Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-13
DAILY SHORT STORY
WHAT THE BOOMER SAW.
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newly opened country in the far west
was composed of about $40 people
There were "a number of good mer
among them who were without wives
and there were no women for them &c
marry Nudge. The man who had laid
out the town and was booming II. saw
these bachelors grow dissatisfied. and
they were beginning Tn leave. The sue
cess Of the enterprise was being teop-
srdiZed. and Nudge was not long III
learning that it was on account Of the
scarcity Of women.
The boomer pondered all one night
over the situation and the next morn
ing sent u telegram To n philanthropist
I'm the east asking for n hundred good,
healthy young women 10 Ice sent TO the
town for wives. The hundred girls ar
rived and We're received at the station
by the whole village. the most interest
ell spectators being the single men. The
girls were provided with boarding
places. and marriages began AT once.
Among the bachelors who looked up
on the arrival of the women was Lars
jacobson, "A middle aged man who fit
teen years before had left his native
Sweden To make nest for himself
and Katrina Hollander, TO whom he
was betrothed. He was hardwork-
ing. frugal man. had gathered together
sufficient funds for his purpose. and
was about 10 send for Katrina. when
T. vi,
posted failed. and he found himself as
poor as when he first came to America.
Discouraged. he wrote Katrina that she
had better not wait longer for him. and
their correspondence was dropped. Lat
or he made more money and wrote for
Katrina but no answer came. He was
informed that she had left her native
village. and II was supposed that she
was dead
jacobson went to the station not To
choose wife. but from curiosity, for
his heart was still with Katrina. He
stood with the crowd watching the
girls aIight. some OF them being Joined
by the bachelors. others going away
with married women to be lodged,
few going TO be at once married. most
of them either smiling or blushing or
both. while still others. finding their
position repugnant to them. wore for
bidding visages. Among them was one
much older than any of the rest. Some
thing about her reminded Jacobson of
his lost love. One of the bachelors ap-
preached her. and Jacobson saw by her
manner that the man was proposing
marriage. What the woman said was
probably not encouraging, for the
wOoer left her somewhat crestfallen.
There WAS something so pitiful In
this woman's situation, older by ten
years than most of the others, that ia
cobson's heart warmed toward her. He
had given up hope or being reunited
with Katrina Since he could not have
his old love. why not take this desolate
creature into his own desolatc heart
and bring an occasional smile to her
wan face! Nudge went past him scan
ming a typewriter list of names. ia
cobson stopped him and, pointing To
the woman ne had noticed. asked her
name. Nudge looked at the woman.
then at his list. To each name was at
tached n brief description.
Josephine Smithson," he replied and
went on.
Every day jacobson thought he
would surely go TO Josephine Smithson
and ask her to marry him. Within a
week after the influx of girls all were
married except this one woman. and,
though Jacobson feared to put OF his
proposal lest she should be married. he
could not make up his mind to aban-
don his dream OF Katrina. whom he re
membered as a young girl. One day he
| spoke To Nudge about Josephine Smith
son. Nudge told him 10 let her alone
She had been I'm Jail. The reason why
she had been included with good girls
was because the philanthrOpist who
had sent her believed her innocent OF
the crime OF which she had been con
victed. This put stop to Jacobson's
intentions.
Several OF the men confessed that
| they had proposed to Josephine Smith
son and had been refused Indeed, she
showed that her intention in coming to
ID. was not matrimony by setting up
small store. Jacobson met her sew
erli times on the main and only street
OF the town. but she had never raised
her eyes TO his. But one day when she
passed him she noticed him and quickly
gave him a second glance. The next
time she met him she gave him a pro-
longed look.
why do you look at me in that
way" he asked
Because You resemble some one I
have known"
And you resemble some one I have
known. III YOU did not bear another
name would suppose you were she"
Il met with a misfortune'-her voice
trenbled-"and was told it would be
best TO change my name"
who are you:'
Il am a woman OF Sweden. NV be-
trothed came TO America years ago.
He WAS at first successful, then unfor-
tunate. and released me. but believed