Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-07-14
The ThwMting
Of Tucker


Kill tcopgdshk i'i, ~ Daily sssy Pub OIL
THERE was great excitement In Il
ell Judkins household ,Everybot
, was disturbed, restless and uneas
= The cause Of all this excitement WI
I the failure Of Minerva Judkins to o.
pear at the breakfast table, and u
{ further fact that Q search Of the houi
had not discovered her whereabout
These things within themselves wer
not * strange and startling as to q
the whole household wild, but, whe
, taken In connection with some othe
things. they had q most portentiou
meaning.
"Oh. Minerva! Mineral" Mrs. Jud
kins walled. II wonder where she cal
be?"
Old Sam stopped and glared at bill
wife. Whats the use in saying that?'
he cried. II know. and you know, ex
actly where she is. There's no sens,
in beating about the bush, trying to de-
ceive ourselves. She's eloped, that's all
there is to It Eloped with that Jach
Burns"
No, mol" Mrs. Judkins moaned,
don't say that It can't II must moi
be true!"
well, Just the same, It is true.
They've eloped. But I promise you
right now that it's mighty little good
1t will do them. I'm going to follow
and bring her back, and II I lay eyes
on Jack Burns he's q dead man, I'll
shoot him on sight"
"Oh, Sam! You mustn't do anything
rash!"
Don't you bother about that!"She
cried. I'm mot do anything more rash
than putting q bullet through Jack
Burns heart"
Minerva Judkins was a woman
grown and had a perfect right to a
ry whom she pleased, and no one was
privileged to say her nay. But her
father did not see 1t in that light. and.
having selected a husband for her, was
determined she should marry the man
OF his choice. regardless of her own
preferences in the matter.
This arrangement would have been
distasteful enough to Minerva, even If
the mar Of her fathers choosing had
been a decent, respectable sort of per-
son, but when he offered her an old
widower with six children, an un-
shaven face and a woefully unkempt
appearance, 1t was simply revolving. |
The thought Of marrying such a man
was the more revolving to her from the
TACT that she was in love with Jack
Burns, a man nearer her own age. and
one OF whose personal appearance and
character she could justly feel proud.
In reality Sam Judkins had nothing
against Jack Burns, and II he had
been left u~ninfuenced he would have
been perfectly willing for Jack and
Minerva to marry. But, unfortunately.
was not left uninfluenced. Old Ben
the widower above mentioned,
Ittended to that. He had an influence
'ver Sam that the latter found ire
tstable. He had a mortgage on Sans
arm, which he threatened to foreclose
Inless he was given Minerva for q
rife.
Tucker was at the Judkins home
7hen It was found that Minerva had
In fact. It had been
ranged that he and Minerva should
larry that morning, and 1t was for
nat reason that he was there. It was
lso for that reason that Minerva had
ad disappeared. I
When Sam took down his gun and
,nounced his intention Of following
10 clippers old Ben offered to accom- =
my him, and his offer was accepted.
Near the Judkins farm was a river,
Id across the river was q town. It .
rs to this town that old Sam very q
concluded the lovers had .
me. 1t wa the only town anywhere Z
'ar, and then in other elopements the
opers had always gone there to get Il
.
. boat was secured and the two men D
t in and set out across the river. o.
ECKER took the oars. while old Sam
t in the stern nursing the rife. In d
rfect silence the former pulled away q
and the latter stared straight
fore him, watching the opposite
ore. n
IN this way they proceeded until
~ had reached the middle Of the
'er, where the water was deep and IL
!, current swift. Then all at once old m
N sprang to his feet In q state Of
ID excitement and raised his gun 10
shoulder. Just before him he saw b
* Burns standing on the river bank.
Hold the boat still, can't your" he hl
led to Tucker. Let up On them
b
What Is III" Tucker asked, for seat
facing Sam he could not Ne Burda Ju
hat are you going TO shoot here mi
?" ~ to
He's there on the bank" Sam re-
d. lack Burma. I'm going TO Kill
!. Hold still until l get . bead on
asfaad NJ dofno a. a.u .Aw,- IN