Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-19

myself. lo0 Ses. she's mad plenty CT
married experience. and I haven't. so I
figure that would lie an advantage.
Those kids are the only obstacle. They
remind me Of a barrel Of bed ink. How
ever. I've figured that out too II she
had the kids alone I wouldn't think of
marrying her. but she's got 1880.
Now, you've had lots Of female expert
ence, and want to ask you, on the
square, if you don't think it would b
a good idea for me to get married.
when / recovered from my astonish-
ment, I told him l thought it would, re-
serving in my own mind the thought
that wouldn't marry her if was blind
and paralyzed and she had els, 600. 600.
Reddy went back to work and he whis-
tied all day The next morning he show
ed up and told me he was engaged.
1T was about four months between
Reddy's engagement and his marriage
and during that time he and Mrs. Look
kept very much to themselves. The only
time they were seen together in public
was one night when they attended Louis
James performance Of 'Virginius' at
the opera house. In the second act.
while the house was still rs church.
admiring q great scene ON the stage,
Mrs. Look leaned over and whispered
something to Reddy. Reddy replied in
the same tone Of voice he used in ortli-
nary conversation and his every word
was heard all over the opera house.
From what he said Mrs. Look had said
something risque, as the French say, be-
cause his language made the actors
blush. The funny part Of it was that he
did not realize that everybody in the
house heard him and Mrs. Look realized
it painfully. She whispered something
else to Reddy.
"'Come off = he howled back. Il paid
q dollar fifty for these two seats and
I'm going to see the show out.
Freddy was bound to marry Mrs.
Look, and he did.
They went to Chicago ON o bridal
trip, intending to be gone week, and
they took all the children with them.
The printers hired brass band and gave
him royal send off. Much to my sur
prise he reported for work again in two
days.
HE didn't say anything for two or
three hours and I didn't ask him any
thing. ! knew he would talk in time.
I took notice while waiting that he had
on the same shirt he was married in,
because Of some tobacco juice stains on
the bosom remembered from the we'd
ding. Just before noon Reddy came into
the sanctum and exploded. Stripped of
profanity his say was as follows:
well, it's all over. The romance
Of my life is busted 1t cost me pretty
near $500 to get married and furnish a
house for my bride and her offspring,
and now find got the double cross.
The day We got to Chicago I tried to
touch her for $50, and she didn't have a
cent. I instituted inquiries and found
her rcputed 81, 500 like salary day ON a
bankrupt paper-not there She never
had 81 800. A revelation like that is
enough to knock the romance out of any
man if he was loaded with it. We came
right back, and ON the way she had the
gall to say it made no difference about
the 81, 800, because I had her. I don t
want her unless I own a museum. You
ought to see her with her make up of.
She looks like an ossified woman. On
the level, I'd feel just as good if had
married a policeman.
"Of course I sympathized with Red
dy, and everybody else did. The boss
thought he would take to drink, but he
didn't. He just buckled down to feed
Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Looks five kids
and grew wan and haggard in the at
tempt. His married life was comedy
to people ON the outside, but consider
able of tragedy to Reddy.
Zone morning he came in the office
quietly, looking like he had been run
over by a fire engine. He told me his
troubles at once.
The coarsest men I know he
said, ARE brakemen. My married life
has been such an imitation Of the hearth
stone of hell that I don't go home at
night until / have to. Last night went
home when thought I had to, and /
met man in the hall asked him
who he was, and he said it was none Of
my id business. Then he soaked me.
I know he was a brakeman, because
smelled oil and smoking car on him.
After he got through soaking me he
threw me down stairs and out in the
street and locked the door. I slept all
night at a hotel. and can't say I'm
sorry, but that fellow was the gayest
man ON short acquaintance I ever got
mixed mp with
Freddy never went back to live with
his wife. He sent our Office boy up
after his clothes, and his wife chased
the boy with a .f1atiron and . broom.
Then Reddy sued for divorce and got
it. The day the decree was granted
wrote a short item about it, and Reddy
saw it on the galley. He took it mp and
added a couple of lines to it on his own
responsibility. The lines were:
This closes the only romance in the
life of Reddy Wright Martin Green
in st. Louis Republic.