Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
HIS ONE GOOD IMPULSE.
IOriginal1

is a question whether the western man
who lives 10y his wits, his cards and his
revolver is pointed better or the east
crn man who lives 10y his Jimmy. his
drills and his nltrOglycerin is painted
worse than the originals. BE this as
it may. Brayton was pretty bad. He
never came up before Judge Lynch,
for he was not a horse steilcr or Il
common murderer. yet he had taken
many peoples money as i card sharper
and killed many more In disputes.
One evening BraytOn. who had at the
time come 10 bc Il middle aged man,
rode into Il hamlet in South Dakota and
noticed Il young girl standing in the
door OF Il cabin. There was something
in her face that arrested his attention,
something that reminded him of the
wife he had loved twenty years before.
when he was an honest and industrious
young man. and whom he had later de-
serted. Though Il hardened sinner, a
pang shot through him as ray of sun
light will penetrate some dark and
muSty corner. and Il desire came to him.
a desire that vaguely united his wife
with this girl Could be through the
one atone for his cruelty TO the other:
Little gal" he said, refining in his
horse. ID We live in there:"
Yes"
with father and mother?'
''AIother-that is, / have been brought
up To consider her my mother But
since have grown / reckon she amt
Where il she:"
shes gone SomewhereS"
do you have 10 work hard?"
Yes
I'm looking for q girl like you.
How would you like to marry me?
I've got plenty of money. and you'd
have nothing TO do but amuse your
SELF
y faint color rose to her face and q
CLEAN of interest came into her eyes.
She looked the man over from head to
foot
cd
What would Bill do?"
who's Billt"
My young Teller; but he's poor and
Pd have TO work Il lot
Never mind BilE'
Several men We're coming, and as
Brayton spoke the last words one of
them. a fine looking young fellow,
stepped out from the rest and said:
Reckon We will mind Bill. stranger.
I'm Bill and I'd like to know what
yere mOnkeyin' round here for?"
oh. l only asked the gal if she'd ike
TO marry Il man that could give her
plenty of money. She knows best what
she wants"
Dolly" said the young man re
prOachfuIly, have We been encourag-
ing the stranger"
Dunno she replied. apparently un-
certain.
Young man." said Brayton, reckon
you Will have To fight for her"
I'm yer man." replied the young
ster, casting reprOachful glance at
the girl and vengeful one At Brayton.
Brayton dismounted, the young
mans friends arranged the terms, and
the principals took positions with re
vOlvers. the girl looking on. They We're
70 begin firing at the discharge of u
pistol and continue 10 do so till one of
them dropped. There was no need.
however. for more than the first shot.
Brayton was too quick for the young
man and sent bullet into his side.
which dropped him. Then. after the
damage consequent upon her indecsion
had been done. the girl plainly showed
her preference by taking her Bill III
her arms and going into Mysteries.
The lover was carried into the house
and BraytOn was left standing alone
outside. The mOmentary desire to
anchor himself To something better.
something akin TO his only real love.
had but led TO a new victim. He
signed 1t was the first time he had
ever sighed at bringing down an
enemy.
Hearing u footstep behind him, he
turned. y woman was approaching
who, the moment she saw him, stopped
and stared at him.
Are you Frank Brayton:" she asked
Yes. And you Mol Bruce?"
Yes. What We dom here? Better
steer clear o this house yer standin'
before"
"Why?'
with me-that's my housewife ye'd
rather not see-that is, if ye got
spark o decency left IN ye.'
DolIF asked the man eagerly, yet
with n shudder.
No Doll died in my arms, and as
there was no one but me to care for her
baby l took her and brought her up
as nay own. l don't want her to know
anything about her father. She's
good girl. and it would kill her"
Then IL broke upon Brayton that the |
only worthy impulse that had come To |
him in many years had been excited by |
his own daughter
"Moll,' he said, go in there. Some |
pins happened You'll find a young |
Teller wounded, mebbe killed. Do the |
best you can for him and let me know |
II he lives. You can write me at d |
GOodhv Hero take tbfS FOR bar apd i