me. above normal. .General business reg- “I think you are going to do, sir. listers 9above normal and railroad Only, you must learn to draw. I earnings rugisUr considerably abov? mustn’t stay longer. Shall we go to normal. Hvnce if history repeats it- the fire now? I am cold.” ' self, when the next decline comes, rail- We walked almost without speak- road earnings will decline at a more he is. Cover him!” “Where?” I asked. “Who?”. , “There, before you! Oh, anybody! Think of his heart knd cover him.” “See that little rock? Hit it!” I fired. The sand obscured the rock. She clapped her hands, delighted. “You would have killed him. No— he would have killed you. Quick! Give it to me!” And snatching the revolver she cocked, leveled and fired instantly. The rock split into fragments. “I would have killed him,” she mur- -V- ing, to the Hyrum Adams fire. Dan rapid rate than general business as iel lifted his upper lip at me as we railroad earnings have recently ad- entered;*his eyes never wandered from , vance d at a more rapid rate. The my face. I was distinctly unwelcome.! railroads have many advantages, but Accordingly, I said a civil “good-even- 1 other lines of business have many ing” to Hyrum and raising my hat to ! mor€ - My Lady left for my own bailiwick. Friend Jenks joined me. “We were keepin’ cases on you, and so was he. He saw that- practice— damn, how he did crane! She was givin’ you pointers, eh?” - “Yes; she wanted amusement.” Jenks rocked to and fro. as we sat by the fire. “Hell! Wall, if you got to kill him you got to kill him and do it proper. For if you don’t kill him he’ll kill you; snuff you out like a—j well, you saw that can travel.” “I don’t want to kill him,” I plead-! ed. “Why should I?” Jenks sat silent; and sitting silent j I foresaw that kill Daniel I must. I was being sucked into it, irrevocably willed by Kim, by her, by them all. If I did not .kill him in defense of my self I should kill him in defense of her. • Cquld this really be I ? Frank Bee son, not a fortnight zgo still living at a jog-trot in dear Albany, New York State? It was puzzling how detached and how strong I felt. (Continued Next Week) If it is a magazjjjf that you need— See— JAS. W. CALDWELL Phone 243 at I2;30 ONE gallon makes TWO Two gallons of better paint for little more than the cost of one! A gallon of linseed oil mixed with a gallon of .. ‘Stag” gives two gal lons of fresh-mixed paint teady to use, that goes further and spreads eas ier. It won’t crack nor peel. Comes in bright, permanent colors. You save a third on account of the low cost of the linseed oil added for thinning. There’s a “Stag” dealer near you. 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