The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-16
WHEN HE
HUSTLED.
BY Abbie F. Ransom.
Copyrighted, 1907, by e. G. PARCELS

She stood by the window watching
the retreating figure Of the young man
too much absorbed to notice the en-
trance Of her father until he was by
her side. Without speaking she leaned
her arm upon his shoulder and thus
they watched until the young man was
no longer in sight. Then her father
spoke:
''It won't do, Elsie. You've got to
tell him I said 50. He Isn't the one."
The hand which had been caressing
his hair was thrown out with indig-
nant protest and the girl faced him,
panied surprise in every curve Of the
dainty lips.
whats wrong, father?' she de-
manded. Why haven't you said that
beforef"
The gray eyes gazing into her own
held far more kindness than his words
They were full Of stern decision.
Because l haven't been sure. Now
l am. Fred Denton can never support
q wife. He isn't able to now, and 10
never will be. You've got to call 1t
off,"
But, father" she began.
Its no use, Elsie" he interrupted.
ut isn't In him. A young man to sue
coed nowadays must get out and hus-
tie, and that's something Fred Denton
will never do. He spends his time in
his office reuding, reading, reading, and
that never brought patient to a doctor
yet.
Why, the other night there was an
accident at Cedar Glens. Kensett was
mixed up IN 1t. Had a drunken chauf-
feur. and the whole car came precious
near going ove the cliff. Would have
gone If it hadn't been for q young med.
who understood sprlnting and who
saved 1t in the nick of time.
"As it was, Kensett got off with a
broken collar bone, a friend of his came
home With a smashed hand. and-well.
you read it in the papers. That saw
bones is fixed for life just because he
happened to be on the spot and knew
what to do and how to do it. But it
wasn't Denton. He was in his office
reading up the microbes of leprosy or
some other %outlandish disease"
Fired was just telling me-" began
Elsie, when her father cut her short.
"Then, too, he had a little money in
one Of the banks. Where's that? He
wasn't content to let 1t stay where it
was. He asked me what 1 thought
about Aurora stocks, and I told him
they weren't worth the matches to
burn 'em, but he invested in them.
Where are they now? Whew! Now
you see 'em and now you don't"
Father, If you would only listen"-
"Listen to what? The same old story
of love in a fat and your $500 a year?
I've got 4 deal on hand and won't be
home before tomorrow night. In the
meantime you just give M that ring
on your finger and I'll return it to
Fred Denton, NJ. D."
Slowly his daughter drew off the
ring, a curious expression growing in
her eyes, one which her father was
quick to observe.
"See here, Elsie," he said as he took
it from her. II want you to promise
that II he calls you won't see him until
I give you permission; that Is, If I
ever do"
"You are very unjust, father; If you
would only LISTEN
Owe waited too long already" he re-
sponded. starting of. mind your
promise, Elsie; there isn't to be any
more Of this nonsense"
Perhaps there'll be more instead of
less" she murmured as the door closed
behind him. Then she went up the
stairs to her room with q tread as full
of decision as his tones had been.
1t didn't take long for her to reap.
pear dressed for the street, and fifteen
minutes later she surprised a certain
young man who was very busily en-.
gagged doing nothing at all in q pleas.
antly furnished office of a downtown
business block.
"He wouldn't give me a chance to
say q single word" she concluded In
dignantly.
Fred Denton smiled complacently
into her flushed face. There was ne
trace Of the respondent lover about
him.
1--WE won't try to explain" he said.
Suppose you take this trip to New
York with me this morning7 You look
very bride-y," he answered. white
dress, white hat, white shoes and
gloves. Really, Elsie, one would al.
most believe that you had dressed pur.
posely for a wedding trip"
Fred Denton, you don't believe
she paused, crimson to the very ears
Then she added irrelevantly:
Father ran away with mother; I've
heard him tell about it time and time
again."
"Come on" Denton cried.
1T doesn't seem right, Fred. Father
has always been the kindest, the best
father in existence, and he is doing
this just because he loves me-"
That's just the reason we're doing
what we are" was his ready response.
Come, dear, we haven't a moment to
lose. You go to the Wilson avenue sta
ton and take the train from there,
while I'll trolley it to Woodlawn and
get on board at that place. Then no
one will see us together until after we
leave the city and we are all o. K"
A ten minutes wait for the New
York express Is a time altogether mad
equate for repentance and home going.
Besides, there was the danger of dis
covery, and no one Of Elsie Kingston's
makeup ever Ainched when danger wal
In the air.
Then there was her ticket to buy,
her seat to secure apd the ten minutes
had come and gone before abe thouaht