Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-10


her work. When she looked up to well
come Alec back with q smile. he saw
how tired her face was. He was sorry
| for her and sfraiehtwny forgot his own
t, troubles.
did you catch the train:'' she asked
first.
"Yes. and got the So" he answered
with laugh.
"Supper is On tho table. WAITED q
little. thinking perhaps yoa might
come.
] Alec proceeded to wash his face and
hands in the tin basin on the bench ont
side the door. and soon was eating q
hearty supper. Maud's lu:ch bag was
untouched. But after supper he gave
the things to 'Lisbeth, and thinking
about it that night he decided to for
give Maud.
| After supper that evening Alec wan
dered into the store, and finding no one
but Mr.. Higgins, who was lying on mis-
back on the counter as usual. he gave
him Q little description Of the drive,
and inquired concerning several bust
ness matters. And as he talked he could
not help remembering what Mrs. Hig-
gins had said that Sunday evening
about the old gentleman having fits.
The old fellow looked at him pretty
sharply one or twice, and seemed puz-
zled BY some strange expression on his
| face. Conversation Jagged. There was
a long silence, and Alec was thinking
| Of going ont on the veranda when Joe
| Higgins burst ont:
"Ha, Young IN. I've been wondering
what you've been looking at me so
queer for. guess the women folks have
been telling you was enc foot in the
grave. Hey? Amt that so:'
Alec blrshed and stamnercd in way
that evidently quite satisfied Mr.. Hig-
gins.
| "Don': yuu take any stock in what
women tell you. Women have no Garth
| II idee how to bluff the devil. Why,
bless your heart, I've had them fits 40
wear. and they never found it out till
jest three years ago. You say I'll die in
one o. 'em some day. Course I'll die
| VIXEN my time comes, but there's no use
in dying before your time. What is it
Scriptur' says.-there's q time TO 10
merry, and a time TO be sad? / s'pose
there's a time to have fits and n time
not to have 'em. and n time to die in
EN- and time not 90.
| LET me give you some advice. young
un. You work too hard. Don't do it.
got them fits working too hard. ! don't
| do it any more. That's why never
cleaned out the store more. II ! had, I'd
a worked myself to death like enough.
'Lisbeth can talk about its being u good
thing for business to have the store clean.
But it's better to have n dirty store than
no store at all. and il had cleaned out
the store regular I sho'd probably be
dead by this time.
dispose you think it's kind Of queer
fo- boss to give hand advice not TO
work. But my girl 'Lisbeth there, she
works too hard. wish you could set
her better example. don't know what
to do with that girl. She gets me. Tn
frigbted all the time that she'll work
herself into fits, the way did. Fits
amt such turrible thing. But they re
unhandy. especially in woman, and a
young woman, too, that's like TO Git
married. I've heard tell of men that
wouldn't marry a girl that he'd fits.
That gifts me. But, considering how the
world is. I'd rather 'Lisbeth didn't have
no fits to trouble herself with.
Come now! Was it she what told You
l had fits:'
1T was Mrs. Higgins that told me-"
said Alec.
| "Aw. i thought it wasn't 'Lisbefh.
But it don't make no difference. Moth
er's always a-telling Of it. But it don't
make no difference, only thought I'd
sort O. tell You didn t take no count of
1t myself. II is onhandy sometimes,
when you re all alone, for instance; YES.
onhandy. bat I don't take no count Of
| it,
Their conversation was interrupted at
that momen. by the cntrdhce of Bent.
Just come from a fishing excursion.
He had very old and battered extern
sion bamboo rod in one hand and n string
OF FISH IN the other, which be wanted 10
sell to Joe Higgins. But that gentle
man replied that he Rad made his for.
time that day by selling pig he had
bought for ti.ao, and he meant To
keep the profit by him. Bent suggested
that no draw on the principal. but he
said he had anticipated that suggestion
by using the money TO pay his rent that
day. So Bent sat down aud Lit his nine.
preparatory TO a talk.
no sy coSIryUA1