Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-21
CHAPTER VI.

WDachlnS ana Numbering Tilt
morning. Red worked like a
horse now, that he had COM
pany. A sudden thought struck him,
and he went into the house.
Matte" said he.
well, WHIP"
81 see q use for the rest of that nice
big roast of beef I smell In the oven
lets have all these fellers stay to
dinner and give 'em one good feed.
What do you say?'
why, I'll like to, Will. but 1 don't
know wherein set them?"
Couple of boards outside for a ia
ble-let them sit on boxes or something
Got plates and things enoughT'
MY, yes, Plenty of such things,
Will"
''Then if it amt too much trouble for
you We'll let it CO."
"No trouble at all, Wilt will he a
regular picnic"
Boys. you'll eat with me this day"
said Red.
They spread the board table beneath
an old apple tree and cleaned up for
the repast in the kitchen storm shed
with an apologize Sorry to trouble
you, Miss Saunders" or such mat
ter as each went in.
Just as Miss Matte was withdraw
ing the meat from the oven there came
a knock at the door.
Goodness. gracious." she exclaimed.
"Who can that be now? Will, will
you see who that is? l can't 60"
Sure said Red and went to the
door. There stood two women of that
indefinite period between forty and
sixty, very decently dressed and with
some agitation visible in the way they
fussily adjusted various parts of their
attire.
They started at the sudden spectacle
of the huge man who said pleasantly,
How der do, ladies?'
''Why. how do you do?' replied the
taller instantly and in voice she had
never heard before. Il hope you're
well, SIR a remark which filed her
with surprise.
Thanks, I'm able to assume the per-
pendicular, as you can see," responded
Red, with a handsome smile of well
come. How do you find yourself"
I'm pretty WELL" said the fiustered
lady. How do you do?"
burned if we amt right back where
we started from" mourned Red to
himself. IF it's one of the customs of
this country saying how der do an
hour at a stretch, pass it up Aloud
he said: Coming along fine. HOw's
your father?' "CuSS me if | don't
shift the cut little anyhow" he add
ed mentally.
why, he's very well indeed" ex-
claimed the lady, with fervor How
She got no further on the query, for
the other woman interrupted in tone
of scandal Mary Ann Demilt, how
can you talk like that? Your fathers
been dead this five year last August
The horror of the moment was bro
ken by the appearance of Miss Matte,
crying Hospitality on seeing the visit
ors, why, Mary aud Pauline, how dc
you do?"
The shorter one, Pauline, looked up
and said sharply, Were well enough
Matte" She was weary of the form
Come right in said Miss Matte
You're just in time for dinner"
There was great protest at this
They hadn't moment to spare;;'
they. were lust going down to the
corner and had stopped to say" etc.
you've got to help me-" said Miss
Matte. Twill here has invited the
boys who are working for him to stay
to dinner. and it won't be any more
than Christian for you to help me
out"
ladies'" said Red, ''if you DOM
want to starve a man who's deserving
of better fate take off your f1xings
and come out TO dinner. No. he con
tinued to their protests, which he OBJ
served were growing weaker, sits M
trouble at all. There's plenty for ev
erybody. Come one, come all, thi;
house shall fly clean off its base a!
soon as 1! Now, for heavens sake
ladies, it's all settled-come onr'
Whereat they laughed nervously ant
took off their hats.
1t was a jolly dinner party. TIL,
young fellows Red had picked up II
the blacksmith's shop were not the or
binary quality of loungers. They wer
boys of good country parentage, witt
a common school education, who un
fortunately could find nothing TO d.
but the occasional odd job. OF cours
it would not take long to transform
them into common ne'er do wells. bu
now they were merely thoughtles
boys.
The whole affair had an al fresc
flavor which stoppered convention
The two women visitors pitched in an
had as good a time as anybody.
In the middle of the festivities
young man walked past the from
fence-a stranger evidently. for hi
clothes wore the cut of city, and
cosmopolitan, up to date city at tha
He stopped and looked at the house
hesitated q moment and then wake
In. back to where the folk were eating
Excuse me-" said he as. they locke
up at him, ''but isn't this Mr.. Demilt'
house,"
A momentary silence followed, as
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