Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-25
DAILY SHORT STORY
Why He Was Caught.


other things he told me how he came
to be caught at last. This is the story:
I'd had things pretty much my own
way for long while, and it made me
careless. It's never best for man to
have a run of good luck. Helneeds
backset now and then to keep him eau
tious. While l was holdin' people up
and gittin' away with the plumber l
forgot that those I'd levied on was
stirrin' up ttrouble for 'me.
One dayiI rode by ranch and seein'
il was prosperous lookin' place l
thought I'd stop and,see if l could haul
in anything. The door was opened by
as trim Il gal as yosI ever see. Not
plains gal or n greaser or anything like
that, but lady alltOver. / told her
was a-travelin' andiwould like to get a
dinner If might betallowed to pay for
it, and she said L. could have all 1
wanted to eat with inothin' to pay and
welcome. 1 heard an old crOne's voice
speakin' from above.
what you thinkin' of, Lillian? OF
course he can pay for dinner! D'you
s'pose we're made'of money!"
The gal colonel, but said nothin' and
went out and give orders to the cook,
while l, bein'1convinced that the place
was open to me, went upstairs, and,
scarin' the oldt woman by shown my
weapon agin' her scalp, axed her what
valyables thereNwas in the house. She
WV
afeerIl I'd havetto blow her brains out,
but the cold iron and my thinkin'
whether TO do it or not, which she
could see in my face. helped matters
and she at last give in and showed me
where she kept her valyables. 1t hap
pened that they was all together, so
she was 'bleeged to show 'em up all ut
oncet.
Well, while we was a-talkin' the gal
come upstairs, and though for awhile
she couldn't seem to git on to what /
was up to. she did at last and give me
a look I'll remember to the day 1
swing. Somehow it made me feel
what / was Nobody ever made me
feel that way before.
Come" she said. when you've got
have in the house set out for you. I'm
not accountable for your acts, only my
own. You asked for dinner and l
promised to give it to you. l shall
keep my promise"
She tux me downstairs, and there
on the table was such a snack as she
could get up in a shortitime, cold beef
and bread and butter, eggs and such
like, and I set down and eat hearty,
for | was hungry. l felt sort of mean,
with the gal a-waitin' on me as though
she was a servant and l a gentleman,
specially as l had all the movable
property in my pocket. Every time I'd
look up there was that innocent face
loolIin' at me. and when l wanted any
thing she'd help me to it. So by the
time I'd got q good meal into me !
was ready to do the only decent thing
1 ever did in my life.
You're a nice leetle GAL" 1 said. land
you've treated me fair. Oncet 1 was
respectable, and somehow the way
you've been actin toward me and
lOOkin' at me has made me ashamed o.
myself"
TUX out what I'd stuffed in my
up and walked out o the house and
rode away.
Well. that was right enough so far as
it went. but it went furder. Somehow
couldn't forgit the looks o. that leetle
gal. 1t seemed to me that if 1 could
live where 1 could see her sometimes
and have a chance I'd turn decent.
One day when L was near the ranch
rode over there. That was the I'M
luckiest visit of my life. l hadn't
more n rode in through the open gate
before the committee that was a-lookin'
for me came round "a turn in the road,
and there 1 was caught like a rat in
trap.
The only man on the committee that
knowed me for shore had gone back with
lame horse, so after they'd taken me
In on suspicion they called the leetIe gal
for they knowed I'd been there
afore-and axed her if 1 was the man.
She looked at me, maxim believe she
was puzzled or couldn't remember or
somepin, then said:
mo
/ was that surprised you could "a
blowed me over with a kitchen bel
lows.
Never seen him before?" axed one
of 'em.
Not this one. The other was bad
fellow. This man. I'm sure. is good
one and wouldn't hurt any one"
That was true so far as I hadn't
robbed any one since seen her.
'All right. stranger said the leader.
You kin go. I'm sorry TO have dis
turbed you"
/ was walkin' forward to the door
when 1 heerd a rustlin' on the stairs
and the old crone come down just in
time to meet me face to face. She give
q shrek, yelIin': Take him. He's the
man that robbed u.s."
Well, seen at oncet 1t was all up
with me. They took me in and brought
me here for trial. and I'm waitin' for
the end of IL. What gifts me is that the
only decent thing ever did was the