The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-01-02
IN UNWRITTEN STORY.

1t as a Philadelphia newspaper man.
He had been on the local force OF the
the But going to fires, and we'd
dlngs, and funerals and hangings
seemed bit out of his line. So he
went In for special work. He wasn't
brilliant success at special articles
he was only paid for the space his sto-
RES 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. III.
This June night it was too hot to
think. So he closed his eyes and 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
"Warm, Benny, isn't it," said a
voice at his elbow.
"Hullo, Kate! What brings you
here?" -
Breath Of air." she answered. Then
-"Husband died last week.
you don't say?' said Benny. "Why,
L didn't know you were married.
yep. Been married six wears.
Say" she broke in quickly, 'still re
porting?"
mo; I'm doing special work now.
Writing anything writable."
well, I got a good story for you.
Give me half Of what it brings and I'll
tell 1t to you"
cts a co." said Benny. IT. need
money badly now. Fire ahead"
well, let's go on the river, Benny.
It's cooler there" g..
Cant afford it, Kate. I've only got
a few pennies over dollar, and that
wouldn't go far, you know"
'That's so,'' she assented "Well'
here goes for the story, then. First.
Benny, you must understand that 7
than am now, and I wasn't so-er-
er-well. I was different. There were
two fellows that wanted me-both
good-looking fellows, and moved in
good society. I was pretty tame then,
and I acted awful innocent and spoke
grammatical. But six years Of bad
company can change anybody; can't
it, Benny"
Eyes; I guess it can," he answered.
"Well, Walter Barring and Joe Davis
were the two fellows. Barring got
killed in Fennessy's. Remember that
night, Benny? You got around just
after the shooting, and I hustled out
the back way just before the patrol
came up
Barring went in to drag a little
flower girl out of the dive, didn't he?"
eyes; it,seems that Barring was one
of those goody-gOodies that wanted to
save the world. He went in to tell the
lows struck her, and Barring struck
him. Then some one fired a pistol,
and Barring dropped"
"YQ& I rQnonn1hoo, NOW %
Barring was one of the fellows that
loved your
yes; but Joe Davis married me.
Joe told me all about it afterward.
You see, it was this way. Joe and Bar
ing were chums, and both loved me.
Another friend of theirs, Harry Can
"The insurance man.? .: = .-.~
Eyes; the one with the big whiskers.
Well. as I was saying, Canton saw
which way the wind was blowing, and
he went around prying. Then he in
vited Joe and Barring up to his house
one. night, and said something like
this: "You fellows both love the same
girl, and are chums. In olden times
you'd settle who loved her the better
by shooting at each other. Whoever
wasn't killed would marry her But
we're civilized now, and I'm going to
see which Of you idiots loves her."
I'D die for her. said Barring; but
Joe didn't say anything Mt ALL
: II swell, i don't think either Of you
want her. said Canton, for I found
out something that will surprise you.
Her mother is in jail now, and her
father was sshot for stealing horses
out West The girl has the instincts
of both, and some day it will crop out,
This is as true as God is above me,
boys he said. Pretty mean in him,
wasn't 1t, Benny, going and finding
out the family secrets?''
Benny said it was pretty mean; and
the girl went on with her story.
well, Barring jumped up and caught
Canton by the hand. Thank you, old
man he said:'I'm done with her But
Joe just sat still and quiet like. Well
joe, said Canton, what do you think
Of her now?
"I love her. said Joe, very quietly.
i love her, Canton: and what her
father was or mother is doesn't make
any difference. I love her.
swell, they tried to talk him out of
loving me; but they couldn't; and me
and Joe got married That was his
way, you know, always quiet; but
when he decided on anything YOU
couldn't NOV chin.
"His folks took on terribly when we
got married. He was in his fathers
store-sort Of partner, you know-and
his father broke up the partnership
and wouldn't have anything to do with
us. So we got couple Of rooms, and
Joe gave me nearly $4,000 to put in
the bank. But lost the money some
how or other, and Joe felt awful about
1t when 1 told him. He didn't scold
me, Benny. He just said it was un-
Fortunate" y s.
why, how in the world did you
come to lose it?' queried Benny.
Dunno. Suppose I wasn't strictly
sober at the time, and wasn't used to
so much money in my clothes. 1 ought
to be excused on that score, oughtn't
!, BennyY' n.
8 Il suppose you ought" he said. -
We'll, then, got to like some of the
fellows pretty much, and Joe found
me out. He used to take me in his
arms and reason with me, but sup
pose there's something in that law nf