Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
Other Peoples Affairs.
[Orilanal.1

You know Lucy Carver? Well, she
and Molly was bosom friends. One
day Molly CONES to me and tole me that
Lucy was a-gioin' to throw herself
away on Tom Martin, and Molly was
grievin' over it as much asiif she was
a-goin' to marry the man herself. l
asked her if she didn't know any way
to prevent the match, and she said she
didn't, unless some gina would entice
Tom away from Lucy. Well 1 said.
why don't you do ityyourself? She
didn't say nothin' forY awhile, then she
said she'd supposedly might object to
anything like that. But 1 tole her
wouldn't mind her doin' her friend a
good turn. All shet had to do was to
be sweet to him for awhile, aud when
she'd shown Lucy how tickle he was
she could drop him. OF course, l be-
in in the secret, wouldn't be a-frettin
and a-worryin' bout her keepin' COM
pany with Tom.
Purity soon 1 noticed that she had
started in. She and Tom was together
most of the time, and Molly toIe me
that all was a-goin' fust rate
But what's the objection to Tom?"
ooh, he's n mis'able kind of a Teller
Hasn't nothin' bout him 'cept good
looks. Then he's kind o. wild and on
steady ginerally."
''Well, go on"
Lucy, she got hoppin' mad with
Tom and tole him he'd have to stop
sparkin' Molly or she'd chuck him.
This didn't do no good. for by this time
Molly had him like a fly caught in Il
spider web. But here's where what /
tole you bout interferin' with other
peoples affairs comes in. Lucy, who'd
always been Molly's best friend, turn
ed ag'in her and wouldn't speak to
her"
81 see. But it seems to me all there
was to do in the matter was for Molly,
havin' showed up Toms shallow
heart, to drop him, cling to you and
explain the matter to Lucy"
That's exactly what 1 tole Molly,
but she explained to me that the af-
fair had got badly mixed. She said
that Lucy wouldn't believe her and, if
she did, wouldn't forgive her for what
she'd done"
True; that's what was to be ex-
pected."
Things went on from bad to worse
Molly was awful cut up because Lucy
turned her back on her, and she didn't
know what to do"
did she try to make a satisfactory
explanat ion?'
81 asked her bout that, and she said
Lucy had treated her so mean she
didn't like to go palaverin' over her
when it was Lucy's business to feel
grateful to her for doin' her a favor"
what did Tom do when Molly drop
ped him?''
molly didn't exactly drop Tom. She
said Lucy had acted so disgustin' she
didn't want to let her think she could
make her drop Tom, especially by git
tin mad bout it,
what was gOin' on between you and
Tom?"
''Oh, Tom when he passed me used
to look at me with a kind of q smirk,
as much as to say, I've got your gall
and looked at him as much as to say,
Guess you'll find out somethin' bime-
by They say men is always fightin'
bout women. 1 don't see no chance
for that so long as the women kin keep
foOlin' the men till the last minute,
and then there's no use of fghtin'. At
any rate 1 didn't want to fight Tom,
for l knOwed all about how Molly was
a-playin' him. But bimeby got tired
havin' him take up so much of MolIy's
time.
You see, lots of times when wanted
her to go ridin' with me or to take her
to dance or anything like that she'd
say: Why didn't you speak about it
sooner? l jist tole Tom I'd go with |
him. But 1 had lots of fun at dances |
when l see people lookin' at me like as
if they pitied me, for they didn't know
the game we was playin'.
.'Howsomever, at last made up my |
mind the thing had got to end some |
time, and, KNOWN what kind of fix |
Molly was in, 1 jist thought I'd do |
somethin' to end it myself. l expected |
Molly wouldn't like it at fust, but |
when it was all over and she was out |
of the scrape she'd think all the more /
of me-"
How did you manage it?"
Il went to Tom and tole him that |
Molly had got mixed up in other PEG.
pies affairs and she'd found it neces-
sary to keep company with him awhile,
but there was nOthin' in it and if he
was sensible Teller he'd drop her"
Il shouldn't "a thought he'd "a taken
that very we'll"
HE did, though. He said he was
much obleeged to me for tellin' him.
1t was Molly that got mad. He tole
her what I'd said, and the next time
she saw me she tole me had no bust
ness to interfere in the matter and 1
might find some other gal, for she'd
had enough of me and my pokin' my
nose into other peoples affairs"
you expected her to be mad at
'ust''
80 l did, but l didn't expect she'd
20 plumb back on me for a little thing