The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-10
GUS AND HIS PISTOL.

about firearms, and your little brothers
may run in an touch it.
They'll catch it if they do" said
handsome young Gus, taking glass of
sherry with his biscuit, but not sitting
down to the lunch table.
''Such little fellows, you know, DEAR
said his pretty, young-lookirg mother,
who was now widow for the second
time. ''And now do want to say that
you ought to be more careful of your
pistols, too. Something will happen
that you Il regret all your lifetime. >
The young fellow tossed his curly
head.
''You nag me as if l were boy,
mother, " he said. I'm past twenty.
I'm sick of this, III be off before you
give me any more of it. ~
And leaving the gun where it stood,
the young fellow took his hat and saun-
tered out at the door.
His mother-a comely woman, with
black hair and good color-looked
after him regretfully. She almost
wished at the moment that his father
had not left the boy independent of any
labor or profession, he had grown so
idle in his comfortable home, with the
income for which he made no effort
1t was not necessary for him to do
anything for any one, and that cold
heartedness that falls upon people who
live utterly selfish lives had fallen upon
him early. He was egotistical as an
old bachelor, and never put himself out
of the way for moment to please any
one else.
Now he had not carried the gun away
before he went, and his mother literally
dared not touch it. Neither dared she
call Bridget from the kitchen to remove
it from its position at the door; for if an
accident could be contrived. Bridges al
ways managed one. Nora, sedate and
strong, was not in the house, and little
Bob and little Tom were playing
one knew where.
At any moment they might come run
ming up the path, and either knock the
gun down as they rushed into the house,
or NEEDLE with it; and who knew what
might happen?
Mrs. Rothwell did not dare leave the
porch. She had delightful engage
ment for that afternoon, but should she
go away to dress, her darlings might be
in danger. She sat and watched the
black instrument of death to squirrels
and innocent birds and listened for her
chiIdren's voices. The hours passed,
the time was gone for dressing, the
pleasant visit lost
About five O'Clock the little boys
came up the road, and made a dash at
the gun rs soon is they saw it. Their
mother made rush for them. The gun
was knocked down amidst her shrieks;
but nothing happened. 1t was not
loaded. She had been perfect idiot,
| she said tO'herself. Bat though she
would not say it, she knew, also, that
Gus, whose every whim she strove to
CRAFTY, might have spared her all this
anxiety simply by taking a few steps
with his long legs and putting the gun
on its rest in his gun-closet. YEARLY
| she went upstairs to make herself neat
for the family dinner. Shrieks called
her down before she had braided her
black hair.
Rob had a fsh-hook in his finger
| Gus had left some of his lish-hoGEs on
the table in the sitting-room. 1t was
nothing very serious, but his whole
afternoon had been spoiled.
At his age little Bob never forgot
what mamma wanted him to do. He
ran about to serve her. He thought of
her even when she was not present; but
she had spoiled her eldest boy-heT
! Gustavus whom she thought so beau
tiful, and VINO was only seventeen years
younger than herself. She had never
taught him to think of her Generous.
self-sacificing children need no such
teaching; but selfish ones do.
Gus came in to dinner; regarded his
little brothers bound-up thumb with a
scowl; told him he observed what he
got richly" and was off again soon
after. 1t is to be hoped his mother took
some comfort in seeing him look so well
in his new clothes. for she had nothing
more satisfactory to expect from this
first-born of bers.
There's poor Hunters boy, said old
Squire Jones. looking ont of his window
as Gus rode past. '.Ah, he's not much
like his father. Good looking, very,
but what | call "a smart Aleck,' It's
slang, but it's expressive" And his
wife nodded an assent over her knitting
needles.
However, that evening was TO bring 4
change to Gus At the friends house tC
which he rode with such an air he met
Miss Bessie Maydew, and fell in love
with her. Perhaps, since his nature
was so light, that love might not be en-
during: but for the time it made Ger
tain change in him. Instead of think.
inc only of himself, he thought only Of
Bessie. He was as selfish to the rest
of the world, and particularly SO to his
mother: but Bessie was the pivot o.
which the world turned to him in these
DAYS Bessie was altogether wonderful
so cay, so full of life. The boy haC
never loved any one before. His tender
ness was complete revelation to him
Bessie thought him very manly-thi
lover of hers, with his perpetual cha
about hunting.
To be sure, poor, pretty robbins Oh
frightened chipmunks were his victims
but she felt sure that lions and tigers
and wild beasts of all sort were the spor
for which he longed. She took pride il
seeing him handle those pistols of hi
with which he swore he would kill an.
rival He talked q good deal abou
duels, too. She felt sure he would gladl.
fight one for her sake, and she wa
proud of having no fear of those weap
; ons of his He had told her it disguised
him when women screamed at the sigh
of pistol.
The two were very fond of each othe
no one could doubt that-and Gus wa
rich 1t was a good match for Bessie
People were content. But at home h
did all he could to worry that timit
mother-why, he could not have salt
himself
One day he made an exchange o
pistols with another young fellow o
the same tastes, giving money to boot
and rejoicing in his new acquisition. Ill
flourished it about and talked of 1t
beauties.
us it Ioaded?" bis mother asked.
He was Just about to fire it offfOr tn