The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-03-17

/ ave a. anu INC VI 4NNu Ou lno
! street after that always acted on me like
a red rag on goose, sir. Don't look as
| if I'd made a slip; | use the word ad
yisedly, sir.
Ned, can say now, was a good look
| ing fellow with black curly hair cut so
/ that it seemed as if he had a cap on
| when his hat was off, if you came up be-
! hind him. The next time you're back
of an orchestra see il you can't pick out
| some fellow that looks like that, sir. A.
| that time | would have told you Ned
Remich looked like a peach orchard
out of cultivation, but naturally | see
| things clearer now. Ned was really a
good looking fellow and good hearted
one, too, as I've found out many times
| since then.
Between Ned and me the rivalry for
| Branche Strings heart waged fast and
| furious We hardly spoke to each other
although We had been passing acquaint-
| ances before. Blanche never invited us
I both to the house the same evening and
so a direct clash was avoided.
Every time | called the Widow Stirl-
ing sat there as calm and collected as
you please with pleasant nod for me
| always and an occasional word or two in
| the conversation. She never left us alone
in the room and gave me no chance to
speak to Blanche on the subject of which
my head and heart were full. | paid
both the ladies all sorts of pretty compli-
ments | could think of, but that was
about the limit. Several times when
Blanche and were out together at social
affairs without the Chaperonage of her
mother | had started to ask her for her
| hand, but she had always stopped me
one way or another before | could make
direct avowal of my love. Usually she
pretended petulancy and, if that ap-
peared about to fail. tears. Against the
latter | was powerless. She explained
the tears by nervousness and hySteria
to which she was liable.
Ned Remich and l used to glare al
each other as you've seen bulldogs do
| across the street when some ones hold
ing them from each other. 1t was
Blanche Stirling that held US back while
at the same time she unknOwingly melted
! us to commit a serious breach of the
peach
When my passion had about reached
its height found another chance to dis
tinguish myself in the eyes of the Stirling
household. Passing the house late at
night, | was astounded to see a man
trying to fit key at the front door. |
hadn't heard from Blanche tor two days,
but | knew she was at home The man
acted as bold as might be and | whispered
to myself: There's a pretty case OF
sneak thieving that don't go on my beat!
With that up and grabbed him. He
started to yell, but | put my hand over
his mouth. | wasn't going to let him
arouse the Strings at that hour of the
night. The man fought and struggled,
but when he tried to enter into eXpiana-
tons | was feeling that savage hit him
with my club until at least he had 10
come along quietly. At the station !
| booked him as drunk and what with the
clubbing I'd given him he acted it, too.
Il didn't want to be hard on the poor
devil after the way I'd beaten him and |
Juh6tu ll4Cil ilC u llllllh llIllStlL luChy W
be let off with charge of drunkenness
after what he'd been attempting to do.
The next morning when | went down
to the station there was a good sized
| drama waiting for me. The central fig
ures were the Widow Stirling and her
pretty daughter Blanche. AS l entered
their backs were toward me and my
prisoner was just being led out of the
cell.
Blanche's arms were around his neck
in an instant and she was saying some
thing | didn't understand. l was thun-
derstruck. At last they broke away and
she, looking toward me, gave a sudden
start
Your father, Miss?" | asked.
'No, my husband" was the reply.
You could have knocked me down
with chunk of fog was that weak The
| floor seemed to open under me and
rubbed my eyes to see if | couldn't wake
up. 1t was no go. | CoHghed violently
and went into side room to get drink
of water to clear my throat.
when | came back the Strings were
gone and | was called on for explana-
tions, which | gave. The captain of the
night watch laughed heartily and long
until tears came to his eyes. Hooked on
but saw nothing to laugh about
How | got out of it don't know, but
was the recipient OF many a rude jest
| for week or SO until | threatened tc
kill on sight anyone that said Blanche
| Stirling in my presence.
1t seems that her husband had arrived
the day before and was coming in late
/ that night when | mistooK him for a
| burglar. Ned Remich was almost as bad
off as l was, but the matter soon grew
quieter as the Strings left town before
many days on account of the notoriety
they'd gained and were not heard OF
again by me at least"
Pulling out his watch, the sergeant
exclaimed that we had but five min
utes in which to reach the theater and
We rose hastily, paid our bills and went
to watch Rosalind in her Dr. Mary Wal
| ker suit work out the tangle of a clever