Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-11
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.o.O
. SOME SHORT STORIES. .

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
. SOME SHORT STORIES. .
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
One Of the clerks Of the court
house has been receiving periodical
calls from . strange aud elderly man
the past couple Of years.
The first time this man visited the
county building attache he called him
BY name and said he was intimately
scqusinted with his relatives in the
fasnsrland.
why you are related to one Of
Europe's greatest composers. said
the stranger.
This Was pleasing Information,
and the clerk was inclined to place
some reliability in the old msu's
statements. Then he went into Q re-
view Of the clerks family history.
and concluded BY borrowing . dollar.
saying that he needed the money
badly. AMI would make good the
amount soon His touch" met
with . willing response.
The old man remained ont of sight
for several months. before again visit
ing his friend at the cour. house. One
day he came In. and with one hand
on his Jaw. complained Of severe
too'hachs. He said he had been at
tackled while down town, and not
having any money with him, asked
for she loan OF An amount sufficient
TO deiray the cost Of having the
troublesome ivory extracted. 1t
had begun to dawn on the clerk thst
he was being worked for o mark.
but he trusted his strange friend
once more, and handed him . half
dollar.
Recently the old man called again.
He :old hard luck story. But he
received . rather chilly reception.
He inquired about other people
working in the building. and seizing
one Of ,he names with which he
seemei to be familiar, visited the
bearer. and proceeded to tell him Of
his ancestors in Germany. with
whom he said he was we'll &C.
qua!nted. lie told the young man
all about his family history. and the
surprising part Of it was, be gave it
straight
Then his usual "touch" was In
order. The old man is supposed to
be . professional "grafter." who has
hit upon . new scheme Of making
"a easy living. He always avoided
discussing his own identity or resi-
dence.
A party OF Rock Island young men
had trick played on them at Turner
hall. Davenport, on recent Sunday
afternoon, which Was embarrassing
to humiliating degree. A concert
was 10 progress. They were seated
st table consuming the ioaming
beverage which 10 dispensed there
with . lavish hand. They had laid
s~sy several cold bott es and
seemed TO be enjoying themselves
immensely. Suddenly waiter
placed four glasses Of milk and a
DO II OF crackers on the table around
which they were seated. They looked
OF one another sheepishly, realizing
they had been made the victims OF
JOKE. which they sfterward dis.
covered had been perpetrated ty
some Of their friends.
| Every one in the hall yelled when
they lea ned the j,ke. aud the young
men made for the door to escape the
j.ers Of the large crowd.
| =.
| An errand boy. connected with one
OF Rock Islands business instiiu.
tions was III duty the other af,e,.
noon. He had engaged q boy t.
work for him without consulting the
manager. Who, on discovering the
Charge. inquired about the regulcr
empioye. Tho substitute said he
did rot know what he layed of for,
bnt raid no believed he Vas in the
me- borhocd The missing boy
was later located. He was laying
back In chair in the back room OF
. nearby store. putting . cigar. and
delvlpg into the pages of Q dime
novel. 1t was o thrilling detective
story he Was reading. narrating
IL murders, a suicide and two clop
ments. etc. Four buckets OF blood
were spilled in each chapter. Tn.
boy had become so interested In the
story shat he could not postpone
reading il until evening. So he laid
of from duty to crafty his intense
int crest.
Nellie MclIenry. the actress. had
just tripped through the Harpel
house office.
"There 10 Q woman who knows how
TO preserve her youthful appear
aBces." said Q Rock Islander who ha,
bald pate and bears other evidences
, OF having been on earth over q hal
century. "You would hardly be
lieve she IL nearly Is old ss an
Yes. cir. danced with her over 81
years ago."
, 70 Care . Gold n One Day.
Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tab
lets. All druggists refund the mono,
II IL fails TO cure. $50. The eenuin