Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
SHE "sLoPPED OVER"
original

hand in hand in the moonlight on the
farm porch. every one is talkin' about
Mr.. Ketchem that's made such sen
sation everywheres. He's a-comin' to
preach i'm the brick church at Four
Corners. They say he's powerful elo-
Quent"
DO they:"
Yes. And when he breaches people
git so affected they weep"
Nick yawned.
I'm goin' to the Corners to hear
him.
What d. y want TO hear him for?'
What for? Why. jist think o bein'
under the spell o the eloQuence of d
man that has moved thousands to tears.
How proud his wife must be of him.
if he has one. She must worship the
ground he walks on
I'm thinkin' she'd better worship
God"
Cinderella looked offended. She with
drew her hand and said coldly:
Sometimes l think I'm maxim a
mistake in Margin farmer. I'd be
jist in my element as Il minister's wife
l should so love 10 see my husban
movin' people to throw their burdens
on the Lord
If he didn't git more pay than most
of 'em he'd be THROWN his burden on
You"
This practical view of the case was
repugnant to Cinderella She turned
her back on her lover.
Il don't reckon. Cindy," he went on,
you'd make much of a wife for
minister My idee of minister's wife
is one that kin keep the wimmen of
the congregation from pesterin her
husband: a woman full of axle grease
that the hull church kin keep turnin'
on. Its jist like politics. There's allus
them that wants to keep the minister
in and them as wants to git him out.
The minister's wife should be so
smooth with the outs that they can't
bear to do the job. and so popular with
the ms that they won't let 'em do it
if they want to. You hain't got grease
enough in v for that
Nick was a hard headed fellow with
good deal of horse sense, while
Cindy was romantic and inclined to
gush. But Cindy was IL good girl, and
there was every prospect that. once
stopping over" as he called 1t.
The Rev. Mr.. Ketchem was duly
announced to preach at the Four Cor
| nerS, and Nick, in order to humOr his
betrothed, agreed to drive her over
| to hear him, ii being stipulated that
Nick need not go inside the church, but
| be at liberty to sit on the fence during
service and white The day was fine
and the air bracing. Cindy was en-
rapturcd with the beautiful Sunday
morning which she said even without
church bells didn't seem like IL com
mon week day. As the distance be
tween her and the church lessened she
grew excited at the near prospect of
coming under the spell OF man who
was accustomed to wiring repentant
tears from sinners.
"Oh, Nick" she said, Il hope | won't
make n goose of myself"
Il hope you won't" said the matter
of fact Nick.
You're not sympathetic" she re-
piled tartly.
Not with 'sloppin' over"
II don't call repentance 'sIOppln'
over"
"hdl y bCCh uOlu W VI
"NOthin'," she snapped.
We'll, then, what's the use of re-
pentin'7'
You don't understand such things.
You amt never been convicted"
Il hain't been indicted yit."
At that moment the wagon went
over a rut and something cracked. The
result was that they were obliged to
walk the horse the rest Of the way,
and when they reached the church the
sermon had begun. Nick let Cindy out
ut the door and then drove to the shed.
Nick was joined ON the fence by
several acquaintances, who whitfield
and talked crops and stock. Through
them Nick learned something pertain
ing to what was going on in the
church that interested him. He got
down off the fence and sAuntered to
the door. Looking in, there i'm one Of
the rear seats he saw Cindy She was
leaning forward. her eyes fairly glued
10 the man in the pulpit. 1t was evil
dent that she was drinking in all he
said. As he warmed to his subject
she trembled with emotion. Nick
looked over the congregation and saw
thar no one else was giving way TO the
cloquence of the preacher, which was
very ordinary. We love our ideals
for their trauscendent qualities and
our realities for their faults Nick
wished to save his beloved from max
ing herself ridiculous. He kept an
eye on her till the preacher brought
his fist down on the pulpit mildly,
when he saw her bury her face in her
handkerchief and burst into tears.
Nick slipped behind her and whis-
pered:
"Cindy, you're barkin' up the wrong
tree. That red headed young Teller
hain't Mr.. Ketchem. He's a student
from the seminary"
Cindy kept her head down and her