. He
couldn't have ambled more than three blocks and have remained on the
street. Schoenstrom tended to leak off into jungles of tall corn.

Two men waved at him, and one demanded, "Say, Milt, is whisky good for
the toothache? What d' you think! The doc said it didn't do any good.
But then, gosh, he's only just out of college."

"I guess he's right."

"Is that a fact! Well, I'll keep off it then."

Two stores farther on, a bulky farmer hailed, "Say, Milt, should I get
an ensilage cutter yet?"

"Yuh," in the manner of a man who knows too much to be cocksure about
anything, "I don't know but what I would, Julius."

"I guess I vill then."

Minnie Rauskukle, plump, hearty Minnie, heiress to the general store,
gave evidence by bridling and straightening her pigeon-like body that
she was aware of Milt behind her. He did not speak to her. He ducked
into the door of the Old Home Poolroom and Restaurant.

Milt ranged up to the short lunch counter, in front of the pool table
where two brick-necked farm youngsters were furiously slamming balls and
attacking cigarettes. Loose-jointedly Milt climbed a loose-jointed high
stool and to the proprietor, Bill McGolwey, his best friend, he yawned,
"You might poison me with a hamburger and a slab of apple, Mac."

"I'll just do that little thing. Look kind of grouchy tonight, Milt."

"Too much excitement in this burg. Saw three people on the streets all
simultaneously to-once."

"What's been eatin' you lately?"

"Me? Nothing. Only I do get tired of this metropolis. One of these days
I'm going to buck some bigger place."

"Try Gopher Prairie maybe?" suggested Mac, through the hiss and steam of
the frying hamburger sandwich.

"Rats. Too small."

"Small? Why, there's darn near five thousand people there!"

"I know, but--I want to tackle some sure-nuff city. Like Duluth or New
York."

"But what'd you do?"

"That's the devil of it. I don't know just what I do want to do. I could
always land soft in a garage, but that's nothing new. Might hit Detroit,
and learn the motor-factory end."

"Aw, you're the limit, Milt. Always looking for something new."

"That's the way to get on. The rest of this town is afraid of new
things. 'Member when I suggested we all chip in on a dynamo with a gas
engine and have electric lights? The hicks almost died of nervousness."

"Yuh, that's true, but---- You stick here, Milt. You and me will just
nachly run this burg."

"I'll say! Only---- G