The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-03-05
AN UNWRITTEN STORY.

York - he had n pretty hard time of
1t as ii Philadelphia newspaper man.
He ha, been on the local force of the
| the But going to fires, inc wed
dings. and funerals and hangings
SCENE a bit out of his line. So he
went . for special work. He wasn't
a brilliant success at special articles
he wa. only paid for the space his sto-
ries Ouccupied when accepted. And
SO here he was, On this June night,
with just Sill in his pockets, as he
moodily walked into Logan Square
and sat on a bench.
This June night it was too hot to
think. So he closed his eyes n lit
ened laZily to the car bells and to the
hum of the insects, and wondered If
life was always as prosy as he found
1t.
"Warm, Benny, isn't it," said Il
voice at his elbow.
"Hullo, Kate! What brings you
here2"
"Rrvath of air. she answered. Then
Husband died last week"
"You don't sayY" said Benny. "Why,
I didn't know you were married"
"Yep. Been married six years.
Say" she broke in quickly, "still re-
porting?"
mo; I'm doing special work now.
Writing anything writable."
"Well, l got a good story for you.
Give me half Of what it brings and I'll
tell 1t to you"
Its a co." said Benny. II need
money badly now. Fire ahead"
"Well, let's go on the river, Benny.
It's cooler there"
Cant afford it, Kate. I've only got
a few pennies over a dollar, and that
wouldn't 60 far, you know"
THAT'S So" h assented. "Well
here goes for the story, then. First
Benny, o must understand thnt ]
was a great deal prettier six years ago
than l am now, and / wasn't so-er-
er-well, l was different. There were
two fellows that wanted me-both
good-looking fellows, and moved ir
good society. 1 was pretty tame then
and l acted awful innocent and spoke
grammatical. But six years of bad
company can change anybody; cant
it, BennyT
Eyes; 1 guess it can," he answered
"Well, Walter Barring and Joe Davis
were the two fellows. Barring got
killed in Fennessy's. Remember thai
night, Benny? You got around jus
AItUI thc buOotiuS, anu L HuSticu ou
the back way just before the patro
came up"
Barring went in to drag a littl'
flower girl out of the dive. didn't hep
Eyes; 1t seems that Barring was IN,
Of those goody-goodies that wanted t
save the world. He went in to tell tn,
girl to come out, and one of the fel
lows struck her, and Barring strucl
him. Then some one fired a pistol
and Barring dropped"
Eyes, yes; I remember now. s
Barring was n of the fellows tina
loved your
eyes; but Joe Davis married me
Joe told me all about it nfterward
You see, 1t was this way. Joe and Bar
ing were chums, and both loved me
Another friend Of theirs, Harry Car
TON
, "The insurance mani"
Eyes; the one with the big whiskers
l Well, as l was saying, Canton sa,
which way the wind was blowing, an
t he went around prying. Then he II
vited Joe and Barring up to his hous
5 one night, and said something lik
this: you fellows both love the sam
r girl, and are chums. In olden time
you'd settle who loved her the bette
2 by shooting at each other. Whoeve
| wasn't killed would marry her. BIZ
we're civilized now. and I'm going t
see which of you idiots loves her."
"'I'd die for her. said Barring; br
: Joe didn't say anything Mt all.
: "'Well, I don't think either of yo
e want her. said Canton, for l foun
t out something that will surprise 70,
Her mother is in jail now, and he
t father was shot for stealing horse
e out West. The girl has the instinc'
r of both, and some day 1t will crop ou
i This is as true as God is above m
e boys he said. Pretty mean in hir
e wasn't it, Benny. going and fiudin
: out the family secrets?'
Benny said 1t was pretty mean; an
the girl went on with her story.
"Well, Barring jumped up and caugl
> Canton by the hand. Thank you. o
man. he satd:'I'm done with her B.
. Joe Just sat still and quiet like. We
IL joe said Canton, what do you thir
: of her now?
80 love her. said Joe. very quietl
I love her, Canton; and what h
father was or mother is doesn't nal
any difference. I love her.
well, they tried to talk him out
loving me; but they couldn't; and n
and Joe got married. That was b
way. YOU know. always quiet; b
when he decided on anything v,
! couldn't NOV chin
"His folks took on terribly when '
!. got married. He was in his father
!. store-sort of partner, you know-al
= his father broke up the partnersh
, and wouldn't have anything to do wi
/. us. So we got a.couple of rooms, al
, Joe gave me nearly $4,000 to put
!. the bank. But | lost the none SON
+ how or other, and Joe felt awful abo
y it when 1 told him. He didn't sec
I me Benny. He just said it was u
fortunate"
: "Why. how in the world did v
. come to lose it?" queried Benny.
+ Dunno. Suppose I wasn't strict
-. sober at the time. and wasn't used
I so much money in my clothes. l Dug
= to be excused on that score, ought
/, Benny"
Il suppose You ought" he said.
e Well. then. l got to like some of t
fellows pretty much. and Joe fou
me out. He used to take me in
arms and reason with me, but | 81
pose there's something in that law
hered-hered-"
>Heredity?' hazarded Benny.
= Yes, that's it. There must be son
thing in that law. for l felt the We
i devil in me at times, and I'd go
O and leave Joe for a week at a tin
- But he was always patient, ne,