The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1903-12-12
Bun1ping
Aqainst Ideals
P PEYTON WILLIAMS
c,opyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub Coz


nrofoupd mystery Joe Mason had
ever felt called on to solve. The longer
he tried the more hopeless he tound
the solution. He found his STANDARDS
81 Inadequate and the surrounding
conditions so unfamiliar and banning
that his characteristic assurance de-
serted him entirely and he CROPPED IN
the greatest perplexity.
Joe was a typical city-bred boy. You
could not throw him into any situation
in a great city where he would not lana
on his feet, And this made 1t all the
more humiliating for him to acknowl-
edge himself downed, awed-almoSt
terrified by this single country maiden
But Joe was learning faster than ne
knew.
He was a splendid type of the pro-
duet of a great city. Born of good par
entage but thrown upon his own re-
sources, he had made much Of himself.
With but little opportunity for school
ing his education had been picked up
through the activity of his keen wits.
OF course. it was superficial, but was sur
fcient for business purposes and to
give him a good presence and carriage
He had gone into a great wholesale
house early in life and by industry,
energ- and enterprise had been ad-
yanced rapidly. His habits and morals
we're good-for the city. Partly
through a fortunate heredity partly
through his sturdy cOmmon-sense, he
had avoided the great pitfalls of drink
ing and gambling, the two Molochs OF
the city born and bred youth. To be
sure he was no white-winged angel
and took an occasional fly at the
pOnies and had an occasional might
with the boys But he avoided eX-
cesses and attended strictly to bust
ness. Hence his advancement
He had the inevitable contempt for
the country jay common to every
city lad and regarded the farmer as a
sort of half developed biped, designed
by an all-wise Providence for city peo-
pie to prey upon.
He knew all about girls, too in his
own es,imation. He had experienced
| the adolescent warnings and gone
through the various stages He had
met the city girl of his station, admired
and sought her. And her worldly
wise mind had appealed to him and he
| liked her immensely, But he had
| SHE'D at the thought of entanglements
and while he was ever delighted to
meet the fair sex and exchange pas
sages Of wit and repartee, he never
had been seriously tempted to tie him
self down to married life,
No wonder the broad-Drowed, calm
eyed girl with her maidenly her
simple dignity, her wide range Of In
| formation. both OF nature and books.
and her habit Of looking so straight
out of her clear eyes puzzled him. He
had never known girl that talked so
seriously and so inteligently and the
utter absence OF anything resembling
a shipper, mystfied and bewildered him,
| Then, too, she so often put him at so
humllatng a disadvantage by her ac-
curate knowledge and education, which
| contrasted so strongly with his super
fetal information and fippant wit, that
he began to feel uncomfortable and to
/ lose his superabundant and override
yeloped confidence in himself as 1.-THE
smartest ever"
| His translation from the busy city
| life TO the quiet farm in the far west
| had been sudden and unexpected. The
| doctor had told him one day that he
must give up business for a long time
and get away from the city in dry
| climate and live out OF doors-work
| ont OF doors II possible, or he would
| die So he had resigned his position
| and hurried westward, armed with a
| letter Of introduction to Daniel Spell
| man, who had agreed with true west
ern hospitality to take him as n
boarder on the big ranch Spellman
/ was not in the business OF taking
| boarders, but letter from a mutual
friend coupled with the natural love
Of companIonshIp, had gained tho
| point
/ Mason had not noticed Dora much at
| first She was not a girl OF striking ap-
| pearanco and her manners were dis
| tnctly retiring and unobtrusive, She
vas but recently returned from an
eastern college and had assumed her
| place as housekeeper for her widowed
father After the first novelty had
worn OF Mason began to notice the
girl more, and the more he noticed her
the more worth while It appeared, She
was distinctly pretty, II not striking
and possessed personality that could
not fail TO impress Itself upon those
with whom she came into contact
"HeIgho!" remarked Joe. TO himself
one day after he had been at the Spell
mans n couple OF weeks "That is
quite q gIrl, sec n chance 10 pass my
spare time very pleasantly Nothing
Ike n lIltlo Irritation 10 add spice 10
life She's n simple little thing. She's
been away to school and seems 10 have
an idea that she knows It ALL IN haze
TO put on a little city 0ncssc and take
\ iall out OF her nerve, Hope she won't
take 1t too hard, as I'd hate to pass