Page:Harold Titus--Timber.djvu/222

214 always buys here," proudly. "Comes in after every meal, regular as a clock."

"That so? Always comes here, eh?

"Yup. Says I know how to keep tobacco, an' Jim sure ought to know."

"He sure ought," said Joe, putting the cigar in his pocket and bringing out his pipe and Peerless.

The two retired to a bench in the window and talked, heads close together.

Noon. Movement on the court house steps as the board adjourned for dinner and trooped together to the Commercial House to eat with Jim and on Jim.

Harris was in fine feather. This morning the resolutions had been drawn as he had planned and this afternoon the board would pass them, as he had planned. Within sixty days the county would bond itself for a new court house which was sop to the community pride, and the roads, which would speed the settling of that waste land to the northward with more wretched families.

After the meal Harris bought cigars for the board members at the hotel desk; he did not take one for himself and when the others started back toward the court house he lumbered across the street to the poolroom, waving his hand and saying that he would be along directly.

He meant that. But he was forced to wait for attention because the proprietor sat on the wide window ledge, beside him was Lucius Kildare and on the bench facing them sat Black Joe, pipe in his hands, leaning forward, talking earnestly. John Taylor occupied the rest of the bench and another lounger leaned over the back, grinning broadly.

Black Joe's gaze was directed at the face of the poolroom