Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-18
DAILY SHORT STORY
She Got Her rousseau
tOriginaI.l

Ethan Arbuckle had got wind of q
fine strike on the Benton claim, on the
side of upper hill. He felt sure thai
no one except the owners of the claim
knew of the find. and they were toe
busy laying plans for its development
to concern themselves about any adj
joining property. Arbuckle knew that
the veins in upper hill ran east and
west. To the west lay Il large farm
that had been already bought by CAPT
talists. On the east lay ten acres owned
by Amanda Gregory. an orphan of
some twenty summers. Arbuckle had
met the girl number of times and
once at n ball i'll Il barn had danced
with her o'often as to excite the ire
of Tom Flynn, a redheaded. freckled
son of the soil, who had been long
used to consider Amanda as his partic-
ular property. Arbuckle had been
rather ruffied than pleased with the
episode; Amanda had seemed delighted.
The find on Topper hill put an en-
tirely new phase on the matter. The
vein showed 5000 in gold to the ton,
gave evidence of widening as devel-
oped and must run through the proper
ty of Amanda Gregory, all of which
meant that her ten acres might be
worth anywhere from q few hundred
thousand to a million dollars. 1t was
for Arbuckle to decide, and decide at
once, whether he would jump in and
carry off the girl before it was known
that she was rich. He would not have
considered such course for Il moment
had he not absolute evidence that the
property adjoining Amanda's was bo-
nanza. He decided to strike for Miss
Gregory and a fortune.
He invited the girl to drive with him
and while bowling along told her that
he had been captivated by her rustic
beauty; that he had discovered an IN
cut gem; that be found it necessary to
his happiness to forego a match with
an heiress in the east provided Amanda
would bestow herself upon him in her
poverty.
Amanda listened with averted head.
She thought of redheaded Tom Flynn,
whom she liked, and compared him
with the elegant Mr.. Arbuckle. whom
she did not love, but considered a prize
far above an uneducated daughter of
pioneers.
II hain't got nothin' for trusso," she
said by way of reply.
"Never mind that" replied the WOO
er. I'VE will get one in Paris. After
we are married it will be proper for me
to pay for what you wear"
a man was coming down the road on
foot. When he reached a point where
he could be plainly seen he showed the
freckled face of Tom Flynn. Amanda
Flynn scowled and passed on.
1t was long after dark when Arbuc-
kle brought Miss Gregory to a decision
and turned toward her home.
DO you know. Amanda he said,
chat it will be necessary for us to be
married at once or wait for several
years? My interests in the east demand
my presence there Immediately
when must you go?'
Tomorrow evening at latest"
That's pretty student"
Arbuckle, who had little confidence
that the secret of the wonderful strike
would be kept fortyeight hours, bent
all his persuasive force to accomplish a
marriage at noon the next day and at
last obtained the girls consent. Then
he drove her up to her cabin, where she
lived with an aunt. and after a kiss in
which there was little warmth on eel
ther side left her. He had no sooner
driven away than Tom Flynn entered
the gate. Amanda was standing on the
threshold looking after her newly made
betrothed. Tom began protest against
her intimacy with Arbuckle. but she
stopped him and told him all that had
occurred. Tom smothered his anguish
and went off TO begin his watch on the
claim in the next field, where the strike
had been made, a strike of which he
was ignorant.
whats the matter, Flynn?" asked
Benton, owner of the mine
Tom confessed that he was being
robbed of his girl, who was to be mar
ried to Arbuckle the next day at noon
then went on watch.
Is Amanda was preparing to get into
bed when there was a knock at her
door, and ten minutes later Benton was
admitted.
Hearing that you are about to be
married. he said, land are naturally
OUT
81 do want a trusso."
'1'll buy your farm"
''You will?"
eyes. What do you want for it?'
give hundred dollars an acre." said
the girl. dreading that she had asked
too much.
ITS a bargainr'
Within an hour a deed was executed
to Benton and assigned by him to Tom
Flynn. Then the parties concerned
went to bed.
When Arbuckle approached his be-
trothed the next day he was greeted.
with a radiance he had never seen in
her face before.
1--WE got my trussow she exclaimed.
ttInrH did won get IT. ~