Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
A BOBBY Prize Story.
IOriginal.l

prizes, one for the best and one for the
worst. At meeting. of the club the
manuscripts handed in were read by
the secretary. The following was in
competition for the BOBBY prize:
A TALE OF THE CATSKILL NOUN
fF' TAINS.
One dark, dismal, disagree;bble night
in midwinter, when the June'roses were
in full bloom, n woman stOOd'at the door
of cabin in the Catskill mountains.
Her tattered garments tiuttered in the
wind. while her jewels flashed i'll rain
bow hues in the hot monday sun.
He cometh not" she said.
There was Il creaking of horse's hubs
down the road, and Il moment later the
splendid figure of IL young man of some
Seventy-five summers, mOuIHed on an
Arabian steed. with steel springs and
leathern curtains, emerged from the
Glove.
''Oh, AIgernon. why are you so late?"
"Clarissa, dearest. L have been delayed
by puncture i'll the left hind leg of
my truSty steed.'
''Algernon, l have the worst possible
news for you. Father is unalterably
opposed to our marriage. He has six
FOUNDER, loaded and pointed up the
chimney. ready tn fire aS soon as he is
aware of Your presence"
What, ho! Does the old dotard think
To scare me?" And with one leap he
landed on the roof and stood looking
detiantly down the chimney. There
was IL report. followed by IL shrek from
ClariSsa, and her lovers headlesS trunk
rolled at her feet.
Maddened by the sight, Clarissa was
about to rush into the cabin to re-
proach her father with the bloody deed
when Algernon stopped her.
Consider" he said. The gun is by
this time reloaded. Let us take refuge
under the fall of the Kaaterskill."
Alas. they were too late! Just as
they were about TO sink behind IL noun
tain peak the father appeared at his
cabin door with Il tieldglass and, point
ing it deliberately mt the fugitives,
pulled the trigger.
Are you hurt, dearest" asked AL
gernon tenderly.
'''TiS nothing-a mere break in the
left ventricle of the heart. l am bet
ter now. And you?'
"A trifie. The old man has been sad
ly fooled. Both my legs and both my
arms are cork. My right arm is gone,
but 1 have three limbs left of good
flesh and blood"
Then let us speed on
Pulling the throttle wide open, they
skinned the ice merrily. Reaching
lake from which the water had been
drained to supply the neighbOring resi-
dences with warmth, they looked about
4 TIL d.,
"Oh. for a mud Scowr' exclaimed
Clarissa.
Here is something BETTER replied
Algernon, and. Selling Il tODoggan tied
TO Il post, they mounted and rode up
the mountain side with lightning speed.
The sight from the summit was re-
splendent with beauty. The rising sun
was sinking in the north. The full
moon. n slender crescent fit to deck a
lady's brow, was at the moment pass
ing behind Arcturus. All nature was
hushed, the stiffness unbroken save for
the blows of n thousand artisans in a
boiler shop in the valley.
The lovers were standing on the
peak. pensively viewing the scene and
unconscious of danger, when the pur-
suing father. wringing the sweat from
his raven locks, reached the summit of
neighbOring mountain and looked
wildly about for the fugitives. Not
seeing them. he drew searchlight
from his vest pocket and, pointing 1t
directly at AlgernOn's heart. fired. The
brave man who could not be worsted
by round shot suCcumbed to the more
subtle power of electricity. An arm
and two legs caught fire and blaZed
with the brilliancy of pitch pine.
my love. My love- shrieked Cla
rissa Must / stand here helpless and
see you burn to Il cinder?"
Fear not dear heart replied the
iron hearted man. Il am only vulner-
able in the thoraX'' With that he
waded into the lake and was extin-
guished
Moved by Algernon's bravery and
Clarissa's tears, the old man relented.
Seeing the limbless body of his would
be son-in-law floating in the lake, he
waded in and. Selling Algernon by the
right arm and left leg, dragged him to
the shore.
"Give me your hand, noble man."
said Clarissa's father.
You've burned it, moaned Alger-
non.
Fortunately at that moment distin-
guished dominic passed by. walking on
an alpenstock, and consented to unite
the pair in the holy bonds of matri-
mony. Then they all went home to n
joyous wedding breakfast.
Years have passed since the sound
of these festivities ceased To leap in
echoes from crag to crag. The butter
cups and daisies lovingly nod to each
other. kissed by the clouds that stoop
from heaven to wrap them in a wind
ing sheet of disagreeable fog. The
shrill whistle of the locomotive softly
floats over the mountain plains where
once the only means of conveyance
was heavens own simple meteorite
The numerous progeny of Algernon