Smyrna times., 1903-05-13

II IL
Mcknight, who would undoubtedly
beat her since he would go so far as
10 cruelty mlstreat little child-and
DeIore Its own mothers eyes!
Poor Gene thought of these things nc
ne leaned against the. doorway and
looked on at the dance. now. this
doorway led to the room where the
cnlldren were slowed. A yap and
Slight scuff1e among them attracted his
attention and appeared to suggest
something. He glanced at Chubb Nor
rlson. What if the plot which had lust
mashed into his mind offered not only
solution of his and Louise's troubles
but chance to get even with this re-
dOubtable matrOn and her i'll temnered
youngster, who had made Louise's life
a burden ever since she came to the
Open NJ!
Gene hurried out to the corral made
certain arrangements there, then Slip
ped back into the children's room.
where he proceeded to connect all those
bare and stubby toes one with the 9th
er at good, liberal distances by a firm
ly attached line of yarn He first tried
1t thoughtfully and doubled it after
doing so. 81 don't want to exactly terl,
their toes out" he muttered, "and vet
the Lord knOws-fer he made EN-
that 'twOuld serve most of 'em about
right"
Ihls done, he went back to his post
at the doorway and gave good strong
pull ON his end of the yarn string.
There ensued a subdued growing in
the room behind him which waxed and
grew to series of hOwls, in which
every species of Juvenile voice entreat-
ed for 'NIOmmer!' "Mawr' "Mammyr'
The din, flowing like a tidal wave over
the music of the orchestra, reached the
ears Of Mrs. Chubb. She paused in
her evolutiOns, flung up her head like
a warhorse that shifts the battle and
bounced, as Gene afterward declared.
with one mighty bounce clean into the
middle of the struggling juvenility IN
the next room.
"And l reckon" he added always in
telling the story, that it was plumb
time she should git thar, for them
young uns was jest a-eatin' each 9th
er's heads off all simultaneous"
This was the last of his actual OBJ
servatiOns. AS he turned toward the
ballroom to find what chance the diver
sion gave him with Louise he met
Billy MOtlow's wife and the spouse of
Nick Doyle both charging toward the
children's room with fury written upon
| their cOuntenanceS.
Fleeing silently, Gene found Louise
near the outside door With one sob
she was in his arms in the semidark-
ness. 'NOw's our chance, sweetheartr'
he whispered in the little ear he had
just ardently kissed, and with her hand
in his they escaped unobserved toward
| the corral.
And back in ''the court of the chill
dren" the fight ragged awfully. The
men, great, easy going chaps in clump-
ing cowboy boots, stood back in fool
| ish helplessness while their wives
| pulled, jerked, thrust and screamed
with shrill voices and blazing eyes.
Children were snatched and clawed
back and forth (alOng with the ex.
| change of much bitter reprOach and in
vective), inquired Of violently rejected
| the yarn weaving in and out and round
and through, the youngsters splitting
the air at every jerk, until some
woman a little saner than the others
discovered its existence and displayed
it to the onlookers.
A sudden pause of amazement fol
! lowed this revelation, and upon this
| abrupt stiffness burst a very full ex.
| planatiOn of both its authorship and
its purpose, for there flashed across
the lighted space outside the windows
a stream of galloping ponies, followed
and driven by mounted man and q
girl, Gene swinging his lariat and
whOOping iOyously and Louise lending
willing hand and voice to the work
And Zack Morrison's foghorn tones
were lifted: Thar, now! Gene Nc
Knights done skipped with Lou while
you all was a-foOlin' here over this
trick of his'n on the young uns
Stampeded the ponies too! They AIM
a hOOf left to chase 'em on, an I'm
glad of itr'