Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-30

YES" agreed Miss Walbridge.
"There is Helen Swanson, for in
stance" An amused smile played
around her small mouth.
a bean pole" disdainfully came
from the other. |
'Lottie Johnson. then," suggested
Stella, her eyes merry. i
IAN cell? contemptuOusly objected +,
Loring.
"You are hard to please" protested |
the lady with mock seriousness. How
will Mamie Gridley do?' The lower /
part of her face was hidden behind a
lace handkerchief, while her laughing
eyes watched the contortions on the
young mans frank, handsome face.
do you think | want to marry a
mountain?" cried Osbert. Then, with
n laugh, 81 am going to marry finer
girl than you think"
"Who" with assumed Indifference
queried Miss Walbridge, though a jeal-
GUS pain was nibbling at her heart.
Never mind" easily responded the
young man. "Wait until you get our
cards.
Then your proposal to me was mere
ly bluff?" angrily flashed the maid.
Realizing. however. how much her out
burst committed her, she relapSed into
| Indifference. "Oh, | don't care!" laugh
ed she. Marry whom you please and
when you please. You can have my
blessing"
Loring whisted for reply. They
walked on in silence. separated from
fields of gold and of emerald by barb
ed wire fences. A little ahead of
them the hard road turned abruptly: Il
clunp OF frees filed the angle ard shut
out the highway beyond. A sharp
trotting was suddenly heard. Sup
posing this to be buggy the young
couple swerved out of the road to One
side
a bullw cried the girl.
Farmer fuckers bull!" supplement-
ed the young nan.
The two stopped and stared at one
another The situation was serious.
They were too far away from house or
barn to be able TO run back for shelter
before the bull would overt2ke them
And five ropes of barbed wire barred
their way to the fields.
The bull will gore US" declared
Stella
Il don't care what happens to me,
returned the young man. with n sErue
: of the shoulders. you run back to the
village | shall keep him busy foI
awhile at any rate" -
Il WON'T announced Miss Wal
bridge. why don't you care wha
will happen TO you:' a.vl
You know very we'll Why gloom
lily answered Osbert. Now, hurry III
and run. Do"'
Il STAY cried the girl. There il
the other girl. you know" she remind
ed him lightly. why don't you ear
what VIII happen to youY
There is no other girl" quietly sal,
Loring. Now hurry along with you t
the village" he added, with much con
Germ.
II won'tr' again cried Stella. IF yo
wish my life to be saved save you
own
Then marry me!' from Osberss.
mine tines" triumphautly from tn
ions six feet two. she added, "On tina
condition will
Honor bright?"
"As l live"
e Gross your heart"
i The girl obeyed.
e They We're near the clump of tree
LOring'S coat was off i'm a minute 4
,, the animal came up he received TIL
> coat over his head. Tightening the ga
ment deftly>over the beasts head. O
d bert with herculean effort turned Il
t bull in the opposite direction. Now |
: lifted the girl hp lightly and swung II,
gently over the fence. Stella from h,
safe vantage watched with beatir
heart the struggle of the giants.
The brute had made short work
Osbert'S coat. Enraged more thu
ever, he returned to the charge. Wi
his head close to the ground the bu
went straight for Loring. But TIL
- young man had been an all arour
Yale athlete. He sprang deity asid
and the beasts horns struck the II
With bloodshot eyes. steaming nostri
and with n loud below he went on
more for his victim Osbert had n
ticed huge stone and had bent dow
to pick 1t up. intending to smash wi
1t the animals head. He was n
quick enough, however. The bu
horns We're at him before he could g
the stone.
Miss Walbridge held her breath
terror. The next moment she behe
the bull raise his enormous head hi;
In the air, and with it the body of h
lover. A mist swan before her eye
But she called upon all her energy
fight her fainting spell and see t
struggle out
Loring had grasped the brute's hor
and swung himself upon them as
on trapeze. When the bull rear
his head at its highest the young m
flung himself, over the fence.
Stella closed her eyes and sank do,
upon the emerald carpet Presen
she felt some one rubbing her wri.
and forehead. She looked up to IN,
her lovers gaze