Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-06-19
cleverIy Done.
the Entertaining story of . Queer
Interstate Comedy.

SO it's my turn TO amuse you,
said the Judge. well. prepare 70
hear my yarn, boys
Then, while the fire sputtered and
glowed. and the blue smoke rose
from pipes all around the room, he
told this tale:
After southwark run between
Iowa and Illinois, the Mississippi,
At the foot Of the former State, sud-
denly making q right angle, turns
vest for slx miles Where Il forms
its second right angle to resume its
wonted direction, IL is joined on the
west by the Des Moines, which is
the boundary between Iowa and Mis-
souri,. On the west, the river banks
are bluffs. The other side is fat,
sloping shore. Both are more or
less wooded. Whenever there is AN
exceptionally severe winter this
junction Is solid sheet OF ice. with
a clear, four-mile sweep north and
south, and one nearly as great east
and west. IL these lines of compass
were actually drawn so as to cross
in the middle of the junction, they
would intersect where, one very
cold December, rickety lOxl2 shan
ty stood. One particular day there
were good many skaters ON the
river, as the ice was fine. Among
them was Blake, then Sheriff of
Clarke county, Missouri. That af-
he had driven sixteen miles
from Kakoka, witha warrant for the
arrest of Dolph and bis daughter,
'Romiette, who were reported to be
selling liquor without q license in
this shanty / have mentioned.
THE old man was sharp one.
AS for 'ROmiette, I think her name
was q Montague-Capulet combina-
tion. Anyway, she was hard to beat.
Her black eyes and red mouth and
the way she wore her shawl, show
ed French blood somewhere. She
had an immense braid OF black hair
to her knees. The cabin
laced south, with a latched door that
opened outward. A Acoupleof slouch-
lily curtained hunks, upper and low
er, occupied the northwest corner.
The other three held rough, trian-
gular seats. The west, north and
east walls were furnished with dir
ty windows. About the middle of
the east wall was q small air-aight
stove. A table, with an unusually
deepdrawer stood in the middle ofthe
floor.
About four O'Clock, Blake went
in and asked for a drink. The girl
opened the table drawer and gave
him some very bad whisky. But it
warmed him up, so he wanted more
and yet tmOre. He was the most sus-
ceptible man l ever knew, and be-
tween the whisky, which confused
him, and the girl, who dazzled him,
he finally blurted out his business
with unprofessional candor. OF
course they filed him up well after
that and as soon as II was dark,
Dolph bundled him into a sleigh and
dumped him on an out-of-the- way
doorstep in Keokuk, iowa. He woke
up the next morning chagrined, dis
gusted and with empty pockets.
THE weather continued cold and
the day after Blake's experience,
while he was still trying to collect
his wits, Somers, Sheriff Of Hancock
county, Illinois, armed with a war
rant for the arrest of Dolph and
and a warning that they
were dangerous to deal with, was
skating at the junction.
When he went into the cabin
there were several men drinking
and talking, with much laughter and
banter for the girl. Dolph was sit
ting in the northeast corner and he
rose, urging the stranger to accept
his seat. Somers took it and asked
for a drink. While he was trying
10 gulp down the stuff, the rest of
the men left. After disposing OF it
with inward misgivings. he asked
the price, and the minute the girl
took his money, his chance had
come. With one hand he pulled out
bis warrant, and with the other his
pistol, which he pointed at the girl.
Her father sprang toward him.
Stand still, cried Somers, or I'll
shoot the girl 1 arrest you both.
BY what authorisy?' asked Ro-
miette. with attempted haughti-
ness.
Here's my warrant. lam Sher-
in Of Hancock county, Illinois, or
dered TO arrest you for selling IL
quor without license
oh, well, Monsieur, said the
girl impudently, IL that is the case,
allow me to inform you that you
bought, drank and paid for your IL
quor in Iowa
Somers said he felt like shooting
her. He had furious temper any
wav.