Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-07
( TUCKER'S TANTBUM.
BY STERLING KANE.

The pretty school teacher was be-
-. coming too generous with her smiles to
fuckers notions of what she
owed to him. By Georgel he wouldn't
Is be one OF flock Of sheep to leap every
paling when and where she ordered
lie Wanted TO be the only one in the
|-pasture OF her love and to stay there
! ,,he Would stand first and only with
~ Miss Title Ridley or not at all, and
.rnWhen he saw John Jenkins walk home
|safrom school with her three evenings in
Ias nuccession he just concluded things
III had reached a crisis and she must de-
n. clnre for John or him that very night.
|Gis Tucker knew he could whip John Jenk-
HAlna ~ that would do any good. He
. had whipped him when they went to
school together for the same thing
falling I'm love with his girl. But that
was puppy love. Marriage wasn't In
View and the outrage could be settled
by dght.
v This was different matter. Tucker
| Inow WAS In position to marry. and had
a ilftle farm Of his own, was steady
IN md highly respected. and considered n
good catch by all the girls in the
county.
IN Tilile knew, ms everybody else did.
that be fell in love with her at SIGHT,
. and From that day his attentions and
intentlons had been serious The lit
.u-ile teacher had encouraged him, and
people thought IL was n settled thing;
s-yet here she was carrying on with
| 80 NtAil 9hlAlk men, IpIlI JENKINS Delnk
Msthe last. absolutely regardless OF
u 1'ucker's feelings. Didn't she meet
nm ps she came along the road with
. As John, and when he gave her a stif
q bow nnd a look OF interrogating re-
nNbpke, didn't she just toss her head
| ~ curl her lip with a sneer as much as 10
|sf-Hay; what II am, Timothy Tucker2
IitlI don't have to account to you for hav-
ntnE teauNl"
~ Tucker had half notion to stop and
IL lrQll HE Cpunln q a
|dtthere, especially John Jenkins but un-
.aristvilling to damage his case by rash
| bncss,. he concluded to wait and de-
|anaiInhnd Of Miss Ridley whether she
. hsTould become Mrs. Tucker Mrs
llrIenkins or Mrs. Somebody Elise
sH Tucker felt actually humiliated to
be dqwued by a man like John jenkins.
| nt gavnp bad nothing to recommend him
| except that he didn't have to work
.msthad a big mustache, and had been Off
g for achool a year. In other words
|lenlthere were few fancy fashionable
| dcharins about John which Tucker
.sa gconidn't boast, though he knew he
| xr he'd nore real manhood In his little
md finger than John had in his whole
h snpn}. 1t can easily understood why
|ltsi TnelsHr's emotions were mixture OF
Il 1ove. pride, chagrin and wrath. He
wouidn't have fretted and frothed into
: such q state Of pique had his opponent
H. been worthler and more valiant.
! asy But what was the trur state Of Miss
Ultlllf1 = AtNtAiNkN+ " ny. she WAS really
u quite IN love with Tucker. but she was
. rhn - sure OF him, womanlike. she was
IA not satisfied with one conquest, but
must try the witchery OF her rosy lips
bcninrd cheeks, ana her coy piquant ways
on pthers. she was 100 Hlre of Tucker
La 3 Tfllie, like many others OF her sex
|ndsnetded to be brought UP with a round
rar4turn. and she was. The evening that
.ilea, Tucker met Miss Title In the road wifi
NJ John Jenkins he addressed her a very
. n fdienined note. asking her II she would
Ma be al home and alone that night. She
n replied in the affirmative aud signed
herself; Yours respectfully, Miss
- Tiule know something was up; that
Iueker's eyes meant serious business
when they flashed such fire at her and
JntNin the road and there was danger
Ahead when he addressed her as Miss
PealI.ldIfy," Instead of 'My Dearest
...sWe1test Miss Tinie." That Of itself
glNcont4ned a volume Of wounded love
Ia aud manly Indignation, which she
Wdnld be charged with having caused.
= Vucker wanted TO meet her and settle
. thIuFs, and he left home looking his
! l Nv httI Books do much, even In n quarrel
ana tfeling his hercest. Tlllie left the
.r4Qn TO meet her irate lover ia the
. nu rAfitf with every charm OF face and
Z ptri4 wen trimmed for the fray
sliflFet8 woman knows the strength Of
rnef qAgn weapons. and Title depended
|d9 infE4Ig upon her face In lis setting OF
.ai3lcufIH FOR help in pacifyiug fuckers
ttentfrm. No two bitterly antagonfstlc
IulffciileF ever approached each other,
qpiute bumped and FOR reversed with
ns more fierce GOODNESS and significant re-
| 5I|rfsslon 81 design than did Timothy
1'dcffr aud Tillie Ridley In that cozy
M nIlilf nre-lit parlor uf the home which
& tHfss was now occupying alone the
az ft14IIy having gone Into the next coun-
,ts4fY b a big nesting" Truly, Tucker
r, MEa1t business, and. after very un-