Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-12
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DAILY SHORT STORY
THE coLoNEL'S GUEST.

Just got nicely settled when one night
at midnight 4 queer sound in his bed
room broke his sleep.
Once out of bed he got down and |
looked under it as the most likely place |
TO find Il strange cat. What he saw was
d man instead of cat. and, grabbing |
for his big navy revolver and imagining !
himself at the head of his old fight |
ing regiment. lie commanded:
Now, then, you roll ont here or I'll
blow your head off,
Go a little slow, colonel" replied the !
man under the bed. I've also got n
gun, and the minute You stoop down
I'll send a bullet into your eye"
You will, Will you, you miserable
thief
Il will, for sure. and l guess I'll
shoot at one of your legs as it is.
don't like the color of your pajamas."
Acting upon the impulse of the mo-
ment, the colonel sprang upon his bed.
but fifteen seconds later he was 50 MAD
to think he had jumped that he leaped
to the floor with the exclamation:
Come out here, you rascal, or you
are a dead mani"
That's all bluff, colonel said the
intruder with q chuckle. Pull on your
trousers. if you are sober enough,
and take things easy"
The colonel Obeyed. He obeycd be
cause it suddenly struck him that he
didn't look dignified without trousers,
and because he would need them any
way when he collared the man and
walked him to the police station. He
then sat down, because his knees trem-
bled under him, and that very fact
made him boil over with anger and
chagrin. With the revolver pointed
under the bed, or as near so as he could
hold it, he continued:
You Internal scoundrel, what are
you doing here in my apartments-in
my BEDROOM
Robbery. colonel. That's my trade,
you know. l had pal with me, but
he took off Il bag of stuff while |
stayed behind TO investigate further.
When | heard you fumDling at the
front door | crept under the bed here
for safety. 1t was my attempting to
get out that woke YOU up. l should
have been going through your clothes
| in another minute"
Then come out of that-comc out.
say Numbered the colonel as he
grew hotter all the time.
Not Just vet. cOlOncl-nOt hardly
Then III shoot you where You are"
| "No. You won't, old man. The in
| slant | see YOUR legs moving I shall
| open fire on them. From where You
| sit Your bullets can't reach me. while
have dead sure thing on your legs.
| Go slow. colonel
It's time l had the police in here
and had you ont of this. Here goes
Click. Click! It was the man under
| the bed getting ready to fire on the
| coloners legs. and the colonel happily
realized it and fell back into his
chair.
There won't be any police called
! in here before I'm gone" said the
stranger i'll his cool. calm way. after
! I'm out you can raise all the racket
you want to-
''Ye gods. but must l put up with
this" almost walled the man of war.
'You must. | have been ready to
come out for ten minutes past and YOU
alone are to blame that I'm keeping
you up. Why not hold on to that pep
perry temper of yours until we can
come to pleasant understanding?
LET a rObber go after he has plum
dered me!'
That's what it must come to, colo
mel. As a soldier, you see the situa-
ton. We have got each other by the
short hair. so to speak, and neither
Of MS is happy over it. There may be
Il question of honor involved. but l
think you'd better waive il. The plum
der carried off won't foot up 5000 and
for that trillinG sum you'd bc an ass Ia
give yourself away To police and re
portcrs and members of your club.
Never give yourself away at Il cheap
price Besides
besides what:" snapped the colonel.
The family honor. you know"
What do you know about my fam
fly. SIR"
a great deal, colonel. You had a
brother George"
But he is dead"
Well hardly. He was supposed to
have died several years ago, but as a
matter of fact he is very much alive to-
day. Indeed, colonel. he's the man who
carried off the swag just before you
t came in"
You are lying. sir! I won't believe
. 4 word OF it,
"On your base again. Your brothers
middle name is Yates; light hair, blue
? eyes, small hands, and there is a seal
: on his right cheek from q wound re
4 ceived when a boy; also speaks with
+ lisp. Am I correct. colonel:"
Yes. YES. Come out and tell me
more" whispered the colonel
There's only this more to say" said
the man as he crept out and stood
erect. Your brother has gone to the
dogS-that is, he Is one of our gang
, He didn't know that this was your den