Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-28
DAILY SHORT STORY
MueeERToN.
lOriginaLl

parlng matIer IOr the Suuudy tultiOu
when a big muscular fellow who looked
like prize fighter came in and asked
for employment. / feared that his real
intention was to rob me and dallied
with him.
ANY experience j asked.
Lots. i worked three weeks on the
D. Bee That's after 1 left college,
a month ago"
At mention of college l started.
ANY creative faculty."
You bet! / can fling off story any
| time
I'm thinking of running short sto-
~ every Sunday. Sit down there and
let me see what you can do
He took u seat at a vacant reporters
| desk and wrote this story:
The nineteenth century was just
| twenty five years old. 1t was the win
| ter season. BY the waySide stood a
| hotel, with a barroOm just off the Of
| fee The landlord was absent, and his
daughter. a beautiful girl OF eighteen.
sat sewing behind the counter. The
door opened, and young man, resu-
| lar stalwart. walked up to the counter
| and registered. He wrote in fine
round hand, Dick Tut, Central City,
| Colo
l paused and looked at the author.
| In 1922 the Rocky mountains where
| Central City is located had probably
never seen Il white man.
| Tin a cowboy. l am said Mr.. Tut,
sweeping the floor with his broad brim.
| L won 500 at faro off the boys punch
| in cows around Central" and I've
come east to blow it in
AS he spoke he drew n bead on the
girl with his eagle eye and brought her
| down like an antelope. Taking a key
| off rack. she handed it to him, and
he was about to go upstairs when
party came in smoking long mines
| and took possession of the big stove in
| the center of the room. Mr.. Tut
paused and watched them. They soon
| got To kicking up row. and the girl
started for the telephone to call the po-
| lice"
You've made a slight mistake" 1
remarked to the author. The tele-
phone was invented half a century
after the date of your story"
He glared and ground his teeth like
a lion pOked with a long stick, and |
went on reading.
"Mr Tut walked up to the lady and
said:
"'If you want these galoots tumbled
out ] reckon l can do the job
"'No. SIR replied the girl softly:
we never allow any shooting in this
house
| N In hn n
What do / need of n gun with such
muscle:' And. rolling up his sleeve,
he showed biceps that measured Il
| good twenty inches.
without waiting for permission he
sidled up TO the man making the most
noise and. Strengthening his crooked
arm, sent the fellow sailing like an ice
boat along the floor till he brought up
| against the Dashboard. Mr.. Tut then
| turned and faced the rest of the gang.
1t happened that Kid Malone was in
| the crowd, at that time training for a
| fight with Pat McCracken. He step
ped to- the front, and n ring was
| formed. The kid was featherweight
| with fancy fist training. and the COW
| boy was strong as bull buffalo.
| While the kid was dancing around the
cowboy broke his guard, got a clutch
on him and, raising him in the air.
| threw him into the next room.
This ended the fight. The gang
| picked up the unconscious kid and ran
| him out. for they didn't know but the
police might come in any minute.
How can / ever thank you enough?
remarked the young lady, going back
| to her sewing machine behind the
counter"
Again I paused to think. My recol-
| lection was that the sewing machine
did not come into use before 1850
AT that moment the old man walked
| in.
| Father said the girl. heres a
| guest from the wild and woolly west.
A gang OF rowdies came i'm "A few min
utes ago and made a disturbance. The
| gentleman cleaned them out
My friend said the landlord,
what can / do for you? Anything in
this house Is none too good for Riley"
quoting a popular song
| Stranger said the cowboy. you've
got only one thing want, your daugh-
| ter
| I'd rather part with my new Colts
pistol or my typewriting machine. but
IL she's willing you have my consent
When they were married the cow
boy wore a wooden shirt. corduroy
trousers. boots and spurs. The bride
| wore white muslin
Having finished the story, | looked up
at the author
Did you take a full course in col
legeT" | asked.
We'll. no. l was brought in for a
special when the varsity team went
into training for the annual football
game. / left college just before the
examination"
| Il see You are
| "Muggerton."
THE tackle that laid everybody out
| opposed 10 your college last season."